The Quilt That Brought Carol to Cancer Support Community

There are many wonderful things we have to be thankful for here at Cancer Support Community, but our amazing team of volunteers sits at the top of our list. Without them, we would not be able to make such a heavy impact on the lives of the thousands of central Ohioans who have been directly affected by a cancer diagnosis. One volunteer for whom we will be eternally grateful is Carol Bomlitz, who is a cancer survivor herself. Carol is always willing to go above and beyond for our organization, which is why we saw fit to honor her as Volunteer of the Year at this year’s Night of Chocolate. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Carol to talk with her about her journey with cancer and how she wound up being such a staple on our volunteer team that we would like to share with you.

“When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in August of 1999, I was left with no place to go for information concerning my diagnosis. All I could find were a few books and pamphlets to read, but no one to talk with, and as we all know, there are certain things you just can’t read about in a book. We’ve come a long way in disseminating information and providing resources for cancer patients since my diagnosis, which is why I know how important programs for cancer patients and their support systems are.

I was fortunate enough to find a cancer support group with which I am still involved in to this day. I take it upon myself to schedule a monthly lunch date for all of us to get together and catch up. My group has helped me so much along my journey with cancer, and I cannot thank them enough. They are everything to me.

My father was always involved in our community, which is something I have clearly inherited from him. It has been 14 years since I initially became involved in volunteering for different organizations. Before I started dedicating my time to Cancer Support Community, I volunteered at Mt. Carmel St. Ann’s. I made a breast cancer quilt

to be used in an auction hosted by the organization, and the gentleman who won the quilt decided to donate it back. The following year I added a chair to go along with the quilt for the same raffle. A physician won the raffle and gave it to one of his office workers. Oddly enough, the office worker who received the blanket knew I had made it and once again donated it back to me.

When the fundraising event stopped at Mt. Carmel St. Ann’s, I really wanted to continue my work as a volunteer to raise money for events relating to cancer patients. I was fortunate enough to see a sign for Cancer Support Community’s  Charity Golf Classic, so I decided to stop by and donate the breast cancer quilt in hopes of finding it a home. They used it as an auction prize, and ironically enough, I knew the wife of the gentlemen that won it, but to this day, I have not told her I made it. I guess you could say that the quilt lead me to Cancer Support Community, and I am so glad it did.

When I get involved in something, my family also gets involved. My husband, Elmer, and daughter, Karla, are my go-to people. Elmer is retired and volunteers his time with me, and Karla designs beautifully embroidered linens that I use when making gift baskets for all of Cancer Support Community’s fundraisers. I love every part of fundraising; it’s easily my favorite aspect of volunteering. I enjoy assembling the silent auction baskets and getting things ready for each event.

When asked how many hours I usually volunteer, I find that I have no idea. It doesn’t matter to me because I love doing it. Knowing that I am making a difference in the lives of so many others who have been affected by cancer is extremely rewarding because we all have one thing in common: we have all heard the three words, “You have cancer.”

If you would like to join Carol and become part of our volunteer team, we would love to have you. Click this link to find out more about how you can get involved with Cancer Support Community through volunteering, teaching, donations, and more!