The YSC is the voice of young women affected by breast cancer. To ensure we are heard, we focus our efforts in four areas:

• Access to care
• Research
• Changing the way breast cancer is viewed by the legislative community
• Educating our members on the research that is being done on young women through involvement and awareness

However, we cannot achieve our goals without you. There are many ways you can help us including becoming a YSC volunteer and helping to advocate for yourself and all young women affected by breast cancer.
If you choose, you can become an advocate and participate in the activities of the following organizations, with which we work closely:

New York State Breast Cancer Support & Education Network

As a founding member of the New York State Breast Cancer Support & Education Network(SEN), YSC has been instrumental in building this coalition of community- based breast cancer education and advocacy groups dedicated to changing the landscape of breast cancer in New York State. The group hosts educational programs, but more importantly helps create and support legislation in New York State dealing with breast cancer and environmental issues. Each March, the SEN mobilizes volunteers and breast cancer survivors to lobby their state and city legislators.

To date, the SEN has helped to pass a neighborhood notification bill for pesticide use, and a refinancing of the Superfund in NYS. Other legislation in progress includes a funding stream for support and education services for community-based breast cancer groups in NYS, and a bill appointing breast cancer survivors as voting members to the NYS Health Research Science Board, which oversees breast cancer research grants in the state. The SEN believes that all women and men living in NYS should have access to quality health care and that the Precautionary Principle should be a guide for legislators when designing legislation. Currently, the SEN is working with the NYS Senate and Assembly to find ways to translate these principles into reality. To learn more about SEN, visit their website at www.nysbcsen.org.

National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) Annual Conference and Lobby Day

Each spring, YSC constituents attend the annual NBCC Advocacy Conference and Lobby day. At this educational conference, YSC conducts programs specifically for our constituents to learn more about our national and local advocacy efforts and to empower our constituents to take a more active role in YSC's advocacy efforts. NBCCF offers scholarships to defray meeting attendance costs.

For more information and to learn how to participate in these activities, contact advocacy@youngsurvival.org.