Palisades-News-July-8-2015

July 8, 2015 Palisades News Page 11Cancer Support Nonprofit Hosts Event July 15By TYLER KECKEISENPalisades News ReporterCelebrating its 33rd year, the CancerSupport Community BenjaminCenter (CSC) will host a specialgathering at Matthew’s Garden Café onWednesday, July 15 from 6 to 9 p.m.Community members are invited to meetCSC members, instructors and clinical staff,while learning about the nonprofit’s free,inspirational and empowering programs.Food and wine will be catered by Mat -thew’s, located at 859 Swarthmore (acrossfrom CVS). Due to limited space, reservationsare required. Call (310) 314-2565 to RSVP.“Our organization strives to create acommunity in which patients and familiesare empowered to be active in their medicalcare rather than passive victims of the disease,”said Executive Director Julia Forth.CSC emphasizes the Patient Active Conceptpromulgated by founders Dr. HaroldBenjamin and his wife Harriet, which encouragesactive participation in cancertreatment, camaraderie and community“to improve the patient’s quality of life andenhance the possibility of recovery.”The CSC (formerly known as The WellnessCommunity) offers basic informationsharing, education on complex cancer-relatedtopics, support groups, individualcounseling sessions, social activities, nutritionworkshops and comprehensive stressreductionand exercise programs.“CSC is here to ensure that all people impactedby cancer are empowered by knowledge,strengthened by action, and sustainedby community,” Forth said.Among the speakers at Matthew’s willbe Jennifer Cook, a cancer survivor whohas been the CSC’s development directorsince 2012.“I look forward to meeting people in thePalisades who may resonate with our mission,know someone who would benefitfrom our wonderful services, or becomemore involved with our organization,” saidCook, who began utilizing CSC’s free servicesin 2010.Palisadian Gretchen Ebrahem has benefitedgreatly as a member of two CSC programs.She joined the caretaker group in2009, three months after her husband, actorCliff Osmond, was diagnosed with pancreaticcancer. After he passed away in 2012,she joined the grieving group, which meetsonce a week.“The grieving group has been an amazingexperience, as we are all here for eachother to comfort one another,” Ebrahemsaid. “We give each other stability, and justgive our support.“You can call someone from the groupat any time and talk to them about howyou feel, letting out your emotions. YouVarious Cancer Support Community groups offer basic information sharing and educationto patients and their families.Photo: Bart Bartholomewgain mental strength from others just listeningto you.”Palisadian Zena Bartholomew, a licensedmarriage and family therapist with CSCsince 1999, specializes in working with cancerpatients and their families/caregivers.“I facilitate many support groups, includingpost-treatment breast cancer andwriting,” she said. “Additionally, I work withwomen with advanced-stage breast cancer.“It’s very rich and very rewarding work.The level of intimacy is truly amazing.”Bartholomew is also the clinical supervisorfor five interns at CSC, a training facilitythat offers interns an opportunity to workwith cancer patients and their caregivers.The CSC is located at 1990 S. Bundy Dr.,in West L.A. Phone: (310) 314-2555. Visit:www.cancersupportcommunitybenjamincenter.org