The 3W Podcast

The 3W Podcast: Gay Prescott - Part 2

• Kasie Yokley

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The spark behind Circle of Hope is simple and bold: turn collective generosity into immediate relief for people navigating cancer. We invited Gay Prescott from Hope Cancer Resources to walk us through how a women’s giving circle was built for real life — studied, tailored and launched with clarity about what matters most when treatment begins to upend daily routines.

We talk through the pillars of practical support: gas cards that keep appointments accessible, rent assistance that prevents displacement, and travel funds that bridge the distance to world-class care in Little Rock, MD Anderson and beyond. Gay shares why “small” gifts become massive when they arrive at the right moment and how members see their impact up close through engagement events like yoga in the wellness center, skincare and risk-reduction workshops, and conversations with licensed social workers and counselors. Those touchpoints turn donors into advocates who can connect a friend, co-worker, or neighbor to resources the moment a diagnosis lands.

Looking ahead, we lean into a powerful theme for 2026: nutrition. From protein needs during chemo to budget-friendly recipes and herb-forward cooking, the circle is bringing education and access together so patients and caregivers can make choices that support healing. We also break down membership tiers, the power of monthly gifts and the sense of shared pride that comes from doing more together than any of us could alone. A moving survivor story ties it all together, showing how a circle forms around a patient — physicians, social workers, counselors, trainers — and how giving connects directly to that care.

If you believe in high-trust, high-impact giving that meets people where they are, you’ll find a home here. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who cares about cancer support and leave a review to help more listeners discover community-driven giving that truly changes lives.

SPEAKER_01:

Hey everyone, welcome back to the 3W podcast part two with my dear friend Gay Prescott from Hope Cancer Resources. Gay, welcome back. Thank you. Surprise, surprise. Anyways, we're gonna jump right in. So Gay has or is launching or launched, are we launched? We're officially launched a new giving circle. And I love giving circles. I love, love, love them. This is the circle of hope. I don't know if y'all can see that, but circle of hope. I love this. Tell us, and I got an invitation to it, but I couldn't come to the launch event. But you have some amazing women who are your founding, what do we call those? Founding members. Yes. Okay. So just start from the beginning. Okay. Circle of hope.

SPEAKER_00:

So I like the purple too. Thank you. So um really a giving circle for hope cancer resources has kind of been a vision. Like we need this. I love giving circles. We were, it just um, to be honest, it just kind of kept being put aside. Not that it wasn't something we knew we needed. It was, it was really just our capacity. Right. Can we do this? And so we spent really a year. Uh, we had some staff come together and do some research. And it's like, what are there's some beautiful giving circles in Northwest Arkansas? Absolutely say. Yes. And so we didn't want to just take their plan and do it. We knew that it needed to be real specific to hope cancer resources. So we looked at what are other giving circles doing? How do they manage them? Um, what is their impact? And so, and that's when you learn like, you know, once again, Northwest Arkansas is amazing. It is in their giving. It is. And so it just starts being, you know, so inspiring. Yes. And so it's like, okay, we just need to do this. And so we put some framework together really from feedback. You gave us some feedback that was so cool.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh my gosh, I don't even remember. Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

So so just um figuring out like what is the best. And so we knew that we were like we we need some founding members who would be committed to not only in their giving, but really in helping us establish this giving circle and what it needs to look like and what impact would they like for it to have. And so we our goal at first was, you know, I mean, I don't know, could we get 12 founding members? And um, I was saying this year what was established is 27 members. That's amazing. And so it it was that that moment of it is the right thing, it is the right time. Um, and probably if you really look at it, there's not gonna be a wrong time for giving. Right. But but we wanted everything to be really um focused on our patients and what they needed. And so, as everybody can imagine, financial assistance is really an area that can be a small gift, but yet a really big gift to patients. And so what our financial assistance provides is things like um gas cards to give them fuel to get to their treatment because it is all of a sudden an added expense to their family budget. Um, we can help with mortgage or their rent to keep people in their home. It is so critical. And to not have to move in the middle of your cancer treatment is really a gift for someone. I wouldn't even think that would be a thing. It can be, okay, unfortunately. I did not know that. Um and I remember we had a gentleman share um in our gala one year, and he said, I just want to thank you. He said, I have small kids, and he said, Um, you are able to help me keep my kids in their home. Oh, wow. And so it's so powerful. Um, but it's just that financial assistance that's offered and to be able to help people, help people with their prescriptions. And and some people travel outside of Northwest Arkansas. They may need to go to Little Rock. Um, we have a Myeloma Institute that's known all over the world, and it's right here in Little Rock. And so um, some people travel there or they'll travel to MD Anderson or John Hopkins. And so we want to help them get the treatment that's best for them so we can help them with their travel expenses, and that's really where we have focused.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, is that what this bucket goes towards to touch toward things off and so it's co-cancer bottom line?

