Several community leaders gathered at Hewlett House on Oct. 2, marking October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and recognizing the organization’s mission and the importance of continuing to support those affected by cancer.
The nonprofit community resource center, at 86 East Rockaway Road in Hewlett, is once again serving as a reminder that a cancer diagnosis affects far more than the person receiving it.
Hewlett House has provided free support and resources to cancer patients and their families, helping about 42,000 people since its doors opened 26 years ago.
Hewlett House Executive Director Geri Barish, a five-time cancer survivor and longtime advocate for cancer patients, told Friday’s gathering that the organization has grown into a family for the thousands of people who have walked through its doors.
“I’m so deeply honored to be here and see you all here today, especially celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” Barish said. “While we do all cancer, our patients are now a family.”
Hewlett House offers support to people at every stage of cancer treatment, providing educational materials, peer support and connections to cancer survivors and health professionals. The organization also works with local hospitals and doctors to help patients navigate appointments, screenings and treatment.
“If you don’t have an appointment, we’ll get you one,” Barish said. “Knowing you could pick up the phone and someone in this town, or the next town, will answer and come and help, that’s all that counts.”
The Hewlett family originally owned the building on East Rockaway Road, one of the oldest structures on Long Island, in the early 17th century, before eventually giving it to what became the Hewlett-Woodmere School District.
In 1996, the school district contacted then-Nassau County Legislator Bruce Blakeman seeking financial assistance because it could no longer afford the cost of maintaining the historic property. While the building had been considered for use as a museum, Blakeman and Barish instead envisioned something different — a safe place where women battling breast cancer could find help and support.
Blakeman asked the school district to sell the property to Nassau County for $1 and approached Barish about taking over the building and developing the concept.
The county ultimately renovated the property, and Hewlett House opened its doors in 2000. What began as a resource specifically for women with breast cancer eventually expanded to serve anyone affected by cancer.
Blakeman, who now serves as Nassau County executive, reflected on the organization’s growth during Friday’s gathering.
“This is a house that was restored by the people of Nassau County for the benefit of people originally who just had breast cancer, and then we opened it up to everybody who had cancer, and it’s absolutely free,” Blakeman said. “It is open to the public, and it provides counseling and education on breast cancer to people in our community.”
Blakeman credited Barish for keeping the organization focused on its mission for more than three decades.
“Geri Barish started this over 30 years ago, and she’s still fighting the fight,” he said.
Hewlett House, therefore, serves as a family center, providing support for loved ones as they navigate the uncertainty and emotional toll of a cancer diagnosis.
Barish also emphasized the importance of addressing what she described as rising numbers of cancer cases and understanding why more people are being diagnosed.
She said Hewlett House is preparing to launch a new program focused on investigating cancer trends and possible contributing factors, including environmental concerns and family history. The effort will involve schools, Key Clubs, patients and community partners, with support from state and county officials.
“We need to know why, whether it’s our environment, history, which not everybody knows, or anything else,” Barish said. “That is the new thing that we’re going to be working on.”
State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, who attended Friday’s event, spoke about cancer’s personal impact on her family. She lost her husband, Jim Callahan, when he was 42 years old, leaving their four children, all under age 12, without their father.
“Cancer can touch any family, no matter what you do in life,” Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said.
She praised Barish’s decades of advocacy and Hewlett House’s role in the community.
“This house is built on the love that you have brought to this community, your heart,” Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said. “I am in awe of Geri’s commitment to serving this community.”
For Barish, the mission remains rooted in the simple promise that no cancer patient or family member should have to face the disease alone.
Since its founding, Hewlett House has remained a place where people can walk through the door, or pick up the phone, seeking someone who understands what they are going through.
“We want to make sure that we take care of people,” Barish said.
