Christ the King Church has recently become a supporting member of the interfaith CanCare Cancer Support Network ministry, an organization of volunteers devoted to improving the quality of life for cancer patients and their families by offering long-term emotional support. The group includes 400 active volunteers, all either cancer survivors or caregivers/former caregivers of cancer patients. They donate over 10,000 hours in visits and phone calls each year.
Betty Christensen and Faith Venverloh, both graduates of the CanCare training, have agreed to serve as co-chairs of our congregational representatives; Patty Stone, a longtime activist for breast cancer research, will serve as CTK's representative to the CanCare Board of Directors. Betty has been a volunteer since 1991 and has counseled many patients with head or neck cancer both by phone and through personal visits to homes and hospitals. Faith and fellow CTK member Charles Claar graduated from the training last October.
Each supporting congregation is encouraged to send one or more volunteers to the 18-hour training sessions which are held twice a year. The next training will be held at Christ the King on March 28-30. A graduation dinner will be held April 1. Specific class times will be announced later.
Betty, Faith, and Charles urge any in the congregation who are cancer survivors or family members or caregivers of cancer patients to participate in the inspirational classes in March and experience the very healing and fulfilling volunteer work it makes possible.
For more information about CanCare or to register for the March training, contact Faith Venverloh or Betty Christensen.
CanCare Support Network hosts an annual dinner to celebrate their past year's work, that of offering a message of hope that touches the lives of thousands. This year's dinner will be held March 4 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Grace Presbyterian Church, 10221 Ella Lane. The keynote speaker will be Shara Fryer, anchorwoman for Channel 13 news and herself a cancer survivor. If you would like to be a guest, contact Patty Stone.