YSC Northern NJ Chapter works to educate young women living with breast cancer and the medical community.
Education
- FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE Documentary and Book: The documentary following YSC members Tracey Pleva Hill, Lisa Muccilo and Kelly Douglas, as well as the forming of the YSC, aired on Lifetime Television October 10, 2002.
- YSC Northern NJ Chapter partnered with Gilda's Club NNJ in co-sponsoring a viewing party at Gilda's Club in Hackensack. The book, also entitled Fighting for Our Future, features YSC members as well as medical experts who have worked with young women diagnosed with breast cancer. YSC members gathered a list of local libraries (74) and sent them a note requesting they order the book. We also encouraged our oncologists and breast centers to order the book and video for their patient's reference.
Community Outreach
YSC Northern NJ Chapter members go out locally into their communities and represent the YSC at conferences and events including: Hackensack University Medical Center, Asian Women's Health Conference, The FUN FEST at St. Joseph's Shrine in Sterling, Shore Regional HS Hadassah's Check-It-Out Program, Roche Pharmaceuticals. POutreach programs include:
YSC Northern NJ Chapter exhibited at "Hope on the Horizon: Living Beyond Breast Cancer's Stacy Goldstein Symposium on Breast Cancer" presented by LBBC and Susan Love, MD, on October 30, 2004 in Somerset, New Jersey. We were able to reach out to over 500 women!
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2004, the YSC Northern NJ Chapter partnered with Gilda's Club NNJ, Sisters Network, and the American Cancer Society to co-host "A Breast Health Series". YSC Northern NJ Chapter volunteers were present during the series of lectures on various topics.
MAAC FIGHTS BACK: The Young Survival Coalition and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) are working together to raise breast cancer awareness in young women. Eastern Conference basketball games were designated to support breast health awareness. Volunteers from the YSC Northern NJ Chapter and the local schools helped to make these days a success.
ACS REACH TO RECOVERY: YSC Northern NJ Chapter partners with ACS to recruit YSC members to be Reach to Recovery volunteers. When a person first finds out they have breast cancer, talking with a specially trained Reach to Recovery volunteer at this time can provide a measure of comfort and an opportunity for emotional grounding and informed decision-making. Volunteers are breast cancer survivors who give patients and family members an opportunity to express feelings, verbalize fears and concerns, and ask questions of someone who is knowledgeable and level-headed. Most importantly, Reach to Recovery volunteers offer understanding, support, and hope because they themselves have survived breast cancer and gone on to live normal, productive lives.
Courage Night, OCTOBER 2004
The YSC partnered with Geralyn Lucas, author, producer and a young breast cancer survivor, on an event held on October 21st in 12 different cities throughout the U.S. to raise awareness of breast cancer in young women and promote Geralyn's book, Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy. The NJ event took place at the Betsy Johnson store (Short Hills Mall), as Betsy is a sponsor of the events, and a BC survivor herself. Other sponsors include Stila Cosmetics and SELF Magazine.
The sorority Zeta Tau Alpha is also involved as breast cancer is their national philanthropy, and they will assist in handing out materials. The Betsey store was beautifully decorated with pink helium balloons and stars. Guests treated on pastries and cookies while jamming to a special Courage Night CD. YSC Northern NJ Chapter honored Lisa Marie Muccilo as our angel and Tracey Pleva Hill as one of our most
Courageous Survivors! October 2005
The NJ event taok place at the Borders Books in Bridgewater. Our evening included a special reading of Geralyn's book by Claudia Luecke as our Woman of Courage. The FDU Zetas were in attendance and everyone took home a special YSC gift bag!
Young Women Awareness Campaign
YSC Northern NJ Chapter designed an educational postcard promoting breast health awareness. The postcard was mailed to 66,000 NJ women between the ages of 18 and 24. As a result, YSC Northern NJ Chapter received many phone calls asking for the YSC Northern NJ Chapter to present Breast Health 101 to various colleges and groups. BH 101 is an educational program to let young women know the facts about breast cancer and that it is important to take responsibility for their breast health. The program is meant to empower young women by providing them the information they need to be their own best health advocate.
OB/GYN Awareness Campaign
YSC Northern NJ Chapter executed an awareness mailing to almost 1,200 OB/GYNs s in the state of NJ. Our mailing included a letter of introduction to the YSC NNJ and a brochure stand filled with our What Young Women Need to Know about Breast Cancer brochures.
