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JANUARY 2017 • DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 1
JANUARY 2017
CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY: HEALING THE WHOLE PERSON By Jody Morgan
Modern medicine offers many cancer treatment options, but healing requires more than attacking the physical causes of the disease. Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area located in Walnut Creek (CSC) offers free services to cancer patients, their caregivers and loved ones to address all the aspects of battling cancer that promote living better as well as longer. Backed by research confirming their efficacy, the extensive selection of programs includes educational presentations, healthy lifestyle classes, support groups and counseling. Everyone seeking support with cancer-related concerns is welcome to come for as long as they want. Founded in 1990 as Wellness Community San Francisco East Bay, CSC is a licensed affiliate of the international Cancer Community Support organization that includes over Newcomers and members find a warm welcome when they enter the 200 locations worldwide. However, as an CSC building. Photo courtesy of CSC. independent non-profit corporation, the Walnut Creek center is able to channel the contributions from generous donors that make their programs possible directly into free services for over 2,000 local individuals annually. CSC’s mission is: “To ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community.” Volunteers staffing the reception desk are CSC members who understand immediately how stressed newcomers feel. Patty Koepke explains, “When the ‘C’ word pertains to you, you go into a deep black hole. The Cancer Support Community is a wonderful place for a person to come for some peace and understanding.” Koepke’s husband discovered CSC (then Wellness Community) when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. As a survivor, with five years of volunteering experience as well as firsthand knowledge of what it takes to walk through the door as a recently diagnosed cancer patient, she affirms, “I can always spot someone entering for the first time by the look of fear and confusion in their eyes. Once that person realizes CSC Kid's Circle helps children with parents that the individual greeting them has battling cancer to express their fears and learn faced cancer, it seems to soften the coping skills. Photo courtesy of CSC. blow. I will ask them to sit down SEE CSC CONTINUED ON PAGE 21
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Danville native Maggie Steffens is surrounded by family members after her gold medal win in Rio.
LOCAL OLYMPIAN MAGGIE STEFFENS
By Fran Miller
If you don’t know Danville resident Maggie Steffens, chances are you know one of her family members. Her mother is one of 13 Schnuggs, originally from Orinda, and she has so many cousins – most of them local – that she’s lost count on the actual number (She thinks it’s 45). Most of them are successful athletes. But Steffens stands out from her familial crowd as an Olympic champion. A two-time member of the U.S. Olympic Women’s Water Polo Team, Stephens won a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio (and also MVP honors) and at the 2012 games in London where she played alongside her sister Jessica. We recently caught up with the busy Stanford University student/athlete to find out about life after Rio. Where did you go to high school, and when did you graduate? I went to Monte Vista High School and graduated in 2011. I was in full-time training with the national team at this time for 2012, so my second semester of my senior year was spent traveling between school and Southern California so I could still train. I did graduate even though I wasn’t at graduation… What do you love most about Danville? It’s HOME! I have so many memories in Danville that will always make it a special place in my heart. Danville provided me with so much that allowed me to be who I am today. I swam at Del Amigo and played CYO Basketball, Mustang Soccer, and Diablo Water Polo. I went to St. Isidore’s, Stone Valley, and Monte Vista; all of these are huge contributors to my success. I feel very fortunate to have grown up in a place that Volume VIII - Number 3 provided such incredible opportunities for 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, Alamo, CA 94507 kids. Not to mention, I love the people! That (925) 405-6397 is easily my favorite part about Danville. I Fax (925) 406-0547 wouldn’t be where I am now without the friends that supported me, the teachers and Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher editor@ coaches that guided me, and even all my yourmonthlypaper.com “second parents” that helped raise me. What are you studying at Stanford, The opinions expressed herein belong the writers, and do not necessarily and when will you graduate? I am a senior toreflect that of Danville Today News. Danville Today News is not at Stanford now, after taking a gap year in responsible for the content of any of 2012 for London and a gap year last year the advertising herein, nor does
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