Embrace the challenge...
reclaiming life ...after cancer, coping with a life-threatening illness or just finding your meditative state of mind...
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." -Melody Beattie
SIMPLE PINK RETREAT CENTERS, INC. IS AN APPROVED 501(c) (3) CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION
Co-founders, Cathy Rose and Thomas J. Sunderlin, Jr. of Simple Pink Retreat Centers, Inc. would like you to visit our website with an open heart and embrace the journey. This website has a vast amount of information that is a culmination of family members and friends providing support and knowledge to bring a dream to fruition. Cathy Rose Sunderlin, centered above (2015), is a 3 time cancer survivor, NYS Licensed Massage Therapist, National Board Certified and Cancer Exercise Specialist with a focus on Geriatric Massage Therapy; who's story can be found on this website, her daughter Catrina, left, is a Speech Language Pathologist, her daughter Jennifer, right, is an Attorney, and her husband Tom, is a NYS Licensed Physical Therapist, and General Contractor with over 25 years of experience in all phases of construction. We encourage you to read our vision and are hopeful that we will be able to assist you in your journey.
As we grow, so too, will this website. Simple Pink Retreat Centers Inc. is the vision of Cathy Rose Sunderlin, the Founder and CEO that occurred during one of her many cancer treatment sessions. The formation of this entity is the result of a journey including three separate cancer diagnoses spanning more than 27 years as a cancer survivor. Through this journey we have been blessed with exceptional medical care, strong family/friends' network, and financial resources. Throughout our journey we have met a number of people with similar challenges without the support network that we have been blessed with. We have always left these encounters wishing there was something we could do to help. Many times, our help has been as simple as referring a doctor, contacts for housing or childcare, preparing meals, providing transportation or sometimes just lending a compassionate, experienced ear. As we grow older, we have decided that we need to do more by cultivating an organization that can help people navigate this often-all-consuming journey. An organization that will carry on our purpose long after we are gone. Our vision is not to compete with the many organizations that are already in existence to help cancer patients and individuals with long-term illness; but to help “connect the dots” and navigate the waters to better manage their challenges. Each client will have a customized plan with support from multiple sources with an emphasis on survivors helping survivors. Our ultimate goal is to instill living your great life, patient and/or caregiver.
Simple Pink Retreat Centers Inc. was formed to provide individuals facing life-threatening illnesses, their caregivers, and the community at large an eco-friendly environment that will empower and help find strategies to better manage their challenges. This corporation intends to have multiple locations to accomplish its mission by providing access to wellness services, financial assistance and residential services. Wellness services will include a medical referral network, nutritional services, and counseling, physical, mental and spiritual retreat options.
Residential services provided will include housing placement/coordination with other public and private agencies along with Simple Pink Retreat Centers Inc. to secure safe and affordable housing based on clients need. Simple Pink Retreat Centers Inc. will cultivate each person's ability by helping them navigate their journey to achieve personal growth and wellness and to embrace their life no matter their stage of health. The corporation intends to guide individuals through their recovery with a goal of an improved and sustainable quality of life. The corporation intends to accomplish these purposes by providing access to wellness services, financial assistance and residential services. Our vision is to help facilitate an environment where the individuals become more grounded to the earth and empowered by that interaction. Our Wellness Therapies will consist of options that will seek to provide a sense of empowerment and strength that helps individuals to overcome their fears and weaknesses and focus on their strengths. Agriculture and Aquaculture is a primary goal of Simple Pink. Walk a path of health being calm, photography, write, journaling, embracing the sound of water creating the "Blue State of Mind."(Dr. Wallace J. Nichols). Provide education and training to service and maintain farm to table and aquaculture options. Find your meditative state of calm, peace, unity, and a general state of happiness. These activities will empower our clients, give hope and purpose; and a knowledge base that will increase their sustainability and establish themselves as a resource to the community.
Our commitment is to encourage hope and purpose while empowering our clients
through one of their most challenging periods in their lives. Through personal experience we understand the power and benefit of helping others. When we create this environment of Simple Pink Retreat Centers Inc., the frailest of clients will be in the position to provide support to others in whatever form they are capable. This will be created through a network of survivors, caregivers, and the community at large. The power of “giving back” will be a central theme to this organization. There has already been an extremely positive response to this vision from the medical community, survivors, and caregivers with requests for information and opportunities to participate. Simple Pink Retreat Centers Inc. is an approved nonprofit 501C3 organization, donations and fund raising will be used to support those clients in need without their own personal financial resources. No one individual will be denied support services based on economic, race, religion or orientation. All individuals will be welcome and will be surrounded by an environment of understanding, compassion and support.
As resources permit, our plans are to develop Simple Pink Retreat Centers, Inc. to include an accessible/walking path, labyrinth, reflection benches, agriculture, aquaculture with ponds and falls, day retreats and overnight stays guided by the professional community and much more. We realize that these are ambitious goals.
The long-term success of this organization will require a comprehensive financial plan that takes into account the difficult financial environment all not-for-profits are in today. Our plan is to offer services free of charge. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Our donation fund raising activities will not only seek dollars, but also goods, services, real estate and equipment donations that will promote our mission. We plan to donate our first site, along with countless hours to prepare for our vision. We have the commitment of a core group of volunteers that are as excited about this vision as much as we are. We will bring this dream born out of a journey of fear, anger, hopelessness and uncertainty to reality. We can think of no better way to write the final chapters of our lives, not as survivors, but thrivers. Let this new journey begin.
SIMPLE PINK RETREAT CENTERS, INC. programs will consist of a:
RETREAT PARK, outside space devoted to creating a peaceful environment for patients to get relief from the stresses of their illness. Venues planned are gardens, orchards, butterfly and hummingbird gardens, walking trails and labyrinth, agriculture and aquaculture.
WELLNESS OUTREACH PROGRAMS will provide interactive seminars focusing on the importance of one's mind-body-spirit connection with coping with life-threatening illness. These programs will address counseling, nutrition, food as medicine, exercise, visualization, breathing techniques and meditation using community professionals and volunteers.
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS will incorporate patients and caregivers and the community at large by helping emphasize the importance of and need for volunteers to help navigate short-term basic needs such as transportation, medical appointment companion, meal preparation and referrals for medical, housing and childcare. This program will focus on survivors helping survivors detailing the benefits to all.
We have the life experience and first-hand knowledge that everything starts with a dream and a vision. If you cannot see it in your mind first, it's unlikely that you can draw it on paper or build it on real estate. This vision is very clear, and the services provided and lives that will be touched by all that are involved is palpable to the founders.
We are inspired to put a smile in your heart.
Tom & Cathy Sunderlin, Co-Founders of Simple Pink Retreat Centers, Inc.
