Congratulations to our 2012 Community Grantees

Today Komen OC announced it will award more than $1.5 million in grants to 15 local nonprofit organizations at the Grants Award Breakfast on Friday, Dec. 2. The grants make a substantial impact in the fight to end breast cancer forever and reinforce Komen Orange County’s support for its surrounding community partners.

The 2012 Komen Fund for Breast Health Care and community grants recipients and their breast health programs are:

• AltaMed Health Services Corporation / Breast Cancer Early Detection and Care Program
• Asian American Senior Citizens Service Center / Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention Program (BCAPP) to the Uninsured Chinese American Women
• Breast Cancer Solutions / Enabling Access: Medical and Financial Aid Program; Latina Breast Health Support Program Specialist
• Hurrt Family Health Clinic / Access to Care and Treatment (ACT) Now Project
• Laguna Beach Community Clinic / LBCC’s Breast Care Commitment Program
• Latino Health Access / Salud de Seno (Breast Health Program)
• Nhan Hoa Comprehensive Health Clinic / Breast Care for Low-Income and Uninsured Young People
• Pacific Islander Health Partnership / Pacific Islander Navigator Breast Health Project
• Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties / Breast Health Program
• Serve the People Community Health Center / Women’s Wellness Clinic
• Share Our Selves (SOS) / Women’s Health Initiative
• The G.R.E.E.N. Foundation / ActNOW: Be Self Empowered  (BSE) Breast Health
• Vietnamese American Cancer Foundation / Breast Health Navigation and Education Program
• YWCA of North Orange County / Early Breast Cancer Screening and Education
• University of California, Irvine / Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

Our 2011 Grant Recipients

Congrats to our 2011 Outstanding Volunteers!

Each and every one of our dedicated volunteers bring us one step closer to our goal of ending breast cancer forever, but this year we are honoring a group of individuals and companies that have gone above and beyond in their efforts to help find a cure.

• Shining Star, Brenda Hardwig 

• Outstanding Volunteer of the Year, Vernelle Blackwell

• Outstanding New Volunteers, Ellen Weinstein and Christine Brown

• Outstanding Youth Volunteer, Shefali Dutt

• Komen Warrior Award, Ginny Espenship

• Promise of One, Marie Cammack

• Promise of One, Rebecca Hultquist

• Partner for the Cure, Experian

• Outstanding Volunteer Group, Gap, Inc.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: Michelle Buessing

Komen volunteer Michelle Buessing is definitely a “glass half full” type of woman. She has enthusiasm, optimism and determination despite her personal challenge with breast cancer. Michelle was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer at the age of 32 while she was breast feeding her daughter Maya. There was no family history of breast cancer.

 

Michelle went through four months of chemotherapy, had an 8-hour surgery, three more months of chemo and then 33 radiation treatments, but none of this knocked down the spirit of this Mission Viejo mother. Michelle is now a volunteer for the Komen for the Cure Speakers Bureau.

Here is what Michelle had to say at a recent speaking engagement:

“At the age of 32 I heard the words, ‘you have cancer.’ A day that will always stand out as the most life changing moment of my life, not because it brought me to my knees (which it did) but because it was the day I was given the gift of hope…hope that I would have a long future with my then 11-month- old and 2-year-old little girls because I got to hear the words treatable and curable. [These] two words to a recently diagnosed young mother and wife that make all the difference.

“I have told people since the day I was diagnosed that I owe my life to Susan G. Komen for the Cure because no other organization has done more or had a greater impact on the survival rate. I received cutting edge chemo, surgery and radiation thanks to the advancements in medicine that have been made over the past 20 years.

“I feel in the very fiber of my being that I will get to stand with my daughters at the glorious celebration the day we announce we have found a cure for breast cancer. Will you join me in finding a cure?”

Michelle is an inspiration. She and her family deserve our help. Let’s live by her motto: “Life is sweet… enjoy it!  Faith, love and hope REALLY do make all the difference.”