When Edgar first started attending the Kids and Teens Circle support group, he stayed pretty quiet. It's not that he didn't have a lot to say; his mother was battling cancer, after all. But this group that his mom's friend had recommended, at the Winnetka location of the Cancer Support Community, was all new to him, and he wasn't sure he was ready to share his feelings just yet.  

Click here to read the rest of Edgar's story on our blog.

For a list of all of our Kids and Teens programs, click here. 

• Conejo Valley Cupcake Camp 
  Sunday, March 3, 1-4pm
  Westlake Village Inn
  Click here for details. 

• Daniel's Day of Magic
  Sunday, March 10, 2-4pm
  CSCVVSB

• Celebration of Life Gala
  Friday, May 3
  Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village
  Details coming soon on our website.
  For Sponsorship opportunities, contact Madeline Sattler via email or 805.379.4777. 
  Click here to see photos from last year. 

At the Cancer Support Community, we are celebrating the power of the written word with an Essay Contest for high school students! Click here for details.   

But you don't have to be a high school student to use writing as a powerful tool during a life challenge like cancer.  Click here to read five benefits of journaling. You may be surprised!

And on our blog, our own Tricia Lethcoe, CSCVVSB Program Associate and Marriage and Family Therapy Intern, gives five ways that writing can help during the cancer journey. Click here to read.

Special thanks to the following Essay Contest Sponsors: Amgen Oncology, Anthem Blue Cross, and the Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation. 

CSCVVSB offers a free service, called Open to Options, that will help you prepare for the next doctor's visit at which you plan to discuss treatment options. In a one-on-one conversation, we'll help you sort through any questions you may have about your various treatment options.

We'll write down and organize your questions in a way that will help you guide the discussion during your next appointment. Together with your doctor, you can then decide which treatment option is best for you. You'll be able to walk into the doctor's office next time feeling more prepared and self-confident with your personal list of questions in hand.

Open to Options is a free service for anyone with any type of cancer who is considering a treatment-related decision. For more information or to schedule an appointment for Open to Options, please call 805.379.4777 to leave a message for Anne Gessert or Kayo Matsumoto, or send an email with the subject "Open to Options."