It’s hard to believe that summer is right around the corner! Although spring has typically been a quieter time of year for the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation, we have been busier than ever this season. From traveling for in-person events to working with new volunteers, our staff has been all over the state supporting our communities and spreading breast health awareness. Read on for some of our recent highlights.
Resource Coordination & Education Highlights
Saturday, April 13
To kick off our travels this year, our Resource Coordinator, Nikki Jennings, traveled to Northern Virginia to join the Donna M. Saunders Foundation’s ‘Empowering Through Awareness’ Breast Cancer Resource Fair in Arlington. Organizers invited local survivors and thrivers to enjoy a day of fun & education. Our new board member, Hanna Kebede, joined a panel of fellow advocates from Virginia to share their empowering stories of turning their pain into purpose by giving back as nonprofit leaders and advocates in their communities. Participants learned more about the different organizations in attendance, enjoyed a delicious lunch, and were even pampered with free massages and a beauty bar full of goodies to stock up on—a huge thanks to the DMSF staff & volunteers for organizing such a beautiful and fun event!
Saturday, April 27
VBCF was honored to be invited back to this year’s Community Health Fair at Diversity Thrift, hosted by Us Giving Richmond Connections and Black Pride RVA. The event was a testament to the power of community, with participants benefiting from insightful advice from local nonprofit leaders, gaining a deeper understanding of various aspects of their health, and even enjoying a lively Zumba session to cap off the day. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the organizers for their exceptional work supporting our LGBTQ+ community in Richmond and beyond!
Saturday, May 4
Delegate Delores McQuinn, a breast cancer survivor and long-time supporter of our Advocacy work, hosted a Community Resource Fair for her local constituents at New Ridge Baptist Church. As the church’s former pastor, this was an event close to her heart, and we were happy to support her efforts by hosting our resource table. Despite the cloudy weather, the day was a great success, featuring 25 local organizations and vendors. Delegate McQuinn highlighted the importance of community connections and welcomed Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney Shannon L. Taylor, who addressed the crowd and expressed gratitude to our first responders supporting the event. We are deeply thankful for Delegate McQuinn’s ongoing support and her incredible efforts within our community!
Volunteer Highlights
We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of our volunteers who have selflessly dedicated their time and efforts to support our cause this year. Your contributions are invaluable and make a significant difference in the lives of those we serve. Thank you!
Earlier this school year, 8th-grade student Kennedy Parker’s class was assigned a Volunteer Service Project where students had to research a nonprofit of their choice and volunteer with the organization to learn more about how organizations like ours operate to help folks in need. Not only did Kennedy sew us more heart-shaped comfort pillows for our support kits, but she also traveled down to Richmond from Maryland with her mom, Dr. Lavonia Parker, to help bundle Support Kits and other items we needed help with in our office. She followed up her project by interviewing Nikki about her Operations & Resource Coordinator role and why she is passionate about her work with VBCF. This young advocate’s support truly inspires us. Keep up the great work, Kennedy!
On May 7, Nikki hosted our first in-person Volunteer Social & Bundling Session of the year here at VBCF HQ. Each year, we mail out thousands of free breast education materials to anyone who requests them in Virginia, and we couldn’t accomplish what we do without the support of our community. We invited old & new volunteers to a casual afternoon with refreshments & music, where they assisted with bundling our 50 packs of stickers, emery boards, and resource cards. This small but mighty got a lot done and enjoyed sharing their stories, all of whom were breast cancer survivors.
Are you inspired by our work and want to make a difference? Join our Volunteer Program today and be part of our mission to raise awareness and support those affected by breast cancer. Sign up here!
Want to hear more about what we’ve been up to with our Advocacy?
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