OUR STORY & MISSION
Our founder, Danielle Gruberger, was diagnosed with colon cancer at just 35 years old. It was a devastating experience that came without warning and changed her life overnight. Like so many in the AYA (adolescent and young adult) cancer community, she felt isolated, overwhelmed, and heartbroken.
In the aftermath, she turned inward, slowly discovering how powerful creative expression could be in helping her cope. Through solitary practices like collaging, writing, meditating, etc. Danielle began to process the trauma and grief that cancer had brought into her life. She quickly realized these acts of creativity weren’t just distractions - they were lifelines.
But even with those creative lifelines, Danielle was still drowning in a kind of loneliness she had never known. Cancer isolated her in ways nothing else ever had—friends disappeared, the initial overwhelm of support completely dwindled, and no one around her truly understood the cornucopia of emotions that accompany a cancer journey; the fear, the rage, the grief. The AYA cancer experience is uniquely isolating, and Danielle quickly realized that healing couldn't happen in a vacuum. She didn’t just want community—she needed it.
That need became the heartbeat of Creative Renewal Center. Born from the pain of isolation and the power of self-expression, this nonprofit exists to create the kind of space Danielle longed for during her own darkest moments. Each workshop is carefully curated and tailored to meet people exactly where they are—emotionally, physically, and energetically in an unconditionally safe space to connect, create, cry, cheer, and collaborate together.
