Sharsheret Awarded Federal Grant To Develop Program For Jewish Breast Cancer Survivors

Sharsheret Awarded Federal Grant To Develop Program For Jewish Breast Cancer Survivors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Elana Silber, Director of Operations
Telephone: (866) 474-2774
E-Mail: [email protected]

SHARSHERET AWARDED FEDERAL GRANT TO DEVELOP
PROGRAM FOR JEWISH BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS

Teaneck, New Jersey (September 26, 2011) – Sharsheret, a national not-for-profit organization supporting young women and their families, of all Jewish backgrounds, facing breast cancer, has been awarded a federal grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to launch “Thriving Again: Life After Breast Cancer for Young Jewish Women,” a new program providing culturally relevant clinical support and educational resources for young Jewish breast cancer survivors and their families. First year funding for the program will total $305,049, and the program will be fully funded by the CDC.

As part of a broader effort to support breast cancer awareness in young women, Sharsheret will develop tailored programming that addresses life after breast cancer for young survivors, including the impact on career, relationships, reproduction, health and wellness, finances, and the increased risk of breast cancer and other related cancers in Jewish families. Although the program will target young Jewish breast cancer survivors, the programs and resources created will be adaptable for other cultural and ethnic groups at increased hereditary risk of breast cancer and other cancers. 

“We are honored to have been selected by the CDC to launch this critical survivorship program,” said Sharsheret Founder and Executive Director Rochelle Shoretz, herself a two-time breast cancer survivor, diagnosed at age 28.  “As more young Jewish women live beyond a breast cancer diagnosis, the Thriving Again program, made possible with CDC’s support, will enhance the quality of life for thousands.  Sharsheret’s expertise in serving young women and Jewish women has been recognized in a federal platform that will enable us to develop core programming to benefit not only the women in our community, but the larger community of young breast cancer survivors nationwide.”  To read the funding announcement issued by the CDC, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/what_cdc_is_doing/grant.htm.

Since its founding in 2001, Sharsheret has responded to more than 24,000 breast cancer inquiries, involved more than 1,200 peer supporters, and presented over 200 educational programs nationwide.  Sharsheret now offers a continuum of care for the Jewish community – addressing the needs of those who are concerned about the risk of breast cancer in their family, those who have been diagnosed with the disease and are undergoing treatment, and those who face issues of survivorship or recurrence.  Over the past 10 years, Sharsheret has developed 10 national programs, including the Peer Support Network, connecting women newly diagnosed or at high risk of developing breast cancer one-on-one with others who share similar diagnoses and experiences; Embrace, supporting women living with advanced breast cancer; Genetics for Life, addressing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, and the Ovarian Cancer Program, providing tailored resources and support for young Jewish women and families facing ovarian cancer.  For more information about Sharsheret’s programs, visit www.sharsheret.org or call (866) 474-2774.

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