UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

Objective: West Virginia's Agents of Hope are local volunteers who actively advance cancer awareness, education and advocacy in their communities, while supporting the mission and vision of the state's comprehensive cancer coalition, Mountains of Hope (MOH). By effectively integrating these volunteers into the coalition, MOH seeks to encourage positive behavior change, especially in rural and difficult to reach communities. Additionally, Agents of Hope may encourage organizations for which they volunteer to increase their commitment to implement elements of the West Virginia Cancer Plan.

Methods: Coalition members identify potential Agents of Hope designees who are then invited to affiliate with the coalition. While MOH affiliation is not mandatory, it is strongly encouraged. Agents of Hope may attend all Mountains of Hope events, including membership meetings and education sessions. To minimize travel costs as a barrier to participation, MOH awards a limited number of travel scholarships, funded through a Lance Armstrong Foundation grant. As the number of Agents grows, so does the need to better understand how to utilize this potentially powerful volunteer force effectively to promote the Mountain State's comprehensive cancer initiative. MOH has developed several process and impact assessment tools to help address that need.

Results: The poster presentation will include examples of Agents of Hope process and impact tools, as well as recruitment and retention materials, a prototype job description and commitment documents.