Friend for Life

Frequently Asked Questions

Please review the frequently asked questions below.

• What hours are you open?

  The Friend for Life office is generally staffed 9 am to 5 pm EST Monday through Friday. We monitor voicemail and e-mail daily. Please leave a message and we will do our best to respond within 24 hours.

• Is there a fee to receive support from Friend for Life?

  No. Our one-to-one support is provided free of charge.

• How do I become a volunteer?

  Please complete and submit our "Become a Volunteer" online form. The process we follow for volunteering is to fill out an application with contact info and diagnosis details so we can make a close match when support seekers contact us. We require volunteers to complete training. We currently offer online training modules that you can complete on your own with a brief quiz at the end. You can do either or both. Then, Friend for Life staff set up a time to chat with you, to get to know you and your cancer experience(s) better, and for you to get to know us. We ask for a physician reference for survivors and a personal reference for everyone. These are very simple check off sheets saying that you're able to provide this type of support.

• Is there a Friend for Life office in my area?

  There is only one physical Friend for Life office, but we provide support to anyone, anywhere. Though the majority of our volunteers are in the Louisville area, we have several volunteers all across the U.S. as well as some international volunteers.

• I'm very busy. Would I have time to volunteer?

  We also offer 5 brief (roughly 5-7 minute) online training modules that can be completed within an hour. Post-training, the number of times that you may be contacted for a match varies greatly, but you are always encouraged to decline a contact if it isn't a good time for you.

• Are you a support group?

  We provide one-to-one support rather than in a group setting.

• Are you affiliated with any hospitals?

  No. Though our physical office is generously donated by Baptist Health Louisville, Friend for Life Cancer Support Network is an independent nonprofit organization and is a resource available for all.

• I have a friend/family member that I think needs your services. Will you contact them?

  Every cancer experience is different and everyone copes in their own way. We require that the person to receive support contact us themselves or give approval to a loved one or medical professional to be matched. You may also provide them with our information so they may contact us when the time is right for them. We are happy to provide any information you need.

• How are you funded?

  We are funded in a variety of ways consisting of grants, fundraisers, and donations. Our services are offered completely free of charge. For more details view our annual reports or our Better Business Bureau listing: at this link.

• What if you don't have someone who has survived the type of cancer I have?

  We network with many other national one-to-one networks so that if we don't have a good match, we will do our best to find someone who has been through something similar to what you are facing.