May News from CanCare
CanCare Family,
As we prepare for the observance of Memorial Day, we lift up the brave men and women who have fought courageously for our country and thank them for the freedoms they have afforded us!
We are grateful for the freedom and privilege to dedicate our time and talents every day to serving our cancer community!
In May, we also observe Mental Health Awareness Month. CanCare is dedicated to supporting the mental and emotional health of those facing cancer by providing a survivor by their side. In this issue, we include tips on handling the emotions of cancer.
We want to extend our deepest gratitude to all the incredible individuals who made the 29th Annual Survivorship Luncheon this month an extraordinary success! From our generous sponsors and honorees, to our dedicated volunteers and attendees, each of you played a vital role in the success of the event and our mission to provide a survivor by the side of anyone facing cancer.
Together, we are fostering a community of strength, resilience, and HOPE. Thank you for your incredible support!
Darcie Champagne Wells
President and CEO
CanCare Caregiver Volunteer
2023 Hope Survivorship Luncheon
May 10, 2023 | River Oaks Country Club - Houston, TX
Huge thanks to our incredible supporters and congratulations to our phenomenal honorees for the 29th annual CanCare, Inc. HOPE Survivorship Luncheon!
Chaired by Stephanie Tsuru with Honorary Chair Frank Tsuru, the event raised a record $425,000 for CanCare's mission to provide a survivor by the side of anyone facing cancer!
At center stage for this year's event were Honorees:
Roslyn Bazzelle Mitchell, Community Honoree
Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, Healthcare Honoree
John L. Nau, III, Survivor Honoree
The event culminated with a moving interview with Ashley Dedmon- cancer previvor, advocate, author and speaker.
We thank everyone who had a roll in making the event a phenomenal success, providing critical funds for CanCare's mission to provide a survivor by the side of anyone facing cancer!
What Is Emotional Support?
By: Kris Kerlin
People sometimes find it difficult to understand 'emotional support'. There are few places where we can focus on the emotional part of ourselves and fewer where we can learn about emotions, how to identify them, express them and manage them.
CanCare is a safe zone for emotions and a place where you can be as you are – mad, sad, glad, afraid, or any other emotion. Emotional support looks like listening with the heart, hearing the feelings underneath the words and extending non-judgmental empathy.
As we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month this May, allow yourself to attend to the emotional part of yourself. Reach out for support, express your feelings, share them with someone who will listen and wants to understand, a CanCare volunteer. Give support, attend to feelings in yourself and others, be kind and empathetic, make yourself a safe place for someone else.
To join the CanCare family please consider becoming a volunteer. Join us for our Information Session on June 5, at 5PM Central Time to learn more about the CanCare family. Click HERE for more information!
Click HERE for a handout on 'Dealing with Emotions'.
Volunteer Spotlight
By: Daniella Martinez
This May we are highlighting a generous and caring volunteer that has a true heart for caregiving, Sharon Kimble-Kramchack. Sharon was a caregiver to her husband who survived stage 4 lymphoma and is also a CanCare volunteer. Here she is sharing a bit about herself and what makes her so unique:
"I was born and raised in San Antonio, TX and moved to Houston to finish my degree and became an accountant/tax analyst. When I am not taking on CanCare clients to support, I enjoy cycling and sewing.
We learned about CanCare after my husband's first cancer diagnosis from two of his co-workers who were involved with CanCare. Cancer taught me and my husband what really matters in life. We lose too much time worrying about things that don't really matter. Cancer teaches you to prioritize and move forward on items that really matter.
I wish that other people knew that CanCare is here to help the patient as well as the survivor. So many times, people have a large circle of friends, but they or their friends do not know how to reach out and speak to them regarding their illness, or how to be a caregiver for a loved one dealing with cancer. We at CanCare have firsthand experience! No matter your type of cancer; if you are personally fighting this disease, odds are there is a CanCare Survivor who can speak directly to you about your illness. A lot of people can listen, the CanCare Survivors can RELATE. There are also CanCare Caregivers who are ready and willing to speak to the new caregiver about how to take care of their loved one."
Sharon is a fierce champion of the CanCare mission, and we are blessed she is a volunteer for our clients. Thank you for all you do!
Welcome Volunteer Class 117
Last month we welcomed 16 new volunteers from class 117 to the CanCare family! Welcome new volunteers to the CanCare Family!
If you are interested in joining us, click HERE to apply and register for one of the upcoming training dates.
