Finding a cure now...so our daughters won't have to.

Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Give a Holiday Gift That Makes a Difference

Posted By on December 16th, 2010 at 9:02 am | 0 comments.

There are a few people on my holiday gift list that are impossible to buy for.  They either have everything they could possibly need, they never give me any gift ideas, or simply are scrooges who don’t like anything no matter what I get!  I’m sure you have a few of these people on your list.

Well, I have the perfect gift for those hard-to-buy-for friends and family members….a donation to the PA Breast Cancer Coalition in their honor.  It’s so easy to do.   Head over to our donation page, make your secure online donation, and let us know the name and address of the person in whose name you’re donating.   We will send you a thank you letter which can be used as a tax receipt, and we’ll also send the honoree a note explaining that you gave a gift to us in their honor.  If you’d rather let them know about the donation yourself, we can send their note to you instead, so you can wrap it and hand it to the person at your holiday get-together.   Simply let us know that in the comments section of the donation form.

How easy is that?  And who wouldn’t appreciate the idea that you made a donation in their name to the PBCC, THE source of breast cancer information and advocacy in Pennsylvania?   Who wouldn’t feel proud knowing a donation was made in their honor to help the PBCC represent, support and serve breast cancer survivors and their families all across the state?   Who wouldn’t love the idea that a holiday gift was made in their name to find a cure for breast cancer now…so our daughters won’t have to?

Help us continue our mission and programs while checking that difficult-to-buy-for person off your shopping list!  Thanks and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Year End Giving: Pink Style

Posted By on December 14th, 2010 at 4:09 pm | 0 comments.

With the holiday season here and the white stuff flying from the sky, 2011 is knocking on our door.  Many take time off from work or school to spend time with family and friends during this time.  The staff at the PA Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) also spends time with their loved ones, but we always think about those who may have something else on their mind.

Breast cancer doesn’t take time off for the holiday or even a coffee break.  When you gather with your loved ones to celebrate the end of 2010 and the start of a new year, consider paying-it-forward to the women and families in Pennsylvania who are battling breast cancer.  Without the support of individuals like you, the PBCC wouldn’t be able to offer educational programming, advocate for legislation, or offer many of the patient resources available to new or recently diagnosed women.

Georgette Williams, a three year breast cancer survivor, has taken a stand and asked you to help the 103,000 women living with breast cancer in Pennsylvania.  Check out Georgette’s brief comments and consider a gift to the PA Breast Cancer Coalition today.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u97kiLoB-t4&w=450&h=283]

Explore Your Options Easily Under the Affordable Care Act

Posted By on November 15th, 2010 at 9:13 am | 0 comments.

Now you can confidentially search which private insurance plans, public programs and community services are available to you with this online tool.  Go to www.healthcare.gov and select “Explore your coverage and pricing options.” Then click on the answers to 4 or 5 questions about where you live (state only, not address), your health care needs, and insurance status.

Information pops up about available resources you may qualify for and how to access them.  Your answers are used by www.healthcare.gov only to generate your best options.  The site does not keep your information on file, and does not ask for your name.  I tested the questionnaire using several fictional scenarios and found the answers to be very comprehensive.

2010 Annual Conference Highlights

Posted By on November 5th, 2010 at 11:18 am | 10 comments.

2010 Annual ConferenceThanks to everyone who spent Wednesday, October 13th with us at the Harrisburg Hilton!  It was a day full of learning, support, and friends!  Be sure to check out all of the photos from the day on our Flickr page!

Many attendees have asked about downloading a copy of certain presentations because they were full of such great content.  Or because you didn’t get a chance to check out all of the workshops available.

Below, we have PDF copies of handouts from the workshops.  *Please note: These presentations are the work of and owned by the presenters from the 2010 Annual Conference.  Users may only have copies of the presentations for personal use.*  To view/download the slides, you will need Adobe Acrobat.

September 23rd: Six Months in to the Affordable Care Act

Posted By on September 23rd, 2010 at 1:25 pm | 0 comments.

On September 23, 2010, the new Patients’ Bill of Rights protections kick into gear, adding to the number of individuals and families benefiting from the Affordable Care Act.  Starting now, these changes go into effect:

  • Children with pre-existing conditions will be able to get insurance coverage for their health care needs.
  • New private insurance plans will be required to cover preventive services, screenings and tests, without co-pays
  • Women will be able to go directly to their OB/GYN without a referral, removing that extra step
  • Your choice of primary care doctor is protected
  • Insurers are prohibited from charging extra when you need emergency care outside the plan’s network

The Healthcare.gov website includes a brief summary of the new restrictions for insurers and new rights for consumers that begin to take effect now.

Bid on a TV to help women battling breast cancer in PA

Posted By on September 20th, 2010 at 8:19 am | 0 comments.

Here at the PA Breast Cancer Coalition, one of our main sources of fundraising is from our Grassroots Partners.  These GPs, as we call them, help the Coalition continue its mission to find a cure now…so our daughters won’t have to!  Grassroots Partners hold a variety of events, sales, raffles, etc. to raise funds that stay in Pennsylvania to help the women and families that have been touched by breast cancer.

Through the generous help of Craig Thorne and Sharp Electronics, the PBCC has a 22″ Sharp Aquos 1080p HD LED LCD TV for sale on eBay.  100% of the proceeds from the sale of this TV will help the PBCC continue its daily work.  Take a look at the eBay listing and bid on this great TV for your home or office today!  Hurray, the listing ends on Friday, September 25th at 8:00 AM EST!

