The American Cancer Society has decided to close its Valencia/Santa Clarita office at 25020 Avenue Stanford as of April 30, chapter Executive Director Dan Witzling said in an email to staff and supporters.

Witzling’s note follows:

Approximately two staff (members) are impacted by this decision, who will now be based out of our closest office in Burbank, as well as opportunities in collaboration with the Valencia ACS Discovery Shop for local convening and incidental staff needs.

We continuously evaluate our operational effectiveness to ensure that we are committing enough resources to help our staff and volunteers finish the fight against cancer.

The American Cancer Society has never faced a threat to our mission like the coronavirus. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impeded the American Cancer Society’s annual fundraising activity, creating significant financial hardship and forcing several cost-saving measures including office closures.

We are expecting a minimum of a $200 million shortfall in 2020. As a result, ACS must reduce its overall budget by approximately 30 percent with cuts to both non-personnel (like office closures) and personnel expenses.

When ACS emerges from this public health threat, it will undoubtedly look and operate differently. Our staffing structure, business processes, and mission delivery activity will need to align to a leaner operating budget.

American Cancer Society holds itself to the highest standards of stewardship, and we review our business and physical space needs regularly to ensure we are meeting these standards.

Closing the Valencia office will cause minimal or no disruption in Society services provided in the local community as we adapt to involve our nearby locations such as the Burbank office located 27 miles away to support ACS & Relay For Life logistical needs for the communities.

ACS will maintain a storage facility as well for Relay For Life and related community engagement needs, along with continued staff support. We continue to offer a range of services including local support and guidance for people facing cancer as well through our 24/7 call center, 1-800-227-2345 and website, cancer.org.

ACS Discovery Shop will serve as our enduring presence in the Santa Clarita Valley community. The shop is located in the Bouquet Center on Bouquet Canyon and Newhall Ranch Road, next to the Ross and Vons. It will provide an American Cancer Society place to convene, shop, donate, volunteer and find local cancer information. Our Discovery Shop location, while temporarily closed due to COVID-19 to ensure the health and safety of our patrons, volunteers and staff, will reopen as soon as possible.

We continue to work with local governments, health systems, and businesses here in the Santa Clarita Valley and around the world to reach as many people as we can with our lifesaving work. Our local community presence is vital to our progress, including providing a voice and support to anyone impacted by or concerned about cancer, volunteers and community partners who help us serve survivors, consultation and support to health systems about the latest cancer care and detection, lifesaving messages, funds raised, and advocacy at all levels for cancer-fighting public policies.

While we understand that people may be disappointed by this closure, we believe this decision is necessary to ultimately help the most people and save the most lives. We hope you understand and will continue to be a valuable partner with us. Thank you for your partnership and your support of our lifesaving mission. We look forward to continuing to have a strong, mutually beneficial partnership for many years to come.

Sincerely,
Dan Witzling
Executive Director