June News from CanCare
CanCare Family,
June holds a special significance in our hearts as we come together to honor and celebrate National Cancer Survivors Month.
At CanCare, we have the privilege of witnessing cancer survivors' remarkable strength, resilience, and determination every day. Your stories of triumph over adversity serve as beacons of hope, inspiring us to continue our mission of providing unwavering support to those affected by cancer.
National Cancer Survivors Month is a time for us to reflect on the journeys we have witnessed and the countless lives that have been touched by our CanCare family. It is a moment to acknowledge our incredible progress in advancing cancer care and to recognize the indomitable spirit that fuels the fight against this disease.
To all the survivors, volunteers, caregivers, and supporters who form the tapestry of our CanCare family, I extend my deepest gratitude. Your dedication, compassion, and unwavering support are the heart and soul of our organization. Your willingness to lend a listening ear, offer a comforting embrace, and walk alongside those navigating the difficult path of cancer is nothing short of extraordinary.
Thank you for being an integral part of the CanCare family, for making a difference, and for reminding us all that there is strength in unity. May this National Cancer Survivors Month be a source of inspiration and a testament to the power of the human spirit.
With gratitude and admiration,
Darcie Champagne Wells
President and CEO
CanCare Caregiver Volunteer
Sharing Survivorship - National Cancer Survivors Month
By: Kris Kerlin
There is power in sharing your experiences with others, particularly when you have had an experience that someone else is just beginning. CanCare is founded on the power of sharing survivorship. In hospital treatment centers, patients light up when they realize the person they are visiting with is a cancer survivor or someone who has been on the cancer journey as a care giver. On the other end of the phone, volunteers listen empathetically, having experienced their own cancer journey. CanCare volunteers are symbols of hope. “Hope on feet”, as our lifetime board member Pat Hogan-Korge taught us.
During this month of National Cancer Survivors Month it has been a true honor to be out in the cancer community sharing the news of CanCare, celebrating survivors and those who love them, in hospitals around the city, churches around the country and synagogues. It has been a time of reconnecting with volunteers and community partners and introducing CanCare to people who didn’t know that there is emotional support available and that they don’t have to go through cancer alone.
Eachof you reading this has a connection to cancer. You have some journey ofsurvivorship to share. Please let people who need us, know aboutus. Share your own journey and let them know about CanCare. Our brand new CanCare website is a good way to introduce CanCare tosomeone. We also have brochures and a postcard available to help you shareCanCare with your workplace, doctor’s office, church, synagogue, or anyonetouched by cancer that you can find HERE. Wedo not want anyone to go through cancer alone and many people facing cancerstill do not know they have a choice.
Together, we are bringing hope and healing to the cancer community.
Please share your survivorship story with us at CanCare. Send us an email at heatherl@cancare.org to let us know what being a survivor or supporting a survivor as a caregiver means to you.
Volunteer Spotlight
By: Daniella Martinez
For National Cancer Survivors Month this year we are honoring our volunteer Mike Deitch, who is a brain cancer survivor of over 60 years. He embodies perseverance and is incredibly vibrant with our clients. Here is a bit about him:
Mike grew up in Long Island, New York. He works in sales and is a musician. Outside of volunteering for CanCare, he is an avid reader. Currently he is enjoying "A Gathering of Angels" by Moris B. Margolis.
Mike doesn’t exactly remember how he heard about CanCare, but he does remember the feeling of wanting more people to know that cancer does not mean it's over. He believes that CanCare helps people to grow and unify, "Our common welfare comes first", he shares. When asked what he felt the gift was that cancer gave him he expressed “True awareness and amazement. Not only about what has been achieved regarding treatment but realizing at depth a spiritual connection. As said in recovery, my 'Higher Power' is not cancer. The love, devotion and efforts from God, family, friends, and practitioners is what was and still is given. I know I am part of this as well.”
Thank you Mike for all that you are and do for our clients! You are wonderful and we are lucky you are a part of the CanCare family.
Welcome to the CanCare Team - Lauren
The CanCare Family is excited to announce Lauren Hamilton has joined our team as a Project Manager! Lauren is excited to further our mission of ensuring anyone facing cancer has a survivor by their side. In her new role, Lauren will lead and manage a variety of technology, strategy, and business operations projects across the organization.
Prior to joining CanCare, Lauren served as Chief of Staff at Perry Homes where she became well versed in leading mission critical projects for the executive team. She also helped support the Perry Homes Foundation while serving in her role. She spent six years as a management consultant before joining Perry Homes, where she built and honed her project management skills.
Welcome to the CanCare Team - Beatrice
The CanCare Family is excited to announce Beatrice Arbuckle has joined our team as our new Client & Volunteer Relations Specialist! Beatrice looks forward to bringing new perspectives and fresh ideas to further our mission of ensuring anyone facing cancer has a survivor by their side. In her new role, Beatrice will help make impactful connections between clients, volunteers, and our health care systems.
Beatrice has served in non-profit organizations for over ten years and has a passion for bringing hope to others. She graduated from Houston Baptist University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, and she currently serves as the Youth Ministry Chair at her church. Prior to joining the CanCare team, she worked for a local credit union as a client relations specialist. Beatrice believes CanCare’s purpose & mission aligns with the impact that she strives to make in her community and the world.