SPEAKER_00:

Like yes, like we fund gas cards or a mortgage payment or so anything that could come under our financial assistance. It could be financial assistance. You said that from the beginning. Yeah, I'm so sorry. So it could be um, you know, uh nutrition changes during treatment. And so um maybe they aren't eating the meal with their family, um, but they may need nutritional supplements. Okay. And so that's that's an added expense to a family budget. Okay. And so um, so we get to help with things like that. So that's where the focus has been. Okay. Um, we really this year focused on stewarding our founders and that we all understand all of our services, but how personal our services are to a patient.

SPEAKER_01:

So, did you do like learning sessions with your week? I don't know what you did.

SPEAKER_00:

We did like we we call them engagement. Engagement. I like that's a much better word than engagements. So we did um something in our wellness center. So we brought in our founders, those who could come, and we did a yoga class with them, much like exactly what we would do with patients and caregivers, just to put them in the space, but also for them to have the understanding of what is offered to a family. Um, we have looked at skin care and um how to lower our risk for skin cancer. And so we did some things in different clinics. We brought some people in, we talked through some things, so a lot of learning engagements. Um, and then in November, which you were talking about, so we did it was our first invitation event to the public. Yes. And so our founders invited people. We had some people um within our giving that we wanted to invite to be a part of this. Um and so honestly, when we started, again, just like having the goal of 12 and we ended up with 27. And then um I heard you had a great turnout. We had a great turnout. We really did. We did it at Hope Cancer Resource, which I think is very important. I I want people to be in our space and to understand, like when you get to know our staff, um you you sense what they do. And you there is a I think a level of trust that goes up that you never want you or your family member to have to walk into that. I'll call y'all. But I will gladly call go there to hug on you. But I think to meet the staff one-on-one and to talk with them, um, just the level of trust that it's built, um, they're they're amazing people, I will say. And um, and I shared that with the group in November. I said, you know, um, you don't want to meet them on this in this circumstance. But the reality, I would put our the commitment of our staff against anybody. You would, yes. You've said that multiple times. I mean, they are just so committed to what they do, and it's hard work day to day. And so for them to number one, be trained, they're they're licensed, they're all the things that are needed, and but yet they choose to do it at Hope Cancer Resources and work with families at a really hard time in their life. Um, and so what our circle is doing is educating more people, helping them understand the services that we have, because we really need advocates in the community. We need people when someone says, my neighbor, my friend, my family, my coworker was diagnosed with cancer. Um, I don't have an expectation that everyone in Northwest Arkansas will know hope cancer resources. But I would love to think someone connected to them would say, I know who you need to call. I know who we need to get you connected to. Um, because again, we are our sole purpose is to help people. And so to have more advocacy in the community and more people who know about us. And we can do that through the giving circle. Um that day we had 27 new members join us.

SPEAKER_01:

Wow. So you're well over 50. You're almost 60. Yeah. And then we have several. We're over 60. Sorry. We had two.

