ABCD Mentor Founds “Cynthia’s Breast Cancer Giving Circle, Inc.”
Its goal: Supplement Financial Needs of Cancer Patients

Cynthia Hooker is a committed ABCD mentor. Like all of our mentors and those who turn to ABCD for support, she understands the power of one-to-one. She has focused the principle of one person helping another on the issue of coping with financial stress accompanying a cancer diagnosis.

“Cynthia’s Breast Cancer Giving Circle, Inc.” is a new 501(c)3 non-profit organization and it is accepting its first round of applications. The deadline for this round of applications is October 31, 2011.

The giving circle aspires to “supplement financial needs of cancer patients,” says Cynthia. The focus is to help with basic living and medical expenses. Those eligible to apply for help are:

• Uninsured or underinsured women or men who are 18 years or older
• Cancer patients undergoing medical treatment
• Residents of Southeast Wisconsin (Jefferson, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha Counties)

To ask additional questions or request an application should contact 414.828.8689.

To download an application, visit the giving circle’s web site: www.cbcgc.org.

Walk/run with ABCD mentors, participants, friends & families Sunday, September 25th as we once again join in the Race for the Cure. Registration is now open at www.komensoutheastwi.org and the team name is ‘ABCD Team’.

Please be sure to have your t-shirts mailed directly to you. Race details will be forwarded to each team member at a later date.

If you have compassionate listening skills that cause people turn to them for support…

If you believe that speaking with someone who has already experienced breast cancer – as a patient or as a patient’s loved one – can help relieve stress or be a source of vital information…

Or if you simply want to learn more about general volunteer opportunities with ABCD…

Then, please consider joining us for our April 13^th Open House and/or our May Mentor Training programs.

• April 13^th, 6:00pm – 7:30pm ABCD’s first Open House – Summit Place, West Allis
  An opportunity to learn about ABCD’s distinctive one-to-one support and all the activities behind the scenes that make mentoring strong!  Anyone interested in ABCD generally or learning about volunteer opportunities (including but more than mentoring) is welcome.
• May 14^th & 21^st New Mentor Training in Milwaukee
  Our new two-day format begins in the morning through early afternoon and includes free breakfast and lunch.

ABCD New Mentor Training, open to all breast cancer survivors and co-survivors, provides new mentors with the knowledge and skills needed to offer support to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, and their families and friends, in one-to-one customized mentoring matches.

Sessions include:

• Updates from a local breast cancer doctor on what’s new in breast cancer treatment.
• Information on how to recognize depression and other common issues confronting those affected by breast cancer – and how to encourage them to seek help.
• Tools on how to take care of yourself during the mentor process.
• Opportunities to learn and practice effective communications skills.
• Tips and guidance based on real experience from established ABCD mentors.
• Guidance about the legal and ethical issues involved with being an ABCD mentor.

Anyone who has experienced breast cancer as patient, family or friend is welcome to train as an ABCD mentor.  Previous contact with ABCD is not necessary.

Please note:  generally, being one year from diagnosis is advisable before training as a mentor.  However, if you are currently in treatment and interested in being part of ABCD, we encourage you to attend our Open House.  If you’d like to discuss the situation in more detail, please call us.

Advance registration is required.

For more information about becoming a mentor, or to register for a training program, please contact us by telephone or email:

(414) 918-9222 ♦ (800) 977-4121 ♦ abcdinc@abcdmentor.org

Oconomowoc Woman’s Club loves the Packers and ABCD on Ladies Night Out!

The Oconomowoc Woman’s Club will raffle off a football signed by our Super Bowl Champs – the Green Bay Packers – to benefit ABCD.

You and your buddies can have a terrific time shopping, sipping and snacking at the sixth annual Ladies Night Out sponsored by the Oconomowoc Woman’s Club. Overflowing with fun, this fantastic evening of specialty shopping for a good cause features over 50 vendors selling jewelry, decorative clothing, household decor, gardening items, salon specialties, accessories and more.

Oh…and there is this raffle going on that night, too. First prize for the raffle is a football signed by the Packers 2010-11, champions of Super Bowl XLV!

When: February 9th from 6 pm until 9 pm
Where: Country Springs Hotel in the Grand Salon and Foyer, Pewaukee, WI
Tickets: $15.00 in advance or $20.00 at the door

The evening includes free hors d’oevers and door prizes. A raffle and a cash bar will be available and all the proceeds benefit ABCD.

For further information and ticket sales contact Nancy Andrews at 262-965-5171 or Kris Naber at 414-573-0222

ABCD will have an information table and ABCD mentors will be on hand to answer questions about getting one-to-one breast cancer support or about how to become a mentor.

Many thanks to the Oconomowoc Woman’s Club for continuing its traditional support of ABCD. Third-party events like this one are vital to ABCD’s work – while the community raises funds, ABCD stays focused on one-to-one support! It’s always a team effort…thank you for being part of it!

February 1st kicks off One-to-One hearts at all nine metro area Sendik’s stores. For three months ABCD will promote its free services through this remarkable partnership.

During February, March and April, customers at all Balistreri Owned and Operated Sendik’s Food Markets will have the opportunity to learn more about ABCD’s one-to-one support for those impacted by breast cancer. They will also enjoy special opportunities to be part of the one-to-one team by supporting ABCD’s work.

First up is the romantic take on one-to-one support. Top quality Valentine’s chocolates will be available at each check out register as a “thank you” for every dollar donated to ABCD. Additional promotions will be announced in the coming weeks and can be tracked at www.sendiksmarket.com.

