Women's Cancer Resource Center
The Women’s Cancer Resource Center improves equitable access to cancer information,
support and care.

All of our services are free, and are funded entirely by charitable giving.

ENORMOUS THANKS to Page Hodel for gifting us with the use of these hearts from her Monday Hearts for Madelene project!

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Dear AmericanTowns.com,

As summer travels wind down and many families prepare for fall schedules filled with school gatherings, WCRC is preparing for new activities and programs.

We have launched a beautiful new website and we are excited to share it with you! We are deeply grateful to ZS Associates for working collaboratively with WCRC to take us through a redesign process. We are also grateful for Saill White of Wicked Clever Designs, who worked with ZS to ensure a smooth transition from our old site to our new. Check it out at www.wcrc.org! The first 25 people to find a hidden treasure will win a prize.

Several of our staff are celebrating milestone work anniversaries. Christine Sinnott, Development Manager, and Kelly Doyle, Administrative Director, are celebrating 10 years with WCRC, while Dolores Moorehead, Community Engagement Director and Client Support Clinician, is celebrating 20 years! Read more below about some of their countless contributions over the years.

The JanRae Art Gallery will reopen to the public (by appointment) with the art of Carol Doyle. Proceeds from the sale of Carol’s art will benefit the programs and services offered at WCRC. We are excited to host an in-person art reception on October 14. Scroll down for more information or to sign up to attend.

We recently received a grant from the 1440 Foundation that will allow us to launch a Caregiver/Loved One’s Support Group. This group, led by Robin Criner, will begin on Tuesday, August 23. Plans are also underway to host a virtual Survivorship Conference that will be held entirely in Spanish! Stay tuned for more details.

Thank you for being a part of our community and for continuing to support our work and those we serve. We envision a world in which all people with cancer receive the care and support they need to survive, thrive, and advocate for themselves, and we are deeply grateful to each of you for joining us in these efforts. We hope to see you at an upcoming program or event!

With gratitude,
Amy
Amy Alanes
Executive Director

In the JanRae Community Art Gallery

Repositories of Feelings: The Art of Carol Doyle
October 1 - December 30, 2022

Online at www.wcrc.org or by appointment. Contact [email protected] to schedule a visit.

Opening Reception - October 14, 2022
6-7 and 7-8 pm

- Light appetizers and beverages
- Artist talk by Eric Doyle, Carol's widow

Space is limited; RSVP is required at https://tinyurl.com/caroldoyle 

100% of all sales will benefit WCRC's work.

Carol Doyle was an accomplished artist whose work was shown in numerous galleries and in the Developing Artists’ Gallery at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Arts. Carol practiced art as a painter, printmaker and teacher in the Bay Area until her death from inflammatory breast cancer in 2006. Her media included oil, relief prints, intaglio, needlework, and felt, all of which will be represented at this show.

Welcome to Gena Batres!
Welcome to Gena Batres, WCRC's new data coordinator!

Gena brings 23 years of management experience in working with staff/volunteers and understands that details create the big picture. She believes that in order to get to where you want to be, you need to make sure you have a plan in place.

When she is not making a plan, you can find Gena hiking in the Oakland Hills with her 4 kids, making funny Tik Tok videos about being a mom, or volunteering in her community.

Celebrating Decades of Service

Dolores Moorehead - Twenty Years
As Dolores reflects upon her 20-year tenure with Women’s Cancer Resource Center, she is grateful for, and humbled by, the personal, spiritual, and professional growth she has experienced these many years. Dolores wrote, “My relationships with clients, dedicated staff, volunteers, and community partners had made it possible for me to greet each day with hope.”

One of Dolores’s most profound accomplishments has been the expansion of services in the Sister-to-Sister (S2S) program. She added the annual retreat in 2004 to provide more opportunities for S2S members to build sisterhood, increase their knowledge of cancer and resources, and to heal.

Dolores also founded the Community Health Advocate Program when seven members of S2S were trained to provide support to African American/Black clients diagnosed with cancer. These S2S advocates also attend community and faith-based-based health fairs to increase WCRC’s outreach efforts.