SPEAKER_00:

You're good. Yeah. We had several who said, um, hey, I don't I just want to know more. So I have really about 20 people that I get to follow up with, which is which is my love language. And visit with people and share with them. Um, and I hope that they will join us in the giving. But the reality is them knowing more about us, it's it's just that's a gift too. And it's a win to the community. And so we're really excited about it. Um, this next year we're really gonna focus on Yeah. So what does 26 look like? 26, hopefully. Um, we really want to focus on nutrition.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

And um there is a nutrition component within a cancer patient's life. Okay. Um, during treatment, um, as many of us as we if we've known someone that has gone through treatment, you you get you see their nutrition diminish. Okay. Um, but yet it's so important. Protein is so important for healing. Um, and so to help people understand that, but to help people in having access to it, and then things that a caregiver can do to help a patient with their nutrition. Um, so we we want to talk about that a lot. We want to talk about nutrition and um how we can change some things in our lives to lower our risk. And uh we've got some cooking demonstrations scheduled. I um want to work with some master gardeners in helping us understand important herbs like all year round that's important to have and how we can incorporate that into what we're already doing in our kitchen. Um, I'm embarrassed to say I plant herbs because I think they're pretty. Right. Um, I don't use them. That's okay. And so you're going to now. But I'm going to because I'm going to learn it. I'm going to learn how to harvest it, preparates, and use it. And so I'm excited about it and being able to do that. That's a theme for the year. Yeah. And so that's kind of where we're going to go. But also um incorporating one of the things we want to do with our giving circle is always connect people with our mission. Okay. Um, our mission is our core. Everything we do is the core of every gift we receive. Um, and so for people to understand how their giving affects our patients that we serve. Okay. Um, and so we will always have a patient story. Um, we'll also I do um just an e-newsletter, but but share a patient quote and often the story that goes along with that. Um, because every day we're helping somebody. Every day. Every day. You know, when I leave at the end of the day, and I I share this a lot, and I'm like, I don't know how I don't know every story of the day. Um, but when I get in my car and I leave, I'm like, we've helped a lot of people today. And we've made a big difference. And that um is kind of like the Grinch moment where your heart swells three sizes. Um, but it really does, you know, when you reflect um just being able to be a small part at doing that. It's really an amazing day.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, wow. Yeah, I can't like that. So you join and you have multiple levels. Yes. And what does your membership look like? Does it look like, so we're focusing on nutrition and we're gonna do cooking and educational classes on um herbs and gardening and whatnot. I love giving circles. Yes. I love, love, love them. I think I love them from a different perspective than maybe someone else. I love them because I'm not a boots on the ground person. I'm a dot connector and a hugger and a giver like that. I'm not a I'm not gonna go. Um so I like giving circles because they're hands off and they still allow for flexibility and connection to a nonprofit. Right. Um, and a lot of people join things with the give to get.

unknown:

Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

There's like I get, what am I giving for? Well, I'm going to give just to give because I love you. I love the mission. And to me, that's enough. But a lot of people want to receive, right? Which is okay too. I'm not trying to throw them under the bus in any shape or form. Um, is they're receiving those educational engagements per se? Yes. Okay. I love that. And really, and you can engage as much as you want.

SPEAKER_00:

As much as you want. Um, it'll be offered and we'll do some things that are by-level of giving. Oh, that's nice. Um, and then there are things that are open to every member. Okay. And part of that is we really want them to be connected, to stay connected to the mission. And so the stories that will come out, they're for everyone. And I also will say, share. Share these. Somebody. You will be in a conversation in a week or two weeks where someone mentioned something about cancer. And so, um, and that's really, I feel like that's the way help happens is someone says, I want to help, and I know someone who can. And so you talked about connecting, connecting the dots with people. Yes. You know, and doing that. And so it's like what we are aware of, then we're like, I know how to help this person. I don't know what all it means. Right. And sometimes I'm just honest. I'll be like, you know what? I know a really good person. I know they're at this organization. I don't know everything they do, but I need to connect. Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, we talked about that often.

SPEAKER_00:

Because this is where it's first starts. Yes, you know. Um, and so, but I think the beauty of giving and in Northwest Arkansas specifically, it um, but I feel like it's more natural in Northwest Arkansas than it is in a lot of places. And I would say there's there's visiting consultants that come into Northwest Arkansas that do fundraising and and they they all say the same thing, like, well, normally this, this, this, and this. And they're like, but but in Northwest Arkansas, and so when you start to hear that over and over and over, and if you really will just look around, you look at what our community has available, um, you see it. And I think when you see it, then you want to be a part of it. And there's a lot of um people, and I was I was a this very person at one time. Like I could never be a part of that because I can't give X, whatever that size X is.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. I cannot buy you a card to get from A to B.

