About Stillwaters

Programs & Services

Make a  Difference

Events & Information


Stillwaters Center, Inc.
434 Madison Street
Waukesha, WI 53188
Phone (262) 548-9148
Fax  (262) 513-5731
inbox@stillwaterscenter.org

Stillwaters Board 2007-2008

Linda Moroney         President

Barb Mathison                  Vice President

George Justice        Treasurer

Majed AbuHajir MD         Kathy Becker MS RN      Ginny Erlandsson            Paul Fox MD                    Sally Fritz                         Mike Hoeft                              Mary Jane Reichart         Dave Reynolds                John Robertstad          Andrea Shrednick            Jane Stromwall              Sharan Zelinski

Danelle O'Neill        Executive Director

 

                            


    In Memory of Mary Soergel - A Vision of Hope                      

On April 20, 2008, our founder, Mary Soergel, passed away at the age of 83. Mary was an inspiration, and her beloved Stillwaters, has, and will continue to be a gift of hope for thousands of individuals.

Mary founded Stillwaters because of her personal experiences with cancer. Scott, the first of her five children, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor at the age of 14. Then in 1987, Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer. A year after she had surgery, she and her husband joined a local therapy group. When the therapist was ready to start another group, she asked Mary to co-facilitate. That was the beginning of Stillwaters, not yet named or organized.

Today, Stillwaters services and programs focus on encourage healing of the whole person. Our services facilitate community, hope, and personal growth for people with cancer and those who care about them. And in keeping with Mary's vision - all services are provided at no-cost to participants.

We were thrilled to have had the opportunity to honor Mary at last year's Harvest Ball, and to thank her for all that she had done for cancer patients and families in our community.
When I met with Mary last year, she shared the story of her vision for Stillwaters with me. This vision included the creation of "a retreat center in a beautiful, peaceful, and healing rural setting, for people facing the challenge of cancer, and those who care about them. The center would allow closeness to nature and be a place where people would come together to feel safe, and experience the acceptance, support and encouragement they needed to help them identify their own physical, emotional, and spiritual strengths."

Although we are not yet housed in Mary's ideal vision of a center, Stillwaters provides all the services Mary envisioned. As we plan for the future, we will continue to keep Mary's vision in the forefront of all that we do, and hope that her dream of a stand alone retreat center - dedicated to serving individuals with cancer - will someday become a reality.


- Danelle O'Neill
Executive Director


Stillwaters services are offered free of charge and without obligation.


   Our Vision

 Stillwaters exists so no person affected by cancer will feel alone in their journey.


    Our Mission

Stillwaters is a community for persons with cancer and those who love them. Stillwaters nurtures, supports and encourages healing of the whole person; mind, body and spirit.


When I was diagnosed with cancer, I couldn’t believe it. I was so terrified. My greatest need was to know my family and friends were there to help me through the terror. I also had a great need for resources. I wanted to read everything I could on this disease. I needed to learn how I could live with cancer instead of being defeated by it. I also needed to talk to other survivors. I needed to know I had a chance to beat this.”

- Cancer Survivor

Stillwaters Cancer Support Services is a community-based, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) agency providing supportive services for cancer patients and their families. Our services focus on helping people to understand that they are an important part of their healing process and offers opportunities to share common experiences, learn effective coping skills and make necessary life changes to promote wellness.

Stillwaters offers cancer patients and their families a personal approach to cancer support. Our programs complement the efforts of medical professionals and other cancer organizations by providing psychological, social and emotional support through a community of professional staff, volunteers, patients and their families.

Stillwaters offers a range of services and programs to help individuals manage their stress and cope with the existential crisis called cancer. Most of these therapies are based on a mind-body-spirit approach to healing, with the focus on the individual. Through Stillwaters programs and services participants learn new skills that are integrative and empowering.

Stillwaters services include professional counseling services for individuals and families, professionally facilitated retreats, workshops and groups, mentor matching, bereavement services and programs for children impacted by cancer. In 2006, Stillwaters served approximately 600 individuals from Waukesha, Milwaukee and surrounding counties in Wisconsin.