FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS
Helping Women Heal Interlaken’s Michele Gannon created Mary’s Place by the Sea as a retreat for women with cancer. There they find community. restored and the post office reopened, there was a letter in our mailbox from the sister battles. But where do you go for a respite of the last guest who’d stayed with us before from the “fight”? Mary’s Place by the Sea is the storm. That woman had gone home and such a spot. A stone’s throw from the beach passed away. Her sister said, “I don’t know in Ocean Grove, it’s a retreat for women what it’s going to take for you to get going undergoing cancer treatment or within two again, but you gave my sister a gift. When years post-treatment. Here they receive she passed, she was at peace.” It was our peace, quiet and holistic support services, motivation to pick up and rebuild. from counseling and meditation to oncology How do you deal with the hard parts? massage and yoga. Not very well, to be honest. We meet these Founder and executive director women in such a vulnerable state and in Michele Gannon of Interlaken, originally such an intimate setting. We get to know from Arizona, moved to Monmouth with and love every one of them, and often their her husband Paul in 1997. She was named families too. And some of them pass away. USA Today’s 2025 Woman of the Year for Sometimes we need to look around and say, New Jersey and won a Humanitarian of the “OK, it’s time to go home.” Being with my Year award from the family helps. American Cancer Society’s Northeast region Your family’s reaction to this? in 2024. Before founding Mary’s Place in It’s been a huge part of all our lives. My 2009, she was a flight attendant, a German husband is incredibly supportive, and my professor at Monmouth University and a children grew up watching this happen. All mother, raising three children (now 23, 21 of my kids are in phases of their lives where and 18). This March 1 she’ll be a grand they need to make choices about what’s next, marshal in the Belmar Lake Como St. Founder and Executive Director Michele Gannon (seated on the left) and the staff of Mary’s Place by the Sea are deand every day I see them reach out to help dicated to creating an environment where women with cancer can rest, rejuvenate and prioritize their own healing. Patrick’s Day Parade. strangers. I think Mary’s Place modeled that. she makes me feel and understand the compassion A triumph? Where did the idea for Mary’s Place come from? and unconditional love of women. Every checkout day. We watch our guests gather and In January 2009, I had the flu, and my children— How else is what you do special? exchange phone numbers, and we see the difference in 2, 4 and 6—were piled around me, trying to get my It’s the time our guests have to build connections. body language. Shoulders back, heads held high. attention. I realized how my responsibilities and This is an intimate setting—only eight women, max, How do you spend your free time? schedule as a mother stayed the same when I was per retreat. When our guests leave, they often stay in I love working out, going to Pilates classes and baking sick. I had a short-term illness, but there are women touch, come back together, go on vacations together. sourdough bread. Kneading dough is a great outlet—I with long-term illnesses. I kept thinking: How do They feel they’ve found a whole new community. feel like I’m putting love into every loaf. women heal if they’re not given the permission and A moment with a guest that’s stuck with you? Are you excited about grand marshaling the time to really slow down and hit the pause button on Many years ago, a woman said something that St. Patrick’s Day Parade? their hectic lives? Women come here and have that made me realize what a responsibility we have here. I am! It’s so funny, my husband’s family is incredibly permission. She called post-retreat and said, “This is where my Irish—more so than me. I’m only 17.7 percent Irish, Why that focus on women? healing began.” thank you 23andMe. But it’s been great connecting When I mentioned the idea to my husband, he said, A challenge you’ve overcome? with the community. “Well, if someone is tired, doesn’t she just rest?” I had Superstorm Sandy hit when we were a very young Why do people find the sea healing? to explain that women sometimes don’t rest. We’re organization, still getting our name out there. It I think it’s the open space. The waves are like a heartcaregivers, we’re working and taking care of family devastated business operations at our second location. beat. I tell every guest to go down to the ocean, take members. Printers, computers, everything you can imagine in the majesty of it and imagine throwing whatever And where does the name come from? was ruined. We walked into our building and didn’t emotional baggage she’s carrying into the water. We’re not a Catholic organization, but Mary’s Place is know what to do. Then, when the electricity was —Kirsten Meehan named for Mary, Jesus’s mother. I’m inspired by her—
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Photography by Mary’s Place by the Sea
Cancer is often framed as something one
MARCH 2026
2/20/26 1:28 PM