SPEAKER_00:

Right, but I can buy you a gas card. Right. And and how um giving doesn't have to be at just a certain level to be giving. Giving is that's the beauty of it.

SPEAKER_01:

I had this discussion with Allison McRoy, one of our friends. Um, and I've changed my giving when I go to events from a lump sum to a lower monthly sum because I did the math and I'm like, well, my lump sum is this, but my lower monthly sum is times 12. Right. And it's continuously going into that nonprofit, and it was it had a greater impact, and I felt better about it. Right. And a lot of people don't think 5, 10, 15, 20, whatever dollars is very much, but on a continuous basis, right? That is a gift to a nonprofit. It absolutely is. I every gift is a gift.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

And I mean, you know, I'm um a member of the Women with A Mission Through Mercy. I can't go buy a C-section table, but I can give$1,000 a year, which is only$84 a month, which is cheaper than a cell phone bill and always my go-to. Right. And that's how I look at your giving circle. I can do that. I can't, but I can be um a part of a greater collective that we can purchase that c-section table or set car for, I don't know, right, financial assistance. It's the collective whole is so powerful.

SPEAKER_00:

It's so powerful. And I love that. And to to be a part of a circle and you look people in the eyes, and there's a little bit, there's some accountability absolutely to it. But there's also like we did this together. Yes. We did this.

SPEAKER_01:

Look what we did like myself. No, I cannot. But we did this together. Yes. I'm so proud of I this is why I love giving circles, and we can all go to an event and give. But to not have to sit and eat a rubber chicken dinner and cost the nonprofit money to just give them and receive nothing except a gift in my heart is so much more powerful to me than an event. Not that events are not great. No, they are. We have to have them. We have to have them. But I I love to know it costs the nonprofit money to just give.

SPEAKER_00:

So at our at our engagement, our invitation event, um, we had Hillary Bucker. She shared her story. And she's a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed this year in February, um, kind of out of the blue to her. And um, she said, you know, there were things I needed that I didn't even know that I needed. And but she went all the way back to um being diagnosed. And the reality is it was her friend who was the physician who diagnosed her.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00:

Who shared with her the story. You know, it is cancer. This is your next step. You know. When she went to Highlands Oncology, she met with one of our social workers. Um, from there, she was introduced to some of our services that she could use if she felt she needed it. And she said, you know, I did I didn't know what I needed. And she said, but one day I was like, I just need to talk to somebody. I don't even know really what I need to talk about. You know, I mean, really, I had a feeling that's where you were going. Like, I don't know what I need to say, but I just kind of this void, but you feel like I just need to spill out. And so she um met with one of our counselors, Shauna, and then she got involved in the wellness center, and she does personal training and all of this, and she's doing treatment and she's doing all of this, and she talked about how strong her family is. She does have a very strong unit. She's a business owner, she's got a lot going on in her life. And um, but as she was talking and I looked around the room, and I knew that these people were gonna be in the room, but I asked them just to come up and join her. And I said, this is what a real circle is are the people that come and join you, and some of them are people you've known in your life before, and others are totally new. Your counselor, a social worker helping you with resources, your treatment team, your friend who is your friend, but yet was your doctor who diagnosed you, who did your biopsy and diagnosed you, your trainer who becomes your person that you walk in the door and you look for her. And and that's how circles start to form. And not in it wasn't a circle she would have ever chosen in her life. When you think about like going back in your life, what did you see going forward? This is this is not something she would have seen. No. Um, but then when I looked in the room and I said, but the reality is as the giving circle, we get to be a part of her circle because we get to give and those resources help her personally. And that's really what a giving circle is about. I love them. You know I love them. And so um just to be able to share that and tie that in, that it's not a giving circle that sits out here. It's a giving circle that's connected around patient. It's very connected. Patient. I don't know. It's a okay. Yeah. So it's it's really we step in and become part of their circle. And sometimes in bigger ways than others, um, but it's based on what a patient needs. And so um just a wonderful way to be a part of somebody's life.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, I love that. That's wow, that's a good that's I love that. I can't think of anything else. What do we know? What do we need to touch on? I got this beautiful wine charm, which is fantastic, and there's different levels, and everyone knows, you know, hope cancer resources, all they have to do is ask for gay. What did we not touch on with the circle of hope?

