HERE FOR THE GIRLS INC

ONGOING SUPPORT FOR YOUNG WOMEN DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER UNDER THE AGE OF 51: WHAT AND WHY HERE FOR THE GIRLS (H4TG) PROVIDES SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO YOUNG WOMEN DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER (BEFORE AGE 51) THAT BENEFITS A WOMAN'S OVERALL PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. STUDIES SHOW THAT SOCIAL SUPPORT PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN A PERSON'S OVERALL MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. THOSE WITH LOW SOCIAL SUPPORT SHOWED HIGHER SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, INCREASED RATES OF MORTALITY, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, INFLAMMATION, AND LESS EFFECTIVE IMMUNE SYSTEMS, AMONG MANY OTHER FINDINGS. THIS SUPPORT IS CRITICAL TOO BECAUSE BREAST CANCER HAS A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER IMPACT ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND FOR A LONGER PERIOD FOR YOUNG WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES. THEY FACE UNIQUE CHALLENGES - MORE AGGRESSIVE CANCERS OFTEN FOUND AT LATER STAGES, HIGHER DEATH RATES, PREMATURE MENOPAUSE, AND RAISING YOUNG CHILDREN, HOLDING DOWN JOBS, AND CARING FOR A SPOUSE OR DATING WHILE IN TREATMENT AND AFTERWARD - YET SPECIFIC RESOURCES ARE SLIM AND PEERS CAN BE DIFFICULT TO FIND. HERE FOR THE GIRLS EXISTS TO ENSURE THAT NO YOUNG WOMAN HAS TO MAKE THIS JOURNEY WITHOUT ALL THE LOVE, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND INFORMATION POSSIBLE FROM PEERS WHO UNDERSTAND. SINCE 2006 WHEN TWO YOUNG WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER STARTED A SUPPORT GROUP FOR YOUNG WOMEN IN THEIR HOMETOWN OF WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA, HERE FOR THE GIRLS HAS BEEN PROVIDING A UNIQUE, IN-DEPTH, TYPE OF SUPPORT THAT IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF THESE YOUNG WOMEN WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN TURNED UPSIDE DOWN BY A BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS - THE ONES FACING THE DISEASE RIGHT NOW AND THOSE BEYOND WHO ARE JUST TRYING TO GET THROUGH ONE MORE DAY. H4TG GIVES THEM PEERS WHO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THEY'VE EXPERIENCED IT, AND THE VITAL SUPPORT, INFORMATION, AND RESOURCES THEY NEED TO GET THROUGH AND BEYOND THIS UNEXPECTED, FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE FEELING CONFIDENT, ENERGIZED, UNDERSTOOD, AND HOPEFUL, NO MATTER WHAT THE FUTURE MAY HOLD. HOW OUR MEMBERS RECEIVE SUPPORT THROUGH A VARIETY OF SERVICES THAT ENCOURAGE EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL, AND SOCIAL HEALING INCLUDING MONTHLY SUPPORT GROUPS AND PEER GATHERINGS, ONGOING WORKSHOPS ON TOPICS SUCH AS SELF-CARE, GRIEF, TRAUMA, BEREAVEMENT, AND ACCEPTANCE ALONG WITH EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AND LIVE WEBINARS WITH PARTNERING PHYSICIANS AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS. OUR MEMBERS ARE ALSO OFFERED EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE EMPOWERMENT AND RESILIENCY ALONG WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO REFLECT, RENEW, AND RESTORE CLARITY IN THEIR LIVES AFTER CANCER. ALL THESE OFFERINGS ARE AVAILABLE AT NO COST TO YOUNG WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER. OUR RESEARCH-BASED SUPPORT PROGRAM FOCUSES ON THE OVERALL WELL-BEING OF OUR MEMBERS THROUGH THREE DISTINCT BUT COMPLEMENTARY APPROACHES: SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT SUPPORT, PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT, AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT, EACH BRIEFLY DESCRIBED IN THE OVERVIEW BELOW: SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT SUPPORT | HOPE INSPIRATION POWER PEER GATHERINGS LED BY TRAINED PEER FACILITATORS, MEMBERS RECEIVE MONTHLY SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT IN A NON-CLINICAL SETTING THAT IMPROVES THEIR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. BUILDING CONNECTIONS ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS THAT PROMOTE BONDING WITH PEERS AND ENCOURAGE EMOTIONAL HEALING THROUGH A SAFE AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMOTES