After a year-long battle against breast cancer, Eileen Liu is starting to feel like herself again. If you visit Project Open Hand on a Monday evening, you’ll find her chopping veggies in our kitchen, where she’s been volunteering for the past several weeks.
“Getting healthy food from Project Open Hand was HUGE!,” said Eileen. “During my cancer treatments, I spent a lot of time in bed. While my mom was here from Taiwan, she made meals with the groceries I got from Project Open Hand – really great food that I couldn’t afford on my own. After she went home, your frozen meals saved me. When I did have an appetite, I could shuffle over to my freezer and heat one up in just a few minutes.”
Eileen’s battle with breast cancer began when she discovered a lump in her breast one chilly afternoon while crossing her arms to keep warm. She was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer that required intense treatment over several months, starting with chemotherapy, followed by surgery, then finally radiation. Eileen was referred to Project Open Hand by The Shanti Project, a nonprofit that helps breast cancer patients navigate the complex world of services and treatment.
“Your food really is love!” Eileen added. “It was so important for me, especially because I live alone, to know that someone was there for me, caring and looking out for me when I was so sick. Now I want to be there for someone else - that’s why I volunteer.”
Eileen has blossomed into a Project Open Hand ambassador, recruiting her good friends, Áine and Joe, to volunteer at POH too. She’s also gotten involved with The National Lymphedema Network, UCSF, and serves on the board of Bay Area Young Survivors.
Interested in joining Eileen, Áine and Joe as a Project Open Hand volunteer? Learn more at www.openhand.org/volunteer or call our volunteer line at (415) 447-2404.