Many people find that engaging in peer support and advocacy activities can be empowering and rewarding.

Whether you’re in treatment, or struggling with how you feel after active treatment ends volunteering or advocating can help you stay connected to a positive, supportive community. It can also help you feel that you’re continuing to do something to help yourself and others who are coping with the same types of experiences you went through.

Peer support involves helping others who are going through experiences similar to yours. For example, the LBBC Breast Cancer Helpline pairs women with others who have the same type or stage of breast cancer and who are going through the same types of treatments. Becoming a peer supporter can be empowering even long after the treatment is over.

Advocacy involves raising awareness and asking elected officials to fund breast cancer research and pass laws that help people in treatment for breast cancer, those living with breast cancer and people facing cancer in general. There are many advocacy organizations to join. As with peer support, advocacy can help during and after breast cancer treatment.

In this section, you can learn more about how to get involved with peer support and advocacy.