Breast Cancer Network of Strength Overview

Breast Cancer Network of Strength^®, formerly known as Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization^®, is a Chicago-based national nonprofit organization with the mission to ensure, through information, empowerment and peer support, that no one faces breast cancer alone. The organization does not raise money for research. Instead, it provides immediate emotional relief for anyone touched by breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Network of Strength’s peer support model of breast cancer survivors supporting those affected by breast cancer is at the heart of the organization and is unique in the breast cancer patient advocacy community. The organization’s premier peer support service dates back 30 years to when it was founded: a hotline staffed entirely by breast cancer survivors.

YourShoes™ is the name for the organization’s peer support services and encompasses the 24/7 breast cancer support center that provides information and immediate emotional relief via phone or e-mail. Peer counselors and facilitators are trained and certified. They don’t give medical advice – they are not medical professionals – but they can help people make educated decisions by providing information about procedures and treatment options.

Breast Cancer Network of Strength’s newsletters, other publications and Web site, www.networkofstrength.org, provide information and support to those touched by breast cancer. Network of Strength Advocacy™ works to increase breast cancer research funding, support breast cancer related clinical studies and ensure quality health care for all. The Wig & Prosthesis Bank provides products for those with limited resources. A Day for You is Breast Cancer Network of Strength’s program for the medically underserved.

The organization has affiliates throughout the nation that provide services such as support groups; early detection and teen workshops; wigs and prostheses for women with limited resources; and advocacy on breast cancer policies.

Each year on Mother’s Day, the organization holds Walk to Empower events across the country. In 2008, 45,000 participants raised approximately $8 million in Chicago, Atlanta, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Haven, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle, Springfield, Ill, Tulsa and Washington, D.C. The Walk to Empower expands to two additional cities in 2009: San Francisco and Chattanooga.

Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of nonprofits, gives Breast Cancer Network of Strength its highest rating of four stars for sound fiscal management. The organization meets all of the National Health Council's 41 Standards of Excellence, best practices that encompass the areas of governance, personnel policies, programs finance, fundraising, accounting and reporting, and evaluation.

For more information about Breast Cancer Network of Strength, visit www.networkofstrength.org. Peer counselors can be contacted at 1-800-221-2141, with interpreters available in more than 150 languages.

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