CONNECTEDNESS. LIFE EXPERIENCES MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN A HOST OF ACTIVITIES AND EXPERIENCES DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE HEALING, PERSONAL GROWTH, AND BUILDING CONFIDENCE. PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT | LEANING IN CARING CONVERSATIONS DESIGNED TO COMPLEMENT OUR PEER-LED GATHERINGS, OUR SOCIAL WORK TEAM LEADS SUPPORT GROUPS FOR OUR MEMBERS ALONG WITH TOPIC SPECIFIC GROUPS FOR THOSE WITH A METASTATIC DIAGNOSIS, THOSE NEWLY DIAGNOSED, AND THOSE WITH LONG- TIME SURVIVORSHIP NEEDS. WORKSHOPS CAREFULLY CURATED WORKSHOPS AND WELLNESS DAYS DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR DIVERSE MEMBER BASE, COVERING TOPICS SUCH AS GRIEF AND TRAUMA, SUPPORT FOR THOSE LIVING WITH A METASTATIC DIAGNOSIS, AND HOW TO DEAL WITH LONG- TERM SURVIVORSHIP HALLENGES. MEETING OUR MEMBERS WHERE THEY ARE SOMETIMES OUR MEMBERS NEED AN EXTRA BOOST OF SUPPORT, AND THIS IS DONE THROUGH INDIVIDUALIZED CONVERSATIONS THAT HELP TO PROVIDE STRATEGIES, RESOURCES, AND REFERRALS. EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT | CARING FOR YOURSELF PHYSICIAN/SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT LED EVENTS + WORKSHOPS TOPIC SPECIFIC SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS FOCUSING ON BREAST CANCER RELATED ISSUES DESIGNED TO EDUCATE AND EMPOWER OUR MEMBERS TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES. BREAST HEALTH/WOMENS HEALTH CONTENT + RESOURCES ACCESS TO RESOURCES THROUGH OUR ONLINE MEMBER HUB OR A GUIDE TO CARING FOR YOURSELF, WHICH OFFERS IMPORTANT HEALTH INFORMATION ON BREAST CANCER, MANAGING RISK, EARLY DETECTION, HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES, AND OTHER RELATED TOPICS. OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH SELF-CARE TIPS AND ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE OVERALL WELL-BEING THROUGH A FOCUS ON MIND, BODY, SPIRIT. RESULTS HERE FOR THE GIRLS' MEMBER SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM WORKS TO ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY, CONSISTENCY, AND OVERALL PRACTICES THAT SUPPORT DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS ARE SUPPORTED THROUGHOUT THEIR CANCER JOURNEY AND BEYOND. THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT PROVIDED FOCUSES ON THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THE MEMBER AND HELPS THE MEMBER NAVIGATE LIFE AFTER A CANCER DIAGNOSIS. AS A RESULT, PARTICIPATING MEMBERS EXPERIENCE A MAINTENANCE OF OR INCREASE IN REPORTED FEELINGS OF SUPPORT WHICH IS GATHERED AND ASSESSED BY THE ORGANIZATION'S SOCIAL WORK TEAM. HERE FOR THE GIRLS, A 501(C)(3) HEADQUARTERED IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, IS STAFFED BY 5.76 FTE AND SUPPORTED BY OVER 300 REGULAR VOLUNTEERS. THOUGH IT HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE ITS INCEPTION (NOW SERVING WOMEN IN-PERSON IN VIRGINIA AND VIRTUALLY ALL OVER THE COUNTRY), THE ORGANIZATION IS DEDICATED TO MAKING A MEANINGFUL CONNECTION WITH EACH SURVIVOR IT TOUCHES AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ITS MEMBERS. SINCE ITS FOUNDING, OVER 2,000 SURVIVORS HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY SUPPORTED BY HERE FOR THE GIRLS AND MORE THAN 8,000 HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION; CURRENTLY, 450+ SURVIVORS ARE RECEIVING ACTIVE SUPPORT THROUGH SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SUPPORT (VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON), EDUCATION AND RESOURCES, MEMBER AMBASSADOR PROGRAMS, AND MEMBER ONLY ACTIVITIES. HERE FOR THE GIRLS, INC. DEDICATES 82% OF EVERY DOLLAR IT RECEIVES DIRECTLY TO OUR MISSION. DONOR DOLLARS ARE MAXIMIZED TO EXPAND AND ENHANCE OUR SUPPORT SERVICES FOR YOUNG BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS IN A MANNER THAT 1) MEETS THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF OUR MEMBERS RELATIVE TO WHERE THEY ARE ON THEIR CANCER JOURNEY 2) ADAPTS OUR SERVICES TO RESPOND TO SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BREAST CANCER FIELD, AND 3) INCORPORATES CHANGES IN OTHER INDUSTRIES, SUCH AS TECHNOLOGY, TO BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR YOUNG POPULATION.