KANE COUNTY ORGANIZATION SUPPORTS AREA FAMILIES
I think I would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t had a friend or a relative diagnosed with cancer. As we celebrate the women in our lives in this issue, I would like to dedicate this column to all the mothers and grandmothers that have been touched by or lost to cancer. Cancer is a scary word. It can provoke fear in the strongest of us and can launch you into a whirlwind of uncertainty. It becomes vital to find answers and the support needed for the whole family. The LivingWell Cancer Resource Center in Geneva is one of those organizations. For thirteen years, they have been empowering, encouraging, supporting and providing hope to cancer patients and their families.LivingWell is a community based, community funded organization that provides more than 100 programs and services for patients and care givers. They have been nationally recognized as a best practice program model by several cancer care accreditation bodies. Their programs are evidence based and medically mainstream.
“Our unwavering commitment is to ensure people facing cancer feel empowered with knowledge, strengthened by action and sustained by the support of the community created by LivingWell,” says Nancy Vance, Director of LivingWell Cancer Resource Center. “We make sure no one walks this journey alone.”Facility programs include education and medical updates provided by medical professionals, nutrition classes, and social work services to connect patients to community resources. They offer wellness programs like yoga, exercise, meditation, and stress management which can be anything from massage therapy, reflexology, facials and art classes.
All LivingWell’s programs address cancer treatment, managing side effects from treatment and fatigue levels. One weekly program coming up is their Club Braveheart children’s program that helps children ages 3-12 who are facing cancer or who have a family member diagnosed with cancer. This Mother’s Day, the children will honor their moms by creating Mother’s Day planters filled with flowers.LivingWell is always looking for volunteers at the front desk reception, help in fundraising, and to assist with programs. “Our staff and our volunteers serve as beacons of hope and strength, and through their giving, countless lives have been rewarded beyond measure,” says Nancy. www.livingwellcrc.org
Mindy’s May Giving Inspiration: Offer sincere, kind words to someone who is hurting.
ABOUT THE WRITER Mindy Kyle is the owner of Be Inspired Studios and is passionate about helping people discover what brings them joy and to live a full, healthy and happy life. She has her Masters in Fine Arts degree in creative writing from DePaul University and lives in Naperville with her husband, three children and the cutest dog in the land.
