Penney Berryman 512-329-5757 (Office) 512-638-5262 (Mobile)

Penney Berryman 512-329-5757 (office) 512-638-5262 (mobile) [email protected] www.wondersandworries.org PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: October 11, 2016

Wonders & Worries Opens 1st Office in Williamson County – Chris Almendarez & Local Families Share Why Supporting Children During a Parent’s Illness is Vital

Williamson County, TX – Wonders & Worries opened their first office in Williamson County in the Georgetown Community Resource Center at 805 West University Avenue, Georgetown, Texas. Local families, including Chris Almendarez, president of The Round Rock Express, spoke to the importance of recognizing children’s needs and supporting them during a parent’s illness.

“There’s not a playbook for a parent getting sick, and people deal with it in different ways,” shared Almendarez, whose wife, Jana, passed away from brain cancer in May 2016. “The thing we were concerned about more than anything was the kids.” Almendarez has two sons.

Wonders & Worries is a unique, Austin-based nonprofit that was launched in 2001 to assist families with both the wonders and the worries that come along with the stress of a serious or life-threatening illness to a parent or primary caregiver. Its mission is to provide professional support for children ages 2-18 through a parent’s illness. Wonders & Worries’ services are free and offered in English and Spanish.

“With Williamson County being one of the fastest growing communities in the United States, need for these services will only continue to increase. One in four families we see comes to us from Williamson County already,” said Meredith Cooper, Wonders & Worries executive director and co-founder. This new office is in addition to three locations in Austin.

More than 1,800 Williamson County residents will be newly diagnosed with cancer this year, and more than 500,000 Texans currently live with cancer. Though not limited to cancer, about 75% of all Wonders & Worries families have a parent with cancer.

“For sick parents, life suddenly focuses on how they are going to get through treatment. They don’t know how to explain what is happening to their children,” said Cooper. “And children often misconstrue cause and effect. They think, ‘It’s my fault,’ or they wonder, ‘Did I cause Mom to be sick?’”

At Wonders & Worries, professional child life staff members are paired with children and their families, and are available to play, talk, smile, grow and hope, together. Wonders & Worries offers support at schools in 11 districts and provides individual and group support for children, as well as classes for parents. More than 850 children and their families receive services from Wonders & Worries each year.