"You Are Not Alone" Survivor Event
YSC NNJ invited women diagnosed at age 40 and younger to share their stories and meet other young survivors. The goal of this event is to celebrate NJ's young survivors, bring them together to meet one another and increase awareness of YSC as resource for information and support.
The evening's program included time for the survivors to mix & mingle, an introduction to the YSC followed by a buffet dinner. We screened You Are Not Alone followed by a group discussion moderated by Joy Simha (YSC Founder). After an introduction to the YSC's efforts in NJ, we concluded the evening with Liz Russo and Claudia Luecke sharing their breast cancer experiences.
YSC Northern NJ Chapter raises vital funds for the YSC's programs, services and general operating expenses through establishing and maintaining relationships with corporate donors, individual donors and foundations, and organizes fundraising events as well as cause-related marketing initiatives.
In Living Pink
YSC Northern NJ Chapter's has raised almost $350,000 in total with their last five signature In Living Pink events! In Living Pink features dining and dancing as well as a Silent Auction and Pink Ribbon Potpourri. The May 2006 event was held at The Brownstone in Paterson, NJ with more than 300 people in attendance. Special thanks to Lisa Agresta and Liz Russo, who shared their empowering words on what the YSC means to them.
Shoppink
YSC supporters start their holiday shopping a bit early at NJ's SHOPPINK for breast cancer event! Held in October, SHOPPINK has raised over $10,000 by featuring vendors that sell hand-painted items, crafts, baskets, chocolate, kitchen products, cosmetics, handbags, jewelry, note cards, candles, YSC merchandise, specially designed Yansi Fugel T-shirts, plants, rubber-stamping and scrap booking, hatboxes, accessories and much more! Special thanks to our vendors, who donated a portion of their profits to the YSC!
Lenardo Dinner/Dance
YSC NJ members Danielle and Anthony Lenardo have hosted four special evenings of dinner and dancing (October 2002-2005) to benefit the YSC. Almot $50,000 was raised in total thanks to ticket sales, product sales, and auction items!
Cut-a-thon
Bien Nice Salon in Cliffside Park sponsored a 48 hour Cut-a-thon to benefit the YSC (December 2002). Owner Ricardo Garcia and his fabulous staff generously donated their time and 100% of their proceeds in the amount of $3,800 to the YSC. In November 2003, Bien Nice Salon partnered with Akane Salon in Fort Lee for a 24 hour Cut-a-thon to benefit the YSC in the amount of $7,400! Their hairdressers graciously volunteered their time (and tips!) to work straight through the night. A DJ kept everyone grooving and catered food kept their bellies full.
Other
NJ members continue to be spotted at the NY Komen Race for the Cure in Central Park, the NJ Komen Race for the Cure in Princeton, the Philadelphia Race for the Cure, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, and the Avon 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk.
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's North Jersey Affiliate honored the YSC NNJ as the local breast cancer hero's at two of their BMW Ultimate Drive in 2006.
Lifetime Television honored Dinamarie Alcuri and Lise Muccilo as two of their Breast Cancer Heroes. For the fifth consecutive year in 2005, Lifetime Television honored some of the many heroes in the fight against breast cancer. Lifetime, along with their nonprofit and affiliate partners and sponsors, honored ONLY 20 advocates and survivors from across the COUNTRY as Lifetime's Breast Cancer Heroes. The Young Survival Coalition (YSC) nominated both Dinamarie and Lise for their continued work on behalf of young women affected with breast cancer!! The YSC selected them for their courage and dedication to helping make a difference in the lives of young women affected with breast cancer.
The Lifetime Television Breast Cancer Heroes Ceremony honors breast cancer survivors, advocates and community leaders from around the country, as part of the network's "Our Liftetime Commitment: Stop Breast Cancer for Life" public awareness and advocacy campaign providing women with lifesaving information. Heroes will be featured on Lifetime's website throughout October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The honorees were invited to Los Angeles for Lifetime's Stop Breast Cancer for Life Hero Ceremony and the taping of the WomenRock concert featuring Melissa Ethridge!! "WomenRock! Our Journey with Melissa Etheridge."
http://www.lifetimetv.com/reallife/bc/heroes/
