The Gathering Place uplifts families, patients on journey of coping with cancer

Eileen Saffran has a definition notable in simplicity of The Gathering Place.
“The Gathering Place is everything that doesn’t have to do with medical treatment for cancer,” says Saffran, CEO and founder.
Its offerings back that up. The Gathering Place originally opened in Beachwood and expanded in 2008 to add a Westlake location. In 2010, it opened a wellness facility in Beachwood for exercise and circuit training. Exercise and cooking classes are some of the most popular offerings, even more so than support groups.
“We’ve just never looked back,” Saffran says. “We’ve continued to grow. We work with all hospital systems so it is not a matter of if you should get care here or there. It’s wherever you come from; our doors are open.
“It is incredibly important to instill hope in people, to say this can happen. Will it? We don’t know, but it certainly can.”
Stress-buster foundation
The Gathering Place has served more than 21,000 people and has raised more than $16 million. Now in its 15th year, the organization serves individuals and families touched by cancer and offers programs and services free of charge.
Saffran founded The Gathering Place in 2000 after her experience as a clinical social worker gave her insights into the health care arena — and how stress has a negative impact on the body. To help manage that stress, Saffran learned how there were integrated, complementary approaches to medicine that could help.
She also had to deal with losing both parents to cancer 3½ years apart.
“It was that journey that led me to understand what was missing. We have great medical care but there is a lot more to the journey than simply chemotherapy, radiation and surgery,” Saffran says. “There is reiki, massage, yoga, meditation; even walking the labyrinth.
“I was also witnessing shorter hospital stays so people weren’t really able to connect in any meaningful way because they were in and out quickly. So I set forth to fill what I thought was a need, and many people quickly joined a grass-roots effort to launch the organization.”
A nearly 50-50 composition
Saffran says family members or caregivers make up about half of The Gathering Place’s clients and the rest is cancer patients. All services are at no cost.
“The Gathering Place is here, and everything we do is free of charge. The kids come to camp for a full week, it is free. We have overnight retreats, there is no cost. You have a massage, there is no cost. We are 100 percent privately funded,” she says.
The majority of the organization’s income comes from donations. The budget for fiscal year 2015-16 is $2.3 million. In addition to an annual fund drive, the organization operates a monthly warehouse sale where customers can purchase furniture and fine home furnishings. All items have been donated, and about $125,000 to $135,000 is realized a year.
A hallmark event for the year is called Race for the Place, which takes place the first Sunday in June. This year, the 5K run and walk had about 4,100 participants.
“We also apply for grants from foundations: corporate, community, family. We receive funding for some programs through that mechanism,” Saffran says.
A new event set for October is called Gatherpalooza. It will be a battle of the bands who are professionals by day and play music by night. There will be bands from the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Progressive Insurance and a band of lawyers and judges, Saffran says.
Challenges ahead
Much like the cancer journey itself, The Gathering Place is facing a challenge for its Westlake location, albeit a bit earlier than it would have wanted.
“We are at a transitional point now; our landlord is not going to renew our lease in two years,” Saffran says. “We really have outgrown the space so we are looking at the two things combined, and we recognize that we need to be in the West Side communities. We will look for people to embrace and help us make that happen as we run a capital campaign on top of finding a new home on the West Side.”
Saffran has also started work on an endowment fund.
“We have a healthy portfolio but we want to combine what we have now and with that raise up to $10 million,” she says.

“So there is a whole lot going on, aside from serving people — which is fulfilling our mission.”

How to reach: The Gathering Place, (216) 595-9546 or www.touchedbycancer.org
SOCIAL MEDIA: To learn more, like its Facebook page www.facebook.com/TGPCaringCommunity and follow on Twitter @touchedbycancer.