SPEAKER_00:

I think it's, you know, we um we'd love for anybody to join our circle who's interested. It's always more love. It is a women's giving circle. Okay. It is for women. Okay. Uh, we discuss back and forth, but I don't know. There's something um women are powerful in numbers. Women are powerful. And I will say women have this mo, you know, you see someone and it's like, mm-hmm. I see I can I can be there for her. And um, so it is a women's giving circle, but if if people are interested, I I would love to personally meet with people. Oh, okay. And just share. That's a treasure. But also to learn about their story, what would what would even what has drawn their interest to be a part of the circle? Um, but for people to understand this giving as very specific and it is personal to a patient when they receive it. I had one um patient share, and she actually has joined our circle, but she said, you know, um, when you're in the middle of your cancer treatment, she said it may seem like a little thing to the person giving. Okay. And she said, but when you're the receiver, it's a really big thing. Wow. And I I think about that a lot. You know, sometimes we just think of it from our perspective. But when you think of it from who received it, um at a moment when they needed it, you you really can't measure the impact. And so that's but that's the beauty of giving. Right. Oh, I love that.

SPEAKER_01:

I can't wait to join. I'm so glad. Yes, absolutely. I'm so excited. What else? Anything? I thought they thought that's a good, that's a good holiday. Y'all should all gift that's right to all your family members into the circle for the holidays. Right. But excuse me. I it sounds like I am like smoking or something. I don't know what is happening. All I do is talk and hug. So that's I sound ridiculous. If you all have any questions about Hope Cancer Resources or Gay's Circle of Hope, you can always hit up 3W magazine or you can just call anyone over at Hope Cancer Resources and they will directly connect you with this angel sitting across from me. And she will, she will sell you hook, line, and sinker in the very best way possible because um there's nothing better than loving on your people and people that you didn't even know were in your circle. There's nothing wrong with loving them. That's one of people. So it's okay. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01:

I am so excited that you came. And you and I were supposed to have a sit-down about the circle, but I'm like, oh, well, it's fine. We just had it publicly. That's good. I love it. So all the good things to share. Please check out Hope Cancer Resources when you all have a time or when you have time. Please stop by Walmart and get your Hershey salty snacks. And have you had Dots Home Style pretzels and the cinnamon sugar? Well, of course.

SPEAKER_00:

And by the way, I always have a bottle of Hershey syrup in my refrigerator at all times. That is one thing people know about me.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, that's a good one. I did not know that. And I'm like, oh, you've been in my life for so long. I had no idea. Do you does it go on ice cream or does it go in milk?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, a bad day is just a tablespoon.

SPEAKER_01:

You just hit the hard stuff straight. Yes. It's helpful. That's so good. When I was um looking for something for you for your anniversary party, I text another friend of ours and I was like, I know gay, but I don't know gay like that in a gift-giving way. Does gay drink? They're like, no. And I was like, well, okay, okay, I will jump and I will just go get a candle because I've I feel like everybody loves candles, but I'm more of a wine receiver myself. And so I was like, I always run into a uh rock in a hard place when somebody tells me they don't drink. And so I'm like, now I know you don't drink, but a bottle of Hershey's chocolate syrup is your go-to. So I'm like, I feel like I missed the vote on that. And wish I had found the biggest one I could and selected that up. That would have been perfect, amazing. One on a hard day. That you are a Hershey chocolate syrup commercial in the making. Fantastic. Okay, gay. Thank you so much. We have gone way over our time. I apologize to all of you, but I say this every time we do a podcast. If you've stuck with me this long, I am eternally grateful. Go live your best life. Gay, have a wonderful holiday season. Thank you. You too. Keep enjoying. I'm sorry. Well, yeah, keep enjoying all the things, but also keep inspiring a culture of giving. And we'll see you next time. See y'all.