Dear Friends,
This is an updated version of our April 2nd newsletter.
On behalf of the HERS family, I hope you're well and safely sheltering in place. We know these are unsettling times and imagine you, like us, are coping as best you can.
Our team is staying busy, concentrating on supporting patients by keeping our Fremont location open. And because not all staff members are working, we're supporting one another through group text, encouraging one another through memes,
self-care
ideas, and
sharing beautiful acts of
kindness.
Staying busy and being
Mister Rogers-like helpers
is in our DNA. And we're heartened that other helpers are reaching out to us, more than ever before.
Helpers have provided multiple donations of homemade masks (thank you, Lisa Stambaugh, Laurel King & the seamstresses at Christ the King Lutheran Church of Fremont, Nancy Johnson, Linda Pearson, and Kirstin Litz). Helpers include grant-makers and fundraisers, like our friend Ellen Woods. And helpers include patients who express relief and gratitude for our services. These gestures uplift us.
I hope you enjoy this newsletter and find that it uplifts you, too.
Warm regards,
Tina
Tina Fernandez Steckler
Executive Director
ps. Don't miss my very important final note at the end of this newsletter.
|
|
REVISED STORE HOURS:
Our Pleasanton and San Leandro locations are temporarily closed.
Our Fremont location is open
Monday to Friday, 10 am to 2 pm.
If you're a patient interested in re-ordering products, call (510) 790-1911. If a refit isn't necessary, we may be able to complete your order by phone.
Shipping is free through April 30th or pick up your order curbside.
|
|
Honoring Her Mother: Ellen's Story
|
|
Friend and donor Ellen Woods recently raised funds for HERS by encouraging donations with the promise she'd shave her hair.
The response was incredible. As of this writing, well over 30 friends and family have given nearly $1,800 in support of
under-served breast cancer survivors
. And despite ending her campaign early so that others could concentrate on their health and safety, donations continue to arrive.
The beautiful photos she shared tell just part of the story.
In Ellen's words:
"My mom battled a rare form of breast cancer for many years. Apart from the medical side of things, watching her deal with the impact on her body and the resulting self-image concerns had an impact on me.
I wish she had a place like HERS for support when she needed it. Doing this fundraiser is one way to keep her spirit close to me. With the support of my friends and family, I am thrilled to make this contribution to HERS in memory of my mom."
Thank you, Ellen, for your grace and kindness, and thanks to your friends and family for showing you, your mom, and our patients so much love.
|
|
Join us August 22, 2020
in celebration of People with Purpose
|
|
In case you missed our earlier announcements, our 11th Annual People With Purpose Gala fundraiser will now take place on Saturday, August 22, 2020.
If you haven't yet purchased your ticket or table,
buy yours soon!
Our 2019 event sold out.
Gala guests will enjoy glitzy and exciting event elements and meaningful gala moments. These include our cocktail hour with entertainment by pianist Diane King, three-course dinner with wine, silent and live auctions, and our People with Purpose HERS Awards presentations.
Be sure to check our our list of
generous sponsors
to date who are instrumental in making this event a success. We're so grateful for their support!
Join us August 22nd for this elegant, "don't miss" evening and see why we're honoring our
2020 HERS Awardees!
And best of all, you'll support HERS patients.
|
|
We're so very grateful to
Cargill.
Their Newark office granted $2,500 in support of our Charitable Programs which means that to date, Cargill has donated $7,500 to HERS. Their generosity, kindness, and encouragement mean the world to us.
And did you know...
...Cargill is one of several generous sponsors who supported a Leadership Fremont project for HERS? As one of that project's sponsors, they helped the Leadership Fremont's Class of 2019 make our beautifully filmed and informative
PSA
a reality.
|
Their continued support is a testament to their belief in our mission and we're grateful for their dedication to our programs and patients.To date, Palo Alto Medical Foundation has invested $20,000 in HERS Programs. Thank you!!!
|
Our friends at Marin county-based To Celebrate Life recently granted $12,000 in support of our
Lymphedema Project
. As one of 21 Bay Area nonprofits chosen to receive grants this year, we're honored to be in such esteemed company.
To Celebrate Life's contributions are tremendous. To date, they've provided nearly $65,000 so that under-served breast cancer survivors may access compression sleeves, gloves, and fingerless gloves to alleviate the physical and emotional impact of lymphedema, a condition that occurs in 30-40% of breast cancer patients who undergo cancer-involved lymph node removal.
We're so very grateful to Kristen and Molly, To Celebrate Life's Board Members, their volunteers, and their donors.
|
Friends,
I have one final thought to share.
As you know, HERS is staying the course during this health crisis. Five of us continue to work every day at our Fremont location. We're fitting patients, researching and writing grants, performing accounting tasks, and more.
As our Breast Care Specialist Debra S. recently said,
"breast cancer isn't put on hold because of a pandemic."
I'd be remiss if I didn't request your support which is needed now more than ever. Our postponed gala and continued operating costs mean donations small and large are critical to sustain our work.
Stay strong, stay healthy, and stay safe.
Tina
Tina Fernandez Steckler
Executive Director
|
HERS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Federal Tax ID# 94-3309906.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
