Book sale to benefit Wellness Community




OODLES OF VOLUMES—Nancy Chavis displays some of the dozens of books that will be part of the Wellness Community book sale. Proceeds will  provide  support  to  the  people who have cancer and the families that take care of them.

OODLES OF VOLUMES—Nancy Chavis displays some of the dozens of books that will be part of the Wellness Community book sale. Proceeds will provide support to the people who have cancer and the families that take care of them.


When Nancy Chavis first got involved with the Wellness Community Valley/Ventura, she assumed she would be volunteering for an organization that makes life better for people with cancer and their families. She had no idea she would also be a participant.

Shortly after meeting with the volunteer coordinator for the Westlake Village-based cancer support organization, Chavis learned that her daughter, who had three children of her own, had leukemia. Chavis’ mother had died of cancer.

Chavis and her husband went to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Networking Group at the Wellness Community, where they met others going through a similar experience and made connections that benefited their daughter, who could not make it to the meetings.

“The facilitator of the networking group works at Los Robles, where my daughter was,” Chavis said. “We even met a woman with the same type of leukemia as my daughter, which is extremely rare. I gave my daughter her information, and now they talk and support each other.”

After more than 50 days of hospitalization, Chavis’ daughter is now in remission.

Chavis is now preparing for a book sale to benefit the organization. The sale, featuring new and used books, will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sat., May 16 and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sun., May 17 at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks, on the second floor near Macy’s Women’s store.

All proceeds will go toward programs of support and education for people with cancer and their families in the community. “It’s been so fun being involved with this event from the ground floor,” said Chavis, who will manage the cashiering at the sale. “There are some marvelous books. The high quality of the books coming in has really surprised me.”

Chavis also helped collect the books. “I go to water aerobics five days a week, and I was always telling people in my class that we needed books. Every day someone would have a bag in the trunk of their car for me,” she said.

For Chavis, the Wellness Community is more than a place to volunteer; it is also a source of friendship, support, information and hope. “The strength of the people I have met is unbelievable,” she said.

For more information, call (805) 379-4777 or visit www.TwcVv.org.

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