Volunteer spotlight: Amy Copeland

Through the service of nearly 2,000 volunteers across the country, the lives of colorectal cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers are greatly improved, and we grow closer to ending this disease together. In this Q&A, get to know Amy Copeland, a passionate and dedicated Colorectal Cancer Alliance volunteer from Texas, and sign up to be a volunteer yourself! 

Q: Can you tell us about yourself and your connection to colorectal cancer?

I am a survivor of stage IIIc rectal cancer. I've had seven surgeries, chemo and radiation together, chemo alone, and about a decade of scanxiety for mets. I was diagnosed at 29 with no family history, while living a healthy lifestyle. I was so healthy that I scared at least one friend into eating better after I was diagnosed! I’m also a longtime art museum educator, former community health worker, trained baker/pastry cook, and hyper-enthusiastic aunt.

Q: Why did you sign up to volunteer with the Alliance?

I signed up during COVID to be a peer-to-peer mentor through the Alliance's Buddy Program. I was taking a community health worker certification course at the time and wanted to be helpful in the public health sphere, using my learned and lived experience and new training.

Q: What have you found most rewarding about your volunteer service?

That I’m getting to fulfill a personal mission. One day, when I felt overwhelmed with gratitude during treatment, I made a promise to give back — hour for hour — all the time anyone had cared for me while I was sick. Volunteering allows me to get closer to completing that goal!

Q: How do you think volunteerism impacts the mission to end colorectal cancer?

It’s critical. We reach out, we teach, we normalize taboo words, we fundraise, we preach the colonoscopy, we connect, we comfort — no one part of that is more important than the other. It will all lead to colorectal cancer being that disease that people used to have, and the team of volunteers at the Alliance is great about doing that together.

Q: Can you share a memorable moment you’ve had while volunteering with the Alliance?

I’ve had a few! One is phone calls with my buddy Charlene during COVID. We became fast friends, and I remember taking long walks during our phone calls, laughing. Cancer can make you feel nuts sometimes, and you just need someone to validate that experience, hold space for it, laugh when you can, and cry when you need to. Rest in Power, Charlene 💙. Your memory is a blessing.

Another moment is I’ve been calling around the last few months to distribute our comfort bags to patients at cancer centers across several states. I’ve been heartened by the enthusiasm people have for using the comfort bags and have loved hearing all the ways folks across the country are already supporting and caring for their patients. I look forward to seeing how these bags make our Alliance community larger and provide comfort and connection to patients.