Residents Giving Back
Discovery Counseling Center By Newell Arnerich, Mayor of Danville, Resident Since 1987
A
lthough I have a busy and full life as Mayor of Danville and as an owner of an architectural-urban design firm with offices in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, I also take time to serve on the Board of Directors of Discovery Counseling Center. Why, you might ask? While we live in a wonderful, safe community with great schools, our life styles are built on a fast paced, rapidly changing society that creates great pressures on each of us and indirectly on our children. I have the unique opportunity to meet and speak with a lot of people in Danville and commonly find many conversations drifting to signs of stress about family and economic pressures. Our children are often a bellwether to what is going on in our personal lives, which often manifests itself through confusion and sometimes stress in their behavior as well as our own. Discovery Counseling Center is one of the reasons why Danville is such a special place. Discovery Counseling, a non-profit organization, was founded almost 50 years ago by local people who were worried about the health of their teenagers and their friends. Thanks to their concern and foresight, we have easily accessible, high quality mental health support in all our schools within the San Ramon Valley Unified School District along with offices conveniently located in the Town and Country Shopping Center and most recently at the Dougherty Station Community Center in San Ramon. We are working hard at Discovery Counseling to ensure that, as a community, we talk about mental health and understand the importance of early intervention in the treatment of issues, such as anxiety, depression and stress, which
are very common for many of us in Danville. Even in our relatively affluent community, there are those among us who struggle with financial challenges. We are proud to say that our policy at Discovery Counseling Center is that no one is turned away because of an inability to pay full fees. We are able to offer much-needed financial assistance because of the incredible work of 120 amazing volunteers at the Thrift Station located at the Crossroads Shopping Center at 486 San Ramon Valley Boulevard and the generosity of so many in Danville who donate their best gently-used clothes, shoes, toys, books and housewares to help support Discovery. Because of the awesome bargains at the Thrift Station, the store attracts savvy shoppers who love finding a good deal and at the same time helping an important cause. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the store go to support Discovery Counseling, and we would not be able to provide critical mental health services without the efforts of so many. We would be most grateful if you would consider volunteering with, donating to, or shopping at The Thrift Station. If you or a family member is struggling with stress, anxiety or depression, please call your family physician, but also know that Discovery Counseling Center is a local high-quality resource for you. It is my hope that in Danville when we ask someone how they are doing, we listen carefully to the answer and know that there are resources available for those for whom things might not be going so well. Discovery Counseling Center makes me proud to call Danville home. Let’s all lean in and help our friends and neighbors enjoy life to its fullest!
18
NOVEMBER 2018
