Sandra J. Wing Healing Therapies Foundation

Sandra's personal experience with healing therapies during cancer treatment inspired her to make these same therapies available to others. Thank you, Akiko, for sharing with us what this support means to you!

The future may look different than it once did, but there is always a place for new goals and dreams.

Not sure if mindfulness techniques can help you? Thank you, Janice, for sharing some words of encouragement!

April is , and earlier this week we hosted an appreciation luncheon for volunteers serving on active teams. We thank you for supporting our mission and making a difference in the community!

Sandra also presented a special award to recognize Linda S. for the countless hours she has dedicated to leading our care team. Linda, your commitment and compassion are an inspiration to us all!

Sandra J. Wing Healing Therapies Foundation

If you're feeling a bit uncertain about healing therapies (especially ones involving needles!), you're not alone. Thank you, Don, for sharing about your experience!

Debra Jarvis has seen and experienced a lot, both as a hospital chaplain and during her own cancer treatment. To hear more about her belief that taking on the identity of "cancer survivor" is static and impedes growth, check out her TED talk, available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/debra_jarvis_yes_i_survived_cancer_but_that_doesn_t_define_me

A new month, a new milestone: We've now issued more than 2200 grants to people with cancer so they can access healing therapies!

Today's testimonial comes from Caryn Goldman, one of our longtime service providers. Thank you, Caryn, for partnering with us and helping so many beneficiaries!

We are proud to work with wonderful service providers who are passionate about helping people with cancer. Thank you, Barbara, for your kind words about the foundation and our providers!

One of the unique aspects of our program is that we pair a care team volunteer with each beneficiary to help them get started with healing therapies. Thank you, Merry, for sharing this testimonial and recognizing the importance of volunteer support!

A message from one of our beneficiaries:

"Being diagnosed and starting treatment for cancer is life-altering and highly traumatic. These treatments can be life-saving, but the body only knows that it has suddenly been repeatedly put through a series of painful or uncomfortable procedures. In addition, a cancer diagnosis is often paired with losing control of one's time and schedule as life reorients itself around medical encounters.

The support of the foundation has been a critical piece of the healing journey. Scheduling massage therapy between my chemo sessions has allowed me to reassert a healing rhythm of my own choosing to pair with conventional cancer treatment. This support has been a game-changer for me."

Thank you, Dianna, for describing your experience and how healing therapies have helped you!

Gratefulness—and therefore happiness—is possible, even in difficult times. According to David Steindl-Rast, a monk and interfaith scholar, the key to living gratefully is recognizing the opportunity in each given moment.

To hear more about his perspective on gratefulness, check out his TED talk, available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/david_steindl_rast_want_to_be_happy_be_grateful

It's so easy for self-care to end up at the bottom of the priority list. We love hearing from beneficiaries that grants from the foundation have helped them make time for themselves!

January was a busy month for the foundation! We've now issued more than 2100 grants to people with cancer in our community.

Some words of encouragement from Christine, one of our beneficiaries: "We all have different needs, but everyone can get help to not feel alone on this journey." Thank you, Christine, for sharing with us about your experience!

We celebrated a big milestone late last year: 2000 grants, or $1 million, awarded to people with cancer in our community! To mark the occasion, we presented a special gift basket to Sarah, our 2000th grant recipient, just before the holidays.

A big thank you to Dr. Christine Dao of Dao Integrated Health for donating a gift certificate for several acupuncture treatments! We would also like to thank our wonderful volunteer Maureen for helping coordinate this surprise delivery.

The Sandra J. Wing Healing Therapies Foundation office will be closed from 12/19/22-1/2/23. We will respond to any messages received over the holidays when we return in January.

We wish you and your family a safe and restful holiday season!

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, barre3 in Danville offered several donation-based classes to benefit our organization. We are thrilled to see one of our beneficiaries, Rebekah, teaching classes at the studio! Thank you so much to Rebekah; Wendy, the studio owner; and everyone else who contributed.