Thanks for your continued support!  The women of Pennsylvania thank you!

A Frequent Question: What do you do?

Posted By on September 8th, 2010 at 2:56 pm | 0 comments.

Every day I drive from my home in Elizabethtown to Ephrata.  I have friends who go to work and feel like they don’t have a purpose in his or her workplace.  That is NOT the feeling I have every morning on my commute.

I started interning with the PA Breast Cancer Coalition in January 2009.  I quickly learned about how things work in the office and around the state.  It is simply inspiring to see the drive of our full time staff, but also our advocates in communities across PA.  I knew I was going to like it here.  I am entering my fourth month of full time employment with the PBCC and my 21st month of knowing leading champions in the breast cancer cause.

Almost daily, our staff receives phone calls and e-mails asking how the PBCC can help those diagnosed with breast cancer or how people in the community can get involved with our organization.  There are many answers to both of those questions.  To help, I’ve included our mission video below.  Yes, it may be 12 minutes long, but believe me, it’s 12 minutes that will show you the effect this non-profit has across the state.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1ylLXbhsSk&fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1]

Now, what can you do?  How can you have an impact on the women and families in Pennsylvania fighting breast cancer?  Here are a few simple ways:

This is a short list of how you can contribute to what the PA Breast Cancer Coalition does on a daily basis.  If you have questions about anything that is listed here or have a new idea, please feel free to contact us at info@pabreastcancer.org or 1-800-377-8828!

Breast Cancer Blogs

Posted By on August 30th, 2010 at 10:02 am | 0 comments.

I’ve always had a bit of an obsessive personality.  Just ask my friends, family and PBCC co-workers.  When I get into something, I REALLY get into it.  At least until the next thing comes along.  (For example, in 2008 I set a goal to read 52 books in a year and actually did it!)

Blogs are one of my newest obsessions.  I currently follow 66 different blogs, including this one by the PBCC.  But I’m always on the hunt for more.  I just love finding a new, cool blog to add to my list and scanning the posts multiple times each day.  If you love blogs like I do, here are a few written by some pretty amazing breast cancer survivors.

www.wecanrebuildher.com – Andrea is a young wife and mother who lives in Canada and is fighting breast cancer.  Together with her husband Mark, she blogs about her cancer journey and takes lots of great photos.

www.butdoctorihatepink.blogspot.com – Ann Silberman is a mother, wife, and Middle School secretary in Sacramento, CA.  After her diagnosis in September 2009, she started a blog that’s full of humor and energy.

www.goodcancer.blogspot.com – Another Californian, Jennifer Overbeck was diagnosed in 2006 at age 39.  Though her treatment has been over for some time, she continues to blog sporadically to share news, thoughts on living beyond cancer, and updates from her 6-month checks.

www.cancerspot.org – Jacki Donaldson was diagnosed in 2004 at the age of 34 and has been blogging ever since.  I love her inspirational photos and quotes, as well as her stories of other survivors.  She also frequently shares helpful cancer-related resources that she comes across.

If you have any breast cancer blog recommendations, please send them my way.  I’m always on the lookout!

Newsletter Returns (i.e. Job Security)

Posted By on August 26th, 2010 at 9:45 am | 0 comments.

While many of the PBCC staff were traveling across the state in July, running our 11 Home Run Derby fundraisers and trying to stay cool, I was sitting at my desk with a huge pile of FrontLine newsletter returns staring at me.

The main part of my job entails keeping our database of over 78,000 constituents up-to-date.  Every time we send out a mailing to these constituents, we receive hundreds of returns and notifications of forwards from the post office.  I then have to update every one of those records in our database so the next time we send a mailing, it will go to the correct place!  Many times, people move without a forwarding address.  (Why?  I don’t understand that!  Don’t you want to get your mail at your new home?)  When that happens, I have to remove those people from our list so we don’t continue to mail to someone who’s no longer at that address.  It’s tedious work and takes me days and days each time we do a large mailing, which happens at least quarterly.  But I really don’t mind!

Don’t get me wrong, I do get bored after a while and have to get up from my desk, grab a cup of coffee, work on a different task.  But I eventually get through the pile.  And the feeling I get when that’s done is amazing.  I enjoy knowing that our large database is as accurate as it can possibly be.  I enjoy completing a task that seems insurmountable at the beginning.  I enjoy the details, the names, the addresses.  I enjoy making things right.

My co-workers often tell me, “I do not want your job!”  So I guess that means doing the tedious, boring stuff brings me job security.  Well, you know what?  I’ll take it!  And I’ll smile all the way through…until September when the next FrontLine newsletter goes out.

Fox Chase Mammography Van Coming to Primos, PA

Posted By on August 24th, 2010 at 12:49 pm | 4 comments.

State Representative Nicholas A. Micozzie is teaming up with Fox Chase Cancer Center to offer mammograms to qualified women on Wednesday, September 1st at 9:00 AM.

The mammography van will be located in St. Eugene’s parking lot on Oak Avenue in Primos. For directions, click here.

Women must meet the following requirements:

  • Must be 40 years of age or older
  • Must provide the name and address of your doctor
  • Must have a prescription from your doctor for the mammogram
  • Must not be breastfeeding or have breastfed within the past 9 months
  • Must not have had a breast cancer diagnosis within the past 2 years
  • Must not be currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer
  • Must not have had a mammogram in the past 12 months

Space is limited and appointments are required.  To schedule, contact Rep. Micozzie’s Drexel Hill district office at 610-284-0020.