Volunteering for The Cancer Project

There are many ways to volunteer for The Cancer Project. Thank you for your interest!

1. Opportunities for D.C. Metro Area Residents
2. Opportunities for Health Care Professionals
3. Opportunities for Students
4. Opportunities for Everyone

For more information or to get on our volunteer distribution list, please contact Bethany Richmond at 202-244-5038, ext. 351, or volunteer@cancerproject.org. From time to time, we also need volunteers at special events such as our annual Symposium.

Opportunities for D.C. Metro area residents

If You Are in the D.C. Area, Attend a Cancer Project Volunteer Work Party
The Cancer Project hosts a volunteer work party most Thursday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. at our metro-accessible Washington, D.C., office. We have fun projects to help out with, and there are delicious vegan refreshments, free literature, videos to watch, and amicable company. Feel free to bring friends and leave when you need to.

Volunteer At Our Office During Business Hours
The Cancer Project is seeking individuals who can volunteer during business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) at our metro-accessible office in Washington, D.C. Projects typically involve making follow-up phone calls to Food For Life cooking and nutrition class participants, data entry, preparing mailings, and research-related tasks, although we're happy to match projects to meet your skills and interests. We welcome short-term and longer-term commitments that meet your scheduling needs!

Getting to The Cancer Project
The Cancer Project is located at 5100 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Ste. 400, in Washington, D.C. If you take the Metro, take the red line to Friendship Heights Station—Jenifer Street exit. Once at street level, walk south on Wisconsin Avenue the three blocks to the office. If you drive, there is free parking on nearby streets.

2. Opportunities for Health Care Professionals

If you are a physician or other health care professional, there are a number of ways you can volunteer to help The Cancer Project promote healthy nutrition.

1. Become a Cancer Project spokesperson.
If you are a physician or registered dietitian, you can become a Cancer Project spokesperson. We frequently need experts to give presentations, speak at press conferences, and give interviews to TV, radio, and print news outlets. PCRM also needs physicians, registered dietitians, and other health care professionals to work with us in writing letters to the editors of newspapers all over the country. If you are interested in helping us, please contact communications@CancerProject.org or 202-244-5038, ext. 339. Media training is available.

The Cancer Project is offering an upcoming media training in Washington, D.C. For more information, please contact communications@CancerProject.org or 202-244-5038, ext. 339.

2. Lend your expertise in comments to research bodies.
There are opportunities for physicians to testify at the open meetings of the National Institutes of Health and other research bodies. By letting us know your specialty, we can contact you to testify at the appropriate hearing. If you are interested in helping us, please contact communications@CancerProject.org or 202-244-5038, ext. 339.

3. Testify at federal and state legislative hearings.
There are opportunities for physicians and other health care professionals to testify at federal and state legislative hearings. Please let us know your specialty and the best way to reach you so we can contact you to testify. If you are interested in helping us, please contact communications@CancerProject.org or 202-244-5038, ext. 339.

4. Review research papers.
We can use the expertise of physicians and registered dietitians in interpreting research publications in various specialty areas. If you are interested in helping us, please contact communications@CancerProject.org or 202-244-5038, ext. 339.

5. Recommend us to your colleagues.
We are happy to contact your colleagues, provide them with literature, or involve them in other ways. For more information, please contact communications@CancerProject.org or 202-244-5038, ext. 339.

6. Distribute The Cancer Project brochures to your patients and colleagues.
You can obtain our health and nutrition brochures by contacting literature@CancerProject.org or 202-244-5038, ext. 346. Leave these materials in the waiting room or examining room for patients to read, or hand them out to colleagues at conferences and meetings.

7. Stock your waiting room with The Cancer Project's nutrition literature and merchandise.
Help spread the word about healthy vegetarian diets by stocking your waiting room or examining rooms with books such as The Survivor’s Handbook by Dr. Neal Barnard or books from our Healthy Eating for Life Series. Our books can be purchased online. Or, place your order by contacting literature@CancerProject.org or calling 202-244-5038, ext. 346.

8. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper or to a medical journal.
See an article about cancer or nutrition in a newspaper or journal that you’d like to respond to? Send a letter to the editor—and send us a copy if you get published! Use our letter writing tips to get started. Make sure to mention your credentials.

9. Make your cafeteria vegetarian-friendly.
If your hospital or workplace has a cafeteria in the building, you can help make your cafeteria a healthier place for you and your patients to eat. Start by politely asking for more meat-, egg-, and dairy-free foods, such as veggie burgers, bean and rice burritos, stir-fries, soymilk, and nondairy ice cream. You just might get what you ask for!

Encourage your cafeteria director to contact Veg Advantage, a national consulting group that helps foodservice professionals add healthy dining options to their menus.
Show your appreciation! Thank your cafeteria for offering healthy, delicious, vegetarian food.

Opportunities for Students

Students of all ages can help promote healthy nutrition and ethical research. Here are some suggested ways to take action.

1. Distribute our health and nutrition brochures to your friends, family, and community.
Leave our Healthy Eating For Life brochure at your school library, student center, or cafeteria. You may have to ask permission to do this, but many places welcome the distribution of veg-friendly materials. You can order The Cancer Project’s literature by contacting literature@CancerProject.org or 202-244-5038 ext. 346.