When it comes to healing therapies, the old adage "You won't know until you try" is especially true. We're committed to lowering the stakes for people with cancer to try healing therapies by providing funds for these services.

The Acalanes High School women's volleyball team hosted a fundraiser in October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. On behalf of the people we serve, we thank you for the time and energy you put into this event and for choosing us as one of the recipients! We are truly honored.

We are excited to announce that we recently reached a big milestone: As of this month, we have granted $1 million (and counting) to people with cancer in Alameda County and Contra Costa County! This corresponds to 2,000 grants, or approximately 14,000 sessions of healing therapies for our beneficiaries.

We are honored to serve people with cancer in our community, and we thank all of our donors, volunteers, service providers, and other community supporters for making this work possible!

Today's testimonial comes from Wende Amerie, who has served on the board of directors since 2017.

On a personal note, Wende adds, "My stepmother's diagnosis was a shock to our family and I wish I had known about the Sandra J. Wing Healing Therapies Foundation at that time to support her in another way." Thank you, Wende, for sharing what motivates your involvement!

It's gratifying to hear from beneficiaries like Latoya how healing therapies have had such a positive impact. Our desire to help people with cancer increase their quality of life is the driving force behind doing the work that we do!

When beneficiaries receive a grant from the foundation, we leave it up to them to choose from our 30+ approved service providers. We are glad Sharon found it beneficial to talk with different providers and that the therapies she received have been so restorative. Thank you, Sharon, for telling us about your experience!

We can't know what the future holds, but as melanoma survivor Jessi Hooks points out, there is an opportunity present in each and every day. What will you do today?

Some words of wisdom and a testimonial from one of our beneficiaries: "You deserve moments where cancer isn't running your life, and I got to take back some autonomy by focusing on my wellness with healing therapies." Thank you, Nicole, for sharing about your journey!

Photo credit: Liza Head of Juniper Spring Photography

The benefits of healing therapies are as varied as the people receiving them. You never know how they might help until you try!

Cancer is hard enough, so we do our best to make applying for a grant easy. Thank you, Heather, for your kind words, and we're glad to be able to help!

As of this week, we have issued 1900 grants to help people with cancer access healing therapies! Thank you to all of our present and past service providers, volunteers, donors, and other community supporters for making this possible.

Did you know there are different types of rest? Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, an internal medicine physician, has identified seven: physical, mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social, and spiritual.

Which type(s) of rest do you need most this week?

Did you know that many of our guided/visual imagery and deep breathing meditation providers offer virtual sessions, so you can still benefit even if you prefer to stay at home?

Please contact individual providers for details. Contact information is available on our website at: https://www.healingtherapiesfoundation.org/service-providers/

No matter what type of cancer or what stage, if you're a resident of Alameda County or Contra Costa County and have been on chemo or radiation in the last 18 months, we are here to help. Thank you, Jessica, for sharing with us about your experience!

Our mission is to make healing therapies accessible to people with cancer. We also have a dedicated team of volunteers who check in with and offer support to each of our beneficiaries. If you have questions about what we do, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Our volunteers have various reasons for getting involved, but they all have one thing in common: A desire to help people with cancer in our community. Thank you, Sharon, for telling us what inspires you and for sharing your many talents with us!

What are some of your simple pleasures? We'd love to hear!

Wellness is multi-faceted. We are glad that healing therapies can help our beneficiaries shift focus from illness to wellness. Thank you, Kathryn, for sharing about your journey!

Side effects from cancer treatment can really take a toll. We're here to help!

Meditation is a gift that keeps on giving. Thank you, Claudia, for sharing about your experience, and for joining our care team as a volunteer to support other community members living with cancer!

If the future feels overwhelming and uncertain, take things one day at a time and remember: Forever is composed of nows.

We want to wish a very happy to each and every one of our volunteers, past and present! Thank you for your compassion, your creativity, and your commitment.