Breast Friends Projects and Programs
Breast Friends has two different outreach objectives. The first is "Survivor Support" and the second is "Public Awareness & Education." Our video explaining our support programs is now available online.
SURVIVOR SUPPORT
Breast Friends has developed several different programs to help assist patients and their friends and family members. Breast Friends believes that no woman should go through the breast cancer experience alone but unfortunately, it happens. We find that even with women with friends and family in the area, don’t always receive the kind of emotional, spiritual or physical support they need. Our programs are designed to aid in making sure this doesn’t happen.
SpiritualFIRST I CRY
Women are often times considered the “caregivers” in their families and when faced with needing help themselves, many don’t know how to act. The thought of asking for assistance is unthinkable. If while in treatment a women’s home needs cleaning, most would find it difficult if not impossible to ask someone to come in and clean their home. But more than that, most won’t even accept the help that’s offered. A friend might say, “What can I do for you?” And the patient’s response is, “Oh nothing, I’m fine.” The reality is, they aren’t fine. They desperately need help both physically and emotionally. At Breast Friends we have come into contact with many women who are unwilling to ask for help or even when asked if there is anything to be done, the help is rejected.
Because well meaning friends and family of a newly diagnosed patient don’t always know how to help, regrettably they often do nothing out of fear of doing something wrong or afraid of offending the patient. Though people want to help; they just don’t have a clue how, so rather than step on toes they back away and wait for the patient to ask for help.
Breast Friends is able to dispel many of the myths and offer concrete suggestions to help the women diagnosed with breast cancer. We reach our intended audiences through two venues: Public speaking to general audiences about the importance of support and friendship and through our Survivor Support Program. Breast Friends received funding from the Susan G. Komen Foundation to provide these services in 2004 through March of 2008. In 2005 Breast Friends was honored to Chair the Komen Co-Survivor program at the Race for the Cure® and was asked to provide the same service through 2008.
Throughout Oregon and S.W. Washington, patients are being identified who might need additional support during their journey. We deliver this message through many avenues including our First I Cry program. The First I Cry packet is a pink envelope with a printed message of hope and "welcome to the sisterhood." Inside is a silk screened handkerchief with the Breast Friends logo, along with a list of contacts for area support groups and a feedback card. In 2007 alone, Breast Friends delivered over 2000 packets in Oregon & Washington.
The most important piece inside the packet is a sealed envelope with the instructions to, "Give this to someone who cares." In the sealed envelope is a special message to the potential care-giver about the role they will play in the survival of their friend or family member along with some practical tips on how to help. This piece allows the patient to ask for help without actually saying the words. It gives the friend or relative specific activities or jobs they can do to alleviate the helplessness feeling and will ultimately be beneficial for the patient.
The First I Cry packets are available in area hospitals, doctors’ offices, retail outlets that work with cancer patients. Breast Friends wants to make the packets available to any newly diagnosed patient and are increasing its distribution each year.
VOLUNTEER MATCH PROGRAM
Breast Friends has also put in place a Volunteer Match program that is designed to provide additional support for women with or without friend and family support. For instance, if the patient getting the “First I Cry” packet indicates that they do not have anyone close enough to give the sealed envelope; distributing agencies (i.e. medial offices, specialty mastectomy shops, etc.) will ask the patient for their permission to have Breast Friends contact them. At that point we will assess their needs and refer them to a trained volunteer in their area who is part of our Volunteer Match Program. If the patient agrees, a call will be made to our hot-line and a match will be made.
We have found that our Volunteer Match program helps the patients but because many of our volunteers are survivors themselves, the volunteers find it very rewarding to be able to give back to others going through a similar experience. Our volunteer can help the patient through this difficult time by providing her with emotional, physical, spiritual, and social support. Whether the patient needs a shoulder to cry on, help with household chores, someone who can listen, and understands the fear and loneliness that accompanies a cancer diagnosis, Breast Friends’ Volunteers are there when needed most.
H.A.T.S. PROJECT
Breast Friends understands the importance of a healthy attitude as it relates to healing. Our H.A.T.S. Project (Healthy Attitude to Survive) is one way to help women who are experiencing the devastating affects of hair loss due to chemotherapy.
Breast Friends, with the help of local Portland artist, Jo Gefre, has developed a humorous hat that places emphasis on the hair loss in a comical way. These hats have been shown to add an element of humor into an otherwise difficult situation.Norman Cousins said, “We feel better when we laugh, because endorphins actually diminish physical and psychological pain.” Breast Friends believes that the hats will help women heal through laughter and are provided to women in need at no cost.
