There are more people without health care than ever before and the situation's only getting worse. The flat economy and the raging healthcare debate have many concerned about how they will pay for medical costs.
One particularly vulnerable sector is the men and women susceptible to breast cancer.
Fortunately, there are many wonderful non-profit organizations and charities that offer free services to prevent breast cancer. Many of these charities offer free services and support to breast cancer victims and their families.
If you are interested in donating to these charities, you can see how your dollars will be spent at charitynavigator.org. The Charity Navigator takes a detailed look at the finances of nonprofit organizations and rates their budget operations and sustainability.
The following charities listed support the search for a cure for breast cancer. They also provide free services along with comfort and assistance to raise awareness for those fighting breast cancer.
The Rose Organization (Houston, TX)
Founded in 1986, the mission of The Rose is to reduce deaths from breast cancer by providing screening, diagnosis and access to treatment to women regardless of their ability to pay. The Rose is one of Houston area's leading breast cancer organizations providing mammography screening, diagnosis, access to treatment and support to all women regardless of their ability to pay.
The Rose, through two community-based sites, provides more than 70,000 services annually. Services include mammography screening, diagnostics, ultrasounds, breast biopsies, bone density testing, support services, education and access to treatment. Women choose The Rose for its quality of care and because their mammograms help other women by offsetting the cost for those who cannot afford to pay.
Last year, The Rose provided 27,837 screening and diagnostic procedures for those able to pay; 15,680 screening and diagnostic procedures at no charge to low income, uninsured women; 7,621 free patient navigation services to other treatment patients without insurance.
SHARE (New York, NY)
SHARE is a 31-year-old organization offering survivor-led support to those affected by breast or ovarian cancer to ensure that no one faces breast or ovarian cancer alone. Drawing on their own experiences, cancer survivors help others address the many emotional and practical issues that arise from a cancer diagnosis. SHARE empowers individuals and communities to advocate for increased access to care, improved treatment modalities and quality of and increased research funding. SHARE's services include hotlines in English and Spanish, with capacity in 12 other languages, support groups, wellness programs, educational meetings, and advocacy activities. All programs are free of charge.
BreastCancer.org (Ardmore, PA)
When dealing with breast cancer, most women feel overwhelmed by vast amounts of information, and are terrified by the burden of having to make critical decisions quickly. In 1999, Dr. Marisa Weiss, a nationally renowned breast oncologist, founded Breastcancer.org to address these growing needs. Breastcancer.org is dedicated to providing the most reliable, complete, and up-to-date information about breast cancer. Their mission is to help women and their loved ones make sense of the complex medical and personal information about breast cancer, so they can make the best decisions for their lives.
Breast Cancer Connections (Palo Alto, CA)
In April 1994, Breast Cancer Connections (formerly known as Community Breast Health Project) began to transform the shared dream of a community center where breast cancer patients could go for up-to-date medical information and support from fellow breast cancer survivors into reality. Today, Breast Cancer Connections (BCC) continues to grow to meet the needs of our community. They provide free, high-quality services and support for clients even as the demand for our services continues to increase. BCC provides personalized information and support to people touched by breast cancer, in an atmosphere of warmth, sensitivity and understanding.
Living Beyond Breast Cancer (Haverford, PA)
Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) was founded in 1991 in response to a woman's need for breast-cancer-related information, connection and support after completing treatment. Today, LBBC has expanded to assist women at all stages of diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Their mission includes offering specialized programs and services for the newly diagnosed, young women, women with advanced breast cancer, women at high risk for developing the disease and African-American and Latina women. Also, they offer programs for caregivers and healthcare professionals to help them better meet the needs of women affected by breast cancer.
Young Survival Coalition (New York, NY)
Founded in 1998 by three young breast cancer survivors, the Young Survival Coalition (YSC) is one of the premier international organizations dedicated to the critical issues unique to young women and breast cancer. YSC works with survivors, caregivers and the medical, research, advocacy and legislative communities to increase the quality and quantity of life for women diagnosed with breast cancer ages 40 and under. YSC members attend conferences; lobby federal and state legislators; speak at universities, colleges, and health fairs; and run an annual awareness campaign targeted at the medical community - encouraging doctors and researchers to focus more resources on this underserved segment of the population. The YSC also strives to educate and support young women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer.
The Cancer Center for Detection and Prevention (New Orleans, LA)
As a special program of The Cancer Center for Detection and Prevention, the Breast Cancer Relief Foundation supports educational, prevention, medical assistance and relief, and innovative research programs in order to reduce the incidence of breast cancer throughout the world. Breast Cancer Relief Foundation is also committed to directly assisting patients, survivors, and their families in coping with the personal devastation caused by breast cancer.
They are committed to helping women in need. Breast Cancer Relief Foundation supports poor patients in developing world countries that require chemotherapies for their survival. Through their international donation program they have assisted thousands of women with cancer in Latin America. They seek to expand this program in additional countries in the developing world in order to help women receive the cancer medicines that they require to fight and win their battle with cancer.
Sources:
http://www.charitynavigator.org/
http://www.the-rose.org/
http://www.sharecancersupport.org/
http://www.breastcancer.org/
http://www.bcconnections.org/
http://www.lbbc.org/
http://www.youngsurvival.org/
http://www.tccdp.org/
http://www.breastcancerrelief.org
MC Ortega is the former publicist for the late Walter Payton and Coca-Cola. Ortega is a senior communications and messaging executive specializing in media relations, social media, program development and crisis communications. Also, Ortega is an avid traveler and international shopper. Ortega resides with her partner, Craig, dog, Fionne and extensive shoe collection. Ortega also enjoys jewelry design/production and flamenco dancing.