Sharsheret Awarded Multi-Year Federal Grant To Support Breast Cancer Programming For Young Jewish Women

Contacts: Jordana Altman, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Telephone: 866.474.2774
Email: [email protected]

Teaneck, New Jersey (Sep 24, 2019) – Sharsheret, the only national not-for-profit organization dedicated to addressing the needs of women and families of all Jewish backgrounds facing breast cancer and ovarian cancer,  is pleased to announce it will receive a five-year $1.8 million cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to fund its “LINK Program-Outreach and Education Initiative,” which provides dedicated programs and services for women under the age of 45 diagnosed with breast cancer.

This is the third consecutive cooperative agreement Sharsheret has received from the CDC in support of its work with young women facing breast cancer nationwide.

The cooperative agreement, Multiple Approaches to Support Young Jewish Breast Cancer Survivors and Jewish Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients will begin on Sept. 30, 2019. With this funding, Sharsheret will maintain and expand many of the programs it has developed in recent years and increase the availability, expand the dissemination, and escalate the implementation of services for Jewish young breast cancer survivors, Jewish metastatic breast cancer patients, and their caregivers. These programs include the:

• LINK^® Program: consisting of six culturally relevant breast cancer supportive services that provide:  patient navigation, peer support, genetic education, survivorship resources, specialized metastatic breast cancer interventions, and caregiver programs.
• Outreach and Education Programs: consisting of cultural competency training and innovative education for health care providers, patient navigators, and community health workers who serve the needs of the high risk Jewish community surrounding YBCS and metastatic breast cancer care. Under this contract, Sharsheret will implement targeted strategies to reduce disparities in health and quality of life due to Jewish ethnicity by: establishing a network of Jewish young breast cancer survivors and their caregivers to facilitate policy, system, and environmental change interventions; developing and implementing innovative technological educational opportunities for healthcare providers on relevant topics to the target populations’ care, delivery; and utilizing its well-established patient navigator and community health worker program strategies to enhance access to and utilization of Sharsheret services and support.

Sharsheret is partnered with Georgetown University’s NCI-designated Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and its Cancer Prevention and Control Program to conduct evaluation and performance measurement. Sharsheret will also partner and collaborate with a variety of organizations nationwide, including CDC and CDC-funded organizations.

The proposed project stands to increase the availability of services and support to 150,000 Jewish young breast cancer survivors and metastatic breast cancer patients and caregivers across the US. Project findings will be disseminated to facilitate replication and adaptation among other underserved special populations, and allied educational and change intervention programs, to control and prevent breast cancer.

“At Sharsheret, each and every day, we see the significant impact that breast cancer has on the health and quality of life for young women in our community, as well as the gaps that exist in the availability and utilization of services and support,” said Adina Fleischmann, Director of Support Programs, who oversees the ‘LINK Program – Outreach and Education Initiative’ and related grant activities.  “For young Jewish breast cancer survivors and metastatic breast cancer patients, their breast cancer is further complicated by increased hereditary cancer risk associated with breast cancer (BRCA) gene mutations found in 1 in 40 Jewish women of Ashkenazi descent, and social and cultural norms affected by a breast cancer diagnosis.”

“We are honored to have been selected again by the CDC to address the urgent concerns of young Jewish women facing breast cancer,” said Sharsheret Executive Director Elana Silber. “In collaboration with the CDC and more than 100 local Sharsheret partners nationwide, we will work to serve more than 150,000 women and caregivers, enhancing the quality of life and reducing the cancer burden for breast cancer survivors, metastatic breast cancer patients and caregivers.”

ABOUT SHARSHERET

Sharsheret, Hebrew for chain, a national cancer organization with five offices (California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey and New York), serves 150,000 women, families, health care professionals, community leaders, and students, in all 50 states. Sharsheret improves the lives of Jewish women and families living with or at increased genetic risk for breast or ovarian cancer through personalized support and saves lives through educational outreach. While our expertise is in young women and Jewish families as related to breast cancer and ovarian cancer, Sharsheret programs serve all women and men.

As a premier organization for psychosocial support, Sharsheret is a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women, works closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and participates in psychosocial research studies and evaluations with major cancer centers, including Georgetown University Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Sharsheret is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator for seven consecutive years.

What We Do

One-on-One Support for women and their families touched by breast cancer and ovarian cancer (all free, confidential, and convenient) featuring

• Online 24/7 Live Chat
• Mental Health Professionals
• Genetic Counselor
• Peer Support
• Customized Beauty Kits
• Busy Boxes for Children
• Specialized Programming for Women Living with Metastatic Cancer

Education and Outreach for women, families, and community and medical professionals

• Healthcare Webinars
• College Campus Programming
• Community Educational Seminars
• Cultural Competency Trainings
• Comprehensive Resource Booklet Series

Community Action for women and men of all ages

• B’nai Mitzvah Projects
• Team Sharsheret Races and Walks
• Young Professionals Circle
• Teal and Pink Shabbat
• Local Volunteer Opportunities

For more information and to get involved today, visit us online at www.sharsheret.org or call us at 866-474-2774.