Dolores is also proud of the work she has done in her capacity as the lead
client navigator. This unique position allows her to provide more focused ongoing
support in addressing the unique needs of our diverse clients. The program team meets regularly to discuss how best to implement WCRC’s philosophy of “meeting each client where they are” when providing navigation services. This philosophy is manifested by WCRC’s social justice and DEI work.

In her role, Dolores encourages WCRC navigation clients to become advocates in their cancer care – to become empowered in confronting barriers and inequities. In that role, Dolores is also a co-author for an article that was published in the Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship.

“I believe that a personal and organizational commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is a pre-requisite to achieving social justice and eliminating medical barriers,” said Dolores.

"Dolores has impacted every WCRC program and generously shares her lived experiences, deep knowledge, humor, empathy, and compassion with everyone she touches,” says Amy Alanes, WCRC’s Executive Director. “Her passion for her community is palpable and she has done an amazing job of building trust, allowing WCRC to serve clients in the best ways to support their needs.”

Christine Sinnott - Ten Years
Christine Sinnott, Development Manager, just celebrated her ten-year staff anniversary with WCRC. But she’s been involved with the organization since 1997 – first as a volunteer, then as a contractor before she joined the staff – just about half her lifetime ago!

With a head for details and a deep love for WCRC’s mission, Christine enjoys developing and using the many and various skills required in her role, including graphic design, web management, grant writing, data analysis, and event planning – especially event planning, as the coordinator of the 28-year-old Swim A Mile / Move A Mile for Women with Cancer.

“This is the job I was waiting for,” says Christine. “Working for WCRC with such amazing and authentic colleagues has made me a better fundraiser – a better leader – a better person.”

“Christine is an energetic and creative thought partner, who has transformed our annual Swim A Mile/ Move A Mile fundraising event during her tenure here,” said Amy. “She builds community through the experiences she creates for swimmers and supporters, and keeps them engaged through her beautiful storytelling of our mission.”

Kelly Doyle - Ten Years

“I still can’t believe I have been working at the Women’s Cancer Resource Center for ten years,” said Kelly Doyle, Administrative Director. Kelly’s work at nonprofits before 2012 were all about youth, education and the arts, which to her, as a mother with children in the public school system, felt right.

When the opportunity to work for WCRC came about, Kelly did some thinking. Her children were grown, and had children of their own. Kelly thought about all the women in her life who were touched by cancer: her sister, cousin, aunt, and best friend…and she realized that life had brought her to work for which she would have an even greater passion.

As the Administrative Director, Kelly thinks of herself as the stage crew, working behind the scenes. One of her accomplishments has been to create and streamline systems that allow WCRC’s staff and volunteers to better focus on clients and provide the caring and compassionate support that our clients so need. And she is very proud of her work with the executive director and pro bono architect that enabled WCRC to purchase, renovate and move into its beautiful new building.

“Kelly brings her enthusiasm for numbers and systems and blends it with her passion for mission-focused programming to WCRC,” says Amy. “She is a highly-skilled finance professional and is adept at supporting others through change and growth.”

In the Community

ALL WIGGED OUT
Film + performance + Q&A
at the Freight & Salvage
October 16, 2022
7 pm

In ALL WIGGED OUT, Grammy® Award-winner Marcy Marxer uses her renowned musical mastery and eclectic wit, storytelling, and comedy to share her firsthand experiences with breast cancer. Starting with a funky mammogram in June 2015 and ending shortly after her last chemo pill in spring of 2021, Marxer traces her transition from award-winning virtuosic musician to artist struggling with chemo-induced neuropathy, and her path back to touring musician.

Marcy is joined by partner Cathy Fink, Stacy McMichael (bass) and Janet Cramer (drums). ALL WIGGED OUT not only tells Marcy’s story, but also helps medical professionals, friends, family, and even strangers learn how they can best support those with cancer, all while keeping a sense of humor.

Filmed by the Emmy Award winning HMS Media in Evanston, IL before a live audience. Directed by Tracy Walsh. Run time: 58 minutes.

Watch the trailer HERE. Purchase tickets HERE.

Proceeds partially benefit Bay Area cancer organizations, including WCRC.