What's happening at CSCVVSB

Well, here we are in July 2021 and our staff is still working at home, our support groups are still via Zoom and our fundraising events are still virtual! Of course, the past 15 months have tested our patience, our feelings of isolation, and our resilience. But here we are, 7 months into the year and CSCVVSB is getting stronger every day! Our administrative team is so dedicated and passionate about our mission. You will meet our newest team member, Danielle Sanchez, in this newsletter.

The team is working on the transition plan to reopen the office, adhering to all the safety protocols and Cal-OSHA regulations. We are keeping the safety and health of you and the staff at the forefront of the planning. Details will be communicated when the time is appropriate. In the meantime, programs and services will continue as the need in our communities increases.

As you may know, this year is our 30thanniversary. I hope you joined us for the countdown and celebration on Thursday, June 17. The countdown included inspiring stories that people like you have helped narrate by supporting CSCVVSB. Our next signature fundraiser is the Celebration of Hope “Cheers to 30 years” virtual event on September 23rd. Please plan to join us for a night full of festivities including a talent show contest. Also, join me for virtual coffee and conversation on Thursday, August 12 at noon.

Thanks to the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations that support our organization, we are able to continue to provide all of our programs AT NO COST to participants. If you are interested in learning about other ways to support, such as estate planning, to help CSCVVSB continue its mission for many generations to come, please reach out to me. I look forward to speaking with you.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to read our latest newsletter and I look forward to seeing you, in person, very soon!

Be well -

Monica E. Merryman

Executive Director

Cancer Support Community VVSB

"DEAR CANCER, IT'S ME..." High School Essay Contest

Please meet the winners of our 9th annual “Dear Cancer, It’s Me...” High School Essay Contest. We held a Virtual Awards Ceremony in April, attended by more than a hundred people including the essayists, their families, judges, sponsors, and more.

The Essay Contest is one of our most important teen programs. In the last nine years, more than four hundred and fifty high school students entered, impressed judges and inspired their fellow teens who were impacted by cancer. This year, fifty-two high schoolers entered the contest, among them, forty five students wrote about their loved one’s cancer, and seven wrote about their own cancer. They attend high schools in our service areas, from the West San Fernando Valley to Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. We thank all the essayists for their participation and bravery to share their stories with us.

We conducted a post-essay contest survey, and based on their feedback, we are planning a Teens Impacted by Cancer Focus Group to help us understand their needs and develop a program to continue supporting them.

The next “Dear Cancer, it’s Me...” High School Essay Contest will be held in early spring 2022. If you are a high school student who has been impacted by cancer, or if you know someone, please consider entering and spreading the word about it!

MEET CSCVVSB PROGRAM & CLINICAL DIRECTOR:

Kayo Matsumoto, MS, LMFT

I started CSCVVSB as a clinical intern 10 years ago. I had previous counseling experiences at a shelter, a hospital, and counseling centers, but my experience at CSCVVSB was different from any others. Those were the people I could relate to. There was a sense of community I could happily fit into.

Here at CSCVVSB, participants, volunteers, staff & board members, sponsors, and the whole community, work together to support people impacted by cancer. To this day and every day, I feel honored and humbled to get to know all the inspiring people who are part of CSCVVSB.

My mother is a cancer survivor and I lost my father to cancer as a young adult. I cannot tell you how much I wished my family had the great support that CSC provides when we needed it.

Our support group participants often attest that being a part of a group creates a sense of belonging and comradery that helps them feel more understood and less alone. They are mutually empowered and inspired by emotional support and practical information, and more actively participate in their cancer journeys.

It is not uncommon that people diagnosed with cancer and their loved ones hesitate to join a support group. Some people may simply not feel comfortable expressing their personal thoughts in a group situation. If that’s the case, we have other programs such as stress reduction classes (guided imagery, yoga, qigong, etc.) and social events (comedy nights). Please contact us for other community resources.

