Finding an Agreement Between Heart and Head with The Breast Cancer Charities of America

Much of our class discussion has revolved around finding a balance between using the heart and using the head to guide donations of time and of money. Although the charity I am pitching is one that initially spoke to my heart, I hope that I can effectively convey the reasons The Breast Cancer Charities of America spoke to my head as well. In the fall of 2011, my mother was diagnosed with Stage II Breast Cancer. That same fall, my father was also diagnosed with cancer. Fortunately, his was not as progressed as my mother's. Although I was only in seventh grade at the time, these events have had an immense impact on my values and shaped the way that I donate my money and time. My parents are both fighters and I am so blessed to be able to say that they are both cancer survivors. However, many families are not so lucky. Cancer does not cut anyone a break or discriminate. It didn't when it made both of my parents sick at the same time. Unfortunately, cancer will touch the lives of nearly every person in our class at some point, and we should consider putting our fundraising efforts this week towards aiding patients, families, and survivors.

When looking into charities for this assignment, I knew that I wanted to pick an organization that was making strides to eradicate this awful disease, but also providing services for the families who have to go through it. I also knew I wanted to choose a charity with a large scope. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women, behind skin cancer. It is also the second most fatal to women. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. This statistic increases greatly if your mother had breast cancer or anyone in your family has the gene. In my research, I came across an article that really helped to inform my decision on a breast cancer organization which would match my own values and standards. The article spoke about breast cancer awareness month in October and how some "pink ribbon" purchases made in support may be very misleading to consumers. Susan G. Komen is generally the charity behind many of these partnerships. In one instance in which they partnered with American Express for an "every dollar counts" campaign, it was revealed that regardless of how much money customers spent, only one penny was donated per transaction. Additionally, only 20% of their funds go towards research. I wanted to advocate for a charity that is transparent, values research, and puts their funding directly towards those in need. 

 The Breast Cancer Charities of America is an organization that strikes a balance between allocating resources for research and funding meaningful programming for patients. In addition to providing services and aid to women and men across the nation, this charity is the only one I came across which focused on integrated cancer care. They take a holistic approach to providing services in that they give aid for patients who need help with affording and traveling to treatments, but also focus on the whole person and offer services to take care of the mind and spirit as well as the body. This is shown through including a diverse array of programs, some focused on providing financial relief such as the Help Now Fund, and others focused on emotional well-being such as the Feeling Beautiful Again Program. Their mission is unique as they place value on aiding patients throughout their battle, from diagnosis to survivorship. Additionally, they have a Medical Mission fund established to provide screenings, mammograms, and healthcare services overseas in impoverished nations. The Breast Cancer Charities of America is a transparent organization which provides holistic services for patients and survivors across the lifespan. While they provide financial support to medically treat this awful disease, the programs that they fund treat the entire person as well.