M44 members recommend support groups they believe would be helpful to themselves and others. Provided the group meets M44 standards and gains enough interest (pre-scheduling) from the MoreCorps community (via interest surveys, etc.), it will be added to our ongoing schedule of activities and events. Support groups may meet weekly, bi-weekly, or even just once a month.

M44 support groups are intended to fill gaps within the larger cancer community, and are primarily focused on intersectional groups and distinct life experiences. Even before receiving feedback from the M44 community, we know there will be groups for single adults without children who live alone (and lack family and other social supports), persons with disabilities beyond cancer alone, the LGBTQ+ community (collectively and segmented), groups for Spanish-speaking members, and individuals with one, two or multiple intersectional identities.

With the exception of a potential support group for persons with rare cancers, groups will not be specific to certain types of Stage IV cancer. We will try to help people find support groups outside of M44 if they seek a resource specific to their cancer-type and treatment.

Programs will be member-defined and led for the most part — with social workers from our TRIAGE team engaging when appropriate, such as a support group where the topic calls for co-facilitation by a qualified mental health professional. (Support groups are NOT therapy. But when a designated group, by nature of its intended purpose and audience, involves emotionally-charged subject matter, we want to make sure people are properly supported during AND AFTER a group session.) One example of this is our “Going Solo” group, which will be for people with Stage IV cancers who are navigating this world… and the challenges of their illness… without the help of a care partner, family, or other support systems. Likewise, we will have social workers co-facilitate groups for people who have been abandoned by spouses and other significant others, family, and friends after their cancer diagnosis.

Support groups that do not require higher-level M44 professional support will be led by members themselves. Facilitator training will be provided by the MoreCorps team, and groups will not be introduced until facilitators are sufficiently prepared to run an effective, well-functioning group in accordance with best practices. The MoreCorps community platform will also allow for less formalized activities that will not require much involvement from the M44 team. And discussion forums will, of course, operate 24/7.

If you have an idea for a formalized support group, send an email to M44@MoreFor4.org.

What are YOU interested in? Do you have a passion for the arts or a hobby that you’d like to share? Want to talk to others about travel, current events, philosophy or faith/religion?

Right out of the gate, we’d love to see an online acapella group started, as well as groups for songwriters, storytellers, poets, and photographers. In fact, we hope that people will join together to create annual compilations of art, music, photos, poetry, and essays each year that M44 can then market and sell as a modest form of fundraising. Our CEO wants to hear from those who find THIS opportunity interesting, as she shares their passion for the arts and expression through them.

We welcome any and all ideas for starting and running interest groups. The groups can be structured to run indefinitely or to be intentionally time-limited, such as a 8 to 12-week group or other specified interval. Although, we do have a preference for groups that excite the community so much that these become ongoing staples of our weekly and monthly programming.

As with support groups, interest groups will be member-defined and led (with more than one ongoing, trained facilitator per group). And, there may be varying degrees of formality with these.

While it is expected to be a rarity, it is possible that some proposed groups may fit under both Support and Interest. For example, if a group of members would like to pray together or engage in Bible study, and this includes discussions about living with cancer (which it likely would, at least to some degree), this would be a Hybrid Group.

To be clear, MoreFor4 is NOT a faith-based organization. However, we support all spiritual paths, connections to and with The Universe, and secular humanist/nonbelievers alike. With both political and religious/faith-focused groups, there will be strict guidelines about what is permissible. Any group that is harmful to others, intentionally or inadvertently, will not remain on the M44 platform. For those who do fit within our values of inclusion, affirmation, and belonging… all such groups are welcome and encouraged. We will also have systems to report abuse and disruptive group members, which, we suspect, will be more apt to occur with some group types over others. Additionally, there will be M44 moderators who will float in and out of all hosted groups to ensure that each operates in accordance with community standards.

While M44 will offer some organizationally-designed classes directly (such as developing your own person-centered plan for LIVING), MoreCorps offerings will be — almost without exception — member-defined and led. Have expertise you’d like to share? Tell us your ideas!

Teaching a class is considered a volunteer opportunity. In the future we may introduce a monetization component where a teacher MAY charge a fee for the class, yet there will be requirements that MoreCorps Plus members can attend at no cost. Frameworks for paid opportunities will not be introduced for at least another year or more.

Classes can run year-round with different member cohorts, or be limited to 4 to 8 weeks or other interval. It is up to the instructor in terms of how they would like to structure this.

We will bring in speakers likely to be of interest to the M44 community. If you are someone who would like to BE a guest speaker, reach out. Topics can cover anything related to living with cancer.

Our guest speakers and educational programs may essentially be one-in-the-same in most regards. Educational programming can cover anything related to living with cancer… and living well. This may include informational sessions about medical cannabis dosing, integrative therapies such as Reiki and more, general nutrition, learning how to best advocate for yourself, and critically-needed information such as the difference between Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

M44 will provide educational opportunities for allied health care professionals that will MOSTLY focus on person-centered practices, patient experience, cultural humility, and person-first language. Our goal is to help health practitioners gain additional insights into what it is like to live with Stage IV cancer, and the challenges and burdens we face on a steady, frequent or recurring basis.

Eventually, M44 will create/provide accredited programming for continued education credits for nurses and social workers. That might be where we leave it, but the world is our oyster. M44 goes where the need is, and where opportunities open new doors for maximized impact and reach.