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www.MoonValleyTattler.com
VOL 38 No. 1
CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY ARIZONA: SO THAT NO ONE FACES CANCER ALONE
BY SUSAN MERCER HINRICHS, REPORTER
Cancer. The six-letter word carries with it more burdens than its two syllables suggest: fear, anger, agony and heartache to name just a few. However, help does exist to combat the heinous diagnosis and its troubling aftermaths, allowing those afflicted, in remission and those linked with a cancer patient to bring back their A game, says Debbie DeCarlo. She’s the Cancer Support Community/Arizona chief executive officer and a Moon Valley resident who wants as many people as possible to know about the organization she oversees. The CSCAZ mission statement combines the insight and counselling professionals can offer on a nonclinical basis, along with a network of educational, well-being, support and activity resources. Better yet, all the outreach programs are offered without cost in an environment designed to be quite like that of a warm, loving home. “Our mission is to provide anyone who’s impacted by cancer -- the person with the diagnosis, their family, friends, caregivers -- anyone who’s affected by cancer -- with the emotional support that they individually need,” DiCarlo says. And she emphasizes another crucial CSCAZ element: “And so, part of the foundation of our program is (it’s) always free and always comprehensive. Free is important, because when a family is facing a cancer diagnosis, it significantly impacts their finances.” Staff and professionals will tailor the realm of support services to every individual’s needs, including Spanish-language assistance and a host of young people’s programs. Linda Replogle, a Moon Valley resident, and a longtime CSCAZ volunteer, experienced firsthand the warmth extended through its programs while attending them with her late friend, Helen Corrigan, who had cancer. “I really felt, when we first started coming (to newcomer programs) that I was really coming for her,” Replogle says. “But in the end, I’d say we both benefitted from being here. There’s a peacefulness here, there is a sense of community.” “Some of that heaviness is lifted, as there are other people here who are on that journey.” continued on page 3
What Started as an Idea Continues to Grow After 50 Years The Civitan Foundation is celebrating 50 years of ever-changing services and supports to individuals with special needs.
When a small group of dedicated volunteers had an idea to build an accessible residential summer camp for children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities becomes a reality it is sometimes hard to believe that that dream would last one year, let alone 50. As parents and volunteers, they were driven by the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the unique joy of summer camp – regardless of their abilities. “Camp Civitan” created one of the first year-round camping experiences in Arizona. In 1968, the vision to create a summer experience of adventure for individuals who are often forgotten or shielded from the same adventures many families take for granted was started. Today, the 15-acre wheelchair accessible Camp Civitan in Williams, Arizona is one of the largest year-round camps of its kind in the nation and spawned additional programs and services for the developmentally disabled. The Civitan Foundation, a non-profit 501 c (3) headquartered in Phoenix, grew from the experiences of Camp Civitan and is now a leading voice in Arizona in providing unmatched, innovative services to individuals with special needs. Serving nearly 1,200 children and adults with disabilities throughout Arizona, we’ve continued on page 8