Your Breast Cancer Awareness

I haven't written in a while and sometimes I wonder, am I too close to Michelle's Place Breast Cancer Resource Center to be writing this blog? Not too close to the day-to-day operations but too close to the reason we were started. I will write another day on why it is okay for the people close to the patient to feel these feelings that we don't feel comfortable admitting (unfairness, anger, etc.) because I was that person. But today, I want to talk about why you should donate your hard-earned dollars to Michelle's Place as you sit and try to find focus through October-induced pink fog.

Our Executive Director, Kim Goodnough, gave a poignant speech, at our 12th Annual Celebration of Life Golf Tournament, this past Friday. Kim took a moment after all of the raffle tickets were purchased and there were no more chances for the participants to spend money. She was strictly taking the opportunity to share tough information with a group of people supporting our organization. I am going to do my best to reiterate what Kim shared (and I will probably add to it because I just can't help myself). We lost 4 clients this week. We are not here to save lives. We are here to bring comfort to women fighting the battle for their lives. We will not find the cure for cancer. We are helping the women who live in your neighborhood and are raising children while going through breast cancer treatment. Your sisters, your friends, your aunts, your mothers, your daughters, your co-workers. One of the four we lost this week was Candy Guitterez. Candy was one of our Self Help Group Facilitators and she leaves behind a family and her youngest is six years old. This is what we do. Bring comfort, support, whatever we can to help these women get through their days in the best way possible. And we educate women on getting mammograms, ultrasounds, diagnostics so they catch breast cancer early and don't have to get to where Candy and others have been. It is not pretty, pink-filled days that the marketers make it look like. Women walk into our office scared and we give them understanding, hugs, love and information. Services and support come next. No woman should have to go this alone.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October, Pink Ribbons, Hope. It has a place. We celebrate too. There is plenty to celebrate. But when faced with a choice on where to spend your dollars, we hope you consider where the funds are invested. Michelle's Place invests in our community. Helping women and their families right here in Temecula Valley. If you choose to support us, you can make a one-time donation online or choose to be part of our Wings of Hope program where you can choose to donate monthly automatically as low as $10.

Every dollar counts. Make yours count. Thank you.

Amy Watson
amy@michellesplace.org

Farewell October

Happy Halloween! Even though it is October 31st, please do not let this be the last day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month...breast cancer awareness is a year round activity! Take what you have learned and continue to share with those around you.

What can you do? Well, we received support from young and old this month. Soccer players sold pink socks, football players sold pink items, elementary school children collected coins. Children can participate all year too...my kids have a charity bank at home and put part of their allowance in there each week.

It doesn't end there. Have you considered the children who's moms are going through treatment and their families are struggling financially? We have and our Pink Ribbon Assistance program provides financial support and at holiday time, we provide a Christmas party complete with the man in red and presents for kids. In August, we have a Party in the Park and provide the kids with backpacks full of school supplies to take that burden off of the parents.

We cannot thank our community enough for their involvement. Something as simple but as profound as our Go Pink! program really makes a statement as you drive through town. Local business sell our pink ribbons for $1 and display them. All proceeds go to us, Michelle's Place Breast Cancer Resource Center, and the displays are beautiful and such a vision of support!

So much more went on this month and appreciate each and every action that everyone took to promote awareness this month because out of it came education. We were able to provide more than 80 free screening mammograms and we provided support to over 100 women diagnosed with breast cancer this month. That is what we are all about. Helping women get what they need and educating the community.

And I will close with a message from our Executive Director, Kim Goodnough:

October is leaving me speechless

I am very rarely at a loss for words. Just ask my husband, my father, my dear in-laws, my children, my friends. I want you all to know that I have not been neglecting this blog. I literally have not found words profound enough to express what I have been feeling over the last couple of months.  We start preparing for October months in advance so I have been in the zone for a while.

October is an especially busy (understatement of the year) for Michelle's Place and we do remind everyone that every month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month for us. Due to marketing and the pink revolution, we will never win the battle to even out the activities across the months so our staff, board and volunteers dive in head first and do not come up for air until the beginning of the fourth week of October. I am so proud to be associated with these people...their passion, support and dedication is beyond measure.

Today our Executive Director, Kim Goodnough, published her weekly message in the Michelle's Place weekly e-newsletter and I finally became inspired. Not inspired enough to write my own words, but inspired to share hers. Without further ado, here is a message from our Executive Director:


It is so important that we are reminded of the work MP does and how much it means to so many.  I am so proud to be part of this team.  When I was walking in the event yesterday (Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure) I felt emotionally overwhelmed a little as I looked around.  I think everyone feels that way when they participate in that event.  But, for me it was a little different this year.  It was a very introspective day. This is my 11th year.  It's so cool to see so many "Team Michelle's Place" shirts everywhere.  We started the walk with Paul who lost his wife this year and he comes to MP to feel part of her and share with us their love story, and as we crossed the starting line the announcer yelled out "GO team Michelle's Place, we love Michelle's Place", my heart swelled with pride.  And as I read all the names of those lost, loved and remembered on the backs of participants, I thought, we lost 4 women this week at MP.  And then, as we neared the finish line (we cheated) part of the Hawks soccer team ran past us in their pink socks that they sold to raise funds for Michelle's Place.  So MANY people are part of this amazing journey.  All of us, each one of us, makes an impact.  We are a support system for those who have lost loved ones, direction for those recently diagnosed, we provide hope and inspiration for young people and we carry on a legacy that I think Michelle would be proud of.  Thank you all for what you do.  It is awe-inspiring and so heart-warming.  I am blessed to be part of it.

Thank you, Kim. Michelle is not only proud, she is smiling and cheering you, and all of us, on.