When I first went to work as an oncology social worker at San Francisco General Hospital some 20 years ago, there was no support program for our many Spanish-speaking patients. It soon became clear that the need was great as people spontaneously began to find and support each other while waiting to see their doctor or during their chemo infusions. Not long after that, the first group was formed which eventually became Circulo de Vida. Over the years, I made many many referrals to Circulo, always confident that whether the needs were for practical help or emotional support or both, each patient would find a warm, reassuring, and culturally competent person ready to listen and help in their own language. Circulo's program to train former patients to work as peer counselors for new clients is just one of countless examples of the deep roots they have established in the Spanish-speaking communities of the Bay Area.