Hat That Saved My LifeBreast Friends Reaches out to Cancer Patient Inmates
When Nurse Lindsay Bailey from the Oregon Department of Corrections (D.O.C.) contacted the staff at Breast Friends, she had one concern on her mind: How do we help women going through cancer when their access to friends and family is severely limited? Though they have some ability to contact their family and let them know about their treatment, the family is not allowed to accompany them to treatment for issues of public safety.
Bailey works with inmates at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville. She stated, “When these women are diagnosed with breast cancer or any other type of cancer, they don’t have the opportunity for friends or family members to rally to their aid.” They are taken for treatment to local area hospitals in shackles and kept in rooms isolated from the other patients. These women go through treatment without friends and family to sit with them or to support them.
Inmates have access to a small library but none to the internet to find the answers they need. Inmates can ask for information and the facility does their best to provide answers, but their resources are limited too.
Other inmates are not experienced in or educated about cancer to help see these women through this process. These women often times deal with the fear – alone! According to Bailey there is a lot of misinformation among the inmates in the prison about cancer and it leaves the patients without much peer support.
Though the facility does have a fully staffed psychiatric department, they are not allowed to touch the inmates, again for safety of the prisoner and the staff. No hugs, no caresses.
When Bailey approached Breast Friends a few months ago, an immediate bond was made. Becky Olson, president and co-founder of Breast Friends invited Bailey to attend their board meeting and pitch her program. “The board jumped at the opportunity with little or no persuasion from me. They knew inherently that this was a great program for us to be involved in,” Olson said.
“We know this is the start of something wonderful for these women,” said Sharon Henifin, executive director and co-founder. “We hope the women will feel a sense of caring and support by talking to our prison volunteers, all of whom have survived cancer at least once. We are excited to be able to provide answers to their questions and concerns.”
“Our intention for this program is to encourage the women, to give them hope that they can survive and go on to fulfill their purpose in life,” Olson said.
Many of the inmates in this prison face years left in the system. Many of them will have a chance to reach out to the other women who are yet to be diagnosed. “Perhaps with the right information in hand, they can help dispel the myths of cancer and help future patients feel more supported by the rest of the population,” said Bailey.
One future event that is in the early idea stage is to gather the full inmate population together to hear the facts about cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, one in four women will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in her lifetime (for men it is one in three). “If we can get to these women and share the facts with them, our hope is that when the next person is diagnosed, they can help rally around her and offer whatever level of support they can, rather than shun them out of fear that it is contagious,” Olson said.
PIN PALS
“Pin Pals” is a way to show support from one person to another undergoing treatment for breast cancer. It is a set of identical pins that have the Breast Friends logo. One pin is attached to a pledge card that lets the patient know that the person presenting them with their pin is available to help them during their time of crisis. The presenter wears the second pin as a reminder that they have someone in need of their assistance during treatment. Pin Pals
PUBLIC AWARENESS & EDUCATION
Our goal is to help raise awareness about the need for support and friendship during cancer treatment. We offer our services through use of professional keynote speakers, as well as free presentations to small groups. All of our presentations are laced with humor and share the Breast Friends message. We also are occasionally invited to participate in print stories and articles such as Woman’s World Magazine, and MAMM Magazine.
Breast Friends has been the target of numerous newspaper articles and has been included in three books, “The Hat That Saved My Life,” “Wise Women Speak,” and “Chicken Soup for the Soul – Healthy Living Series – Breast Cancer.” Recent articles include one in MAMM magazine regarding ways to help support someone going through treatment for breast cancer. The space was shared with input from Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute.
KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS
We solicit, or are solicited by, various organizations that are putting on major breast cancer events. Breast Friends co-founder, Becky Olson, is our keynote speaker. Becky travels around the country and shares her humorous and heartwarming story of surviving breast cancer. Her emphasis is on the importance of support and friendship and how certain key people in her life helped her endure treatment. She shares any fees received for her services with Breast Friends
(www.beckyolson.com (for more information about Becky.)
FREE SMALL GROUP PRESENTATIONS
Breast Friends is often invited to share their program at local Portland area support groups, women’s groups and others interested in breast cancer. These local presentations are provided to the groups at no cost. Breast Friends’ speakers have been utilized by the Komen Foundation, American Cancer Society and others. Donations to Breast Friends for this service are accepted.
HEALTH FAIRS AND EXPOS
Breast Friends participates in local health fairs and expositions regarding breast cancer and other women’s issues. We believe that by reaching our target BEFORE they need us, they will be better prepared if and when the time comes.
For changes or updates email us at mail@breastfriends.com. Updated: November 2006
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The pink tennis shoes represent the many miles we have walked for the cure for cancer. Though they are old and dirty, we still continue to fight the battle. The shoes come in all sizes, shapes and colors – and show no favorites. The day the shoes are new and shiny is when we have won. This picture is for all who have walked the walk, fought the battle but lost, and to all the survivors.