2. Write a letter to the editor of your school paper or local paper.
See an article about cancer or nutrition in your school paper or local paper that you’d like to respond to? Send a letter to the editor—and send us a copy if you get published! Use our letter writing tips to get started.

3.Donate The Cancer Project’s books to your school library.
Help spread the word about healthy vegetarian diets by donating books like The Survivor’s Handbook by Dr. Neal Barnard or books from our Healthy Eating for Life Series to your school library. Our books can be purchased online.

4. Make your cafeteria vegetarian-friendly.
If you’re a student or parent of a young student, you can help make your cafeteria a healthier place to eat. Start by politely asking for more meat-, egg-, and dairy-free foods, such as veggie burgers, bean and rice burritos, stir-fries, soymilk, and nondairy ice cream. You just might get what you ask for!

Encourage your cafeteria director to contact Veg Advantage, a national consulting group that helps food service professionals add healthy dining options to their menus.
Show your appreciation! Thank your cafeteria for offering healthy, delicious, vegetarian food.  

Opportunities for Everyone

Become a Food For Life cooking and nutrition instructor.

Assist a Food For Life nutrition & cooking class instructor in your area
Help with class/series preparation, implementation, and promotion: We are seeking volunteers to assist our instructors with securing venues, promoting classes to potential attendees (e.g. identifying local cancer survivor groups/cancer centers and other appropriate institutions and asking them to let their members know about upcoming classes through delivery of postcards, posters, and class notices for their Web sites/publications), securing food donations, purchasing grocery supplies, and preparing class materials.
And/or….
Be a sous chef at a cooking & nutrition class: We are seeking volunteers to assist our instructors with room and material set-up, welcoming and registering participants, food preparation, cooking, and clean-up.

*** These are wonderful opportunities for individuals interested in training to become a Food For Life instructor! ***

Find a class series scheduled for your area>

Encourage healthy nutrition in your community.

1. Distribute our health and nutrition brochures to your friends, family, and community. Leave our Healthy Eating For Life brochures at your local library, community center, food co-op, or place of worship. You may have to ask permission to do this, but many places welcome the distribution of veg-friendly materials. You can order The Cancer Project’s literature by contacting literature@CancerProject.org or 202-244-5038, ext. 346.

2. Donate The Caner Project’s nutrition books to your local library. Help spread the word about healthy vegetarian diets by donating books such as The Survivor’s Handbook by Dr. Neal Barnard or books from our Healthy Eating for Life Series to your local library. Our books can be purchased online. Or, place your order by contacting literature@CancerProject.org or 202-244-5038, ext. 346.

3. Reach out to local restaurants. Ask your local restaurants to offer vegetarian options. Use suggestion boxes or comment cards to request healthy vegetarian dishes.

You can also encourage your local restaurants to contact Veg Advantage, a national consulting group that helps food service professionals add healthy dining options to their menus.

Ask your local coffee shop to offer soymilk. Everyone is switching to soy! If your local coffee shop doesn’t offer it, ask to speak with the manager. Or, if your local coffee shop is a chain that still doesn’t carry soymilk, contact the headquarters directly, either through e-mail, a phone call, or mail. Mention that people are switching to soymilk for a number of reasons, including their health, and that the majority of people of color are lactose intolerant. Point out that even Starbucks promotes soymilk as healthy, Earth-friendly, and delicious.

Show your appreciation! Thank restaurants for offering healthy, delicious vegetarian food.

4. Promote The Cancer Project's message to the public

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper. See a newspaper or magazine article about cancer or nutrition that you’d like to respond to? Send a letter to the editor—and send us a copy if you get published! Use our letter writing tips to get started.

Host a lecture in your community. Want to host a lecture? Let The Cancer Project know and we will help find an expert to speak about plant-based nutrition or ethical and effective medical research. Please contact Claudia Delman at cdelman@CancerProject.org or call 1-866-665-7935.

Link to Cancer Project Web site or download a Cancer Project banner. Link to a Cancer Project Web site on a board or on your blog or personal Web page. Or, download a Cancer Project Web banner.

Place a Cancer Project op-ed or article in your local newspaper. If you receive or obtain column space in your local newspaper, you can help place one of The Cancer Project’s op-eds or articles. You can ask the editorial page editor to run one of The Cancer Project’s previously published op-eds on nutrition or research. Or, if you receive free column space, The Cancer Project can provide articles on issues related to vegetarian nutrition and health or on ethical research. If you are able to help, please contact communications@CancerProject.org or 202-244-5038, ext. 358.

5. Help us respond to the media

See a newspaper or magazine article about cancer or nutrition that you think The Cancer Project might like to respond to? Send them to us!

Topics could include stories about vegetarian diets, or articles that mention The Cancer Project specifically. We will respond to articles as time permits. Please be sure to send only current articles, as letters to the editor have to be submitted in a timely fashion.
E-mail electronic versions of stories to Sarah Farr at  (be sure to put the story’s topic in the subject line). Or, fax them to 202-686-2818. Hard copies can be mailed to:

The Cancer Project, c/o Sarah Farr
5100 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20016

6. Support us through your organization

-Does your organization support community service or have an organized workplace volunteering campaign? The Cancer Project would be thrilled to be the recipient of your organization’s support. We have varied volunteer opportunities at our headquarters in Washington, D.C., and throughout the country. Contact Stacey Glaeser at sglaeser@CancerProject.org for more information or call 202-244-5038, ext. 359.

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