GIVING TO CSCVVSB

Cancer Support Community Valley/Ventura/Santa Barbara (CSCVVSB) celebrates its 30th year in service to ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community. We look forward to our future, while reflecting on our past: honoring the support of allies (like you) that leads to participants’ triumphs, such as Board Member Andrea Roschke.

“In 2003, my husband Mark [pictured], who was 44 years old at the time, was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma Multiforme Grade IV brain tumor – known to be an aggressive and deadly form of brain cancer. We were told the average life expectancy was two years.

Our lives were turned upside down by this diagnosis, to say the least. Our two boys were 15 and 16 at the time. Mark was heartbroken about the thought of leaving them. He wished he could at least see them graduate high school.

The hard part was finding the emotional strength to fight, and to not just accept defeat. He found this strength, and so much more, at the CSCVVSB. By sharing stories, fears and wishes with the other participants, Mark found hope. He found the will to survive. He learned to live one day at a time and to make every day a good day. He used to say, ‘Don’t count the days, make the days count.’ Mark lived eight years. He beat the odds, and he saw his boys finish high school, and even college. His story continues to inspire others. We are forever grateful to CSCVVSB for the services they provided, and for the extra time we had with Mark as a result.”

When you support CSCVVSB, you are helping people like Andrea and Mark receive life-changing support and skills to gain back control – especially now, while isolation is one of the most significant challenges among cancer patients.

There are still so many in our community that need our help! Please stand with CSCVVSB and help those in need in our community gain the support and strength they need in the fight against cancer.

Donate Today

MEET CSCVVSB MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR: Danielle Sanchez

Born and raised in Oxnard, I grew up in the home my grandfather built, love and nurtured by my parents and grandmother. Being the eldest of four children, I learned to care and provide comfort to my siblings, soothing their bumps and bruises, then later, for my two now adult children, with my husband by my side.

When it came time to pick a career, I knew that I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself, building on my need to give back and be responsible for creating a better world for my family. So, after gaining 20 years’ experience working with a local non-profit organization, the opportunity to join CSCVVSB came into the horizon and I jumped at the chance to join this team.

I am excited to be part of the CSCVVSB family and continue to build powerful relationships within our community. I am dedicating my work to the memory of my uncle Pete Tejada who may have lost his battle to cancer but lives on in the work that I do.

MEET CSCVVSB FACILITATOR: Joyce Boucher, MSW, LCSW, LMFT

I have been a support group facilitator at CSCVVSB for 27 years.

Support groups are an extremely important part of a cancer patient’s treatment. Support groups offer support which helps with unwanted aloneness. Although a cancer patient may have support from family and friends, no one can understand the cancer journey like another cancer patient who walks in their shoes. Support group participants offer compassion, guidance and information.

Some of my fondest memories has been working with kids who have a family member with cancer. The kids’ honesty and their compassion for one another is inspirational. There was preteen in Kids Circle who had a mom who passed away from a brain tumor. She gave her phone number to kids in the group who wanted to talk outside of the group. Her desire to help others was also a part of her own healing.

If someone is hesitant to join a support group, I address their concerns. If that person is open to trying a group I would recommend that they attend group several times to see if the group offers what they need. The positive outcomes are heartwarming!

COFFEE WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Please email your questions ahead of time to Donna Baharouzi.

CELEBRATION OF HOPE "Cheers to 30 Years!"

Save the Date - September 23, 2021 at 6:00 PM

Join us for a community talent show, online auction, music, and mixology! We are honoring two local health care professionals with the Celebration of Excellence Award, Cathy Friedlander Cole, NP, MPH, CHES, FNCBC of Los Robles Regional Medical Center and Alicia Zaragoza, NP-C, CN-BN of St. John's Regional Medical Center. Registration is free, and the event is virtual. Click here to become a sponsor, register, or learn more.

CSCVVSB's GOT TALENT!

Do you have a talent you'd like to share with the community? Whether it's singing, dancing, magic tricks, acrobatics, etc., join the contest. Submissions will be accepted between July 1-31. The theme is 1991 and the winner will receive a GRAND PRIZE of $300.00! Must be 18 or older to enter.

Click here for rules and submission information.