In the past, opportunities to support ABCD have included a chance to win a car, special environmentally friendly thermal cups, and tasty one-to-one in-store promotions, such as the one-to-one ice cream sale. ABCD is also featured in Sendik’s “Real Food” magazine for Winter 2011, sales proceeds of which benefit ABCD.

ABCD is a grateful Charitable Partner of Balistreri Owned and Operated Sendik’s Food Markets, which is known throughout the metro area as a top quality grocer with a distinctive approach to community engagement – not to mention its signature red grocery bags. In fact, Sendik’s was recognized by the Milwaukee Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals as “2009 Corporate Philanthropist of the Year” for its collaborative engagement with ABCD and other area charities.

Thank you Sendik’s!

B93.3 presents another generous donation to ABCD. Pictured left to right - Julie Davidson, Bill Hurwitz B93.3 General Manager, Ginny Finn ABCD Executive Director, Jane & CV, and station Program Director Stan Atkinson.

ABCD kicked-off breast cancer awareness month with B93.3 Milwaukee and its second annual “Call to Care Radiothon” to reach out and raise awareness of ABCD and funds for its one-to-one mentoring program – personalized breast cancer support for patients families and friends. Because of the radio station’s all day broadcast over $6,500 was raised and thousands learned of ABCD’s program – dozens of them calling for further information or to volunteer.

In fact, during every day in October ABCD joined with Southeast Wisconsin businesses and organizations raising money, recruiting new volunteers and offering on the spot support at multiple health fairs and outreach events. Perhaps you spoke with an ABCD mentor or our staff at one of these locations anytime during October –

• Brighton Collectibles at Mayfair Mall
• Neroli Institute of Beauty
• The Pink Suite at Marcus Corporation’s Intercontinental Hotel

October 9th included a terrific benefit concert at Fiddleheads Coffee Café in Cedarburg with the Mission River Band. Later in the month, ABCD could be found collaborating with GE Medical – Waukesha, Glo Salon, Buddy Squirrel, Educators Credit Union, Sisters Network-Milwaukee Gift of Life Walk, Jane Cremer Breast Cancer Education Sessions in Racine and Kenosha, Brown County Women’s Health Fair in Green Bay, Calvary Baptist Church’s Mildred Leigh Gold Outreach Day, Harpo’s Hair Salon, P&H Mining, Derco Aerospace, Harley-Davidson Motor Company Wellness Rally, Elmgrove Women’s Club, Rummage-O-Rama at Wisconsin State Fair Park and the Wisconsin Health Fund Information Fair.

A special thank you to the Zacher family who held an night of laughter to remember their (and our) beloved, Bunny Zacher, at Comedy Sportz. The family generously donated all proceeds to ABCD so that mentoring, which Bunny did exquisitely, continues to have much needed support.

Indeed, breast cancer awareness month started in September for ABCD. We were honored to be part of the Opening Doors training event for Health Promoters with the Milwaukee Latino Health Coalition and, of course, a proud ABCD team participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Milwaukee’s Lakefront on September 26th.

All in all a great time – and now we are ready for November and Mentor Training in West Allis and Green Bay. Click Here for more information.

A big ABCD thank you to all!

Be there one-to-one for someone dealing with breast cancer

When you hear the words “you have breast cancer” you need a solid medical team and personalized support. The same is true if your mother, sister, wife or other loved one is diagnosed with the disease.

You may need that support from the beginning of your journey or at any time during treatment, or after initial treatment is complete and you are building your “new normal” life.  ABCD mentors assure that no one need take this journey alone.  Mentors are matched one-to-one to provide breast cancer support – patient to patient or loved-one to loved-one.

If you have been through a breast cancer journey – as patient, family or friend – and you are looking for a way to share your compassion in a personal way, consider becoming an ABCD mentor.  The process is easy and you will join a corps of the most amazing volunteers you will ever meet.  Not sure if you are ready?  You can still learn more and decide later. Click here for more details on how to become an ABCD mentor.  Orientation and training sessions happen throughout the year and throughout the state.

November 6, 13 & 20, 2010

New Mentor Training

8:45am – 12:45pm

Summit Place, West Allis

November 6 & 13, 2010
New Mentor Training 
Continuing Education for trained mentors (11/13 only)

8:45am – 2:45pm

Triumph Cancer Resource Center, De Pere

Reservations are required for all training programs

Food and beverages will be served

Join us October 9th from 6-8pm for a terrific acoustic concert and great coffee all to support ABCD’s programs.

Mission River Band and Fiddleheads Coffee team up again to support ABCD during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Join the fun on Saturday October 9 from 6 to 8 pm at Fiddleheads Coffee shop, W62 N605 Washington Avenue, Cedarburg, WI. Learn more about this amazing local band at www.missionriverband.com . Great tunes, great coffee and great fun join together to raise funds in support of people affected by breast cancer – patients, families and friends. www.fiddleheadscoffee.com

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, B93.3 will be holding their 2nd Annual Call to Care Radiothon to support After Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD). Call to Care coverage will begin at 6am and run until 7pm on Friday, October 1st. Make sure to listen all day as B93.3 will have lined up a lot of great items that you may bid on by calling B93.3 at (414) 434-6110. All proceeds from the items will go directly to ABCD.

Twelve months ago, we were launching a year-long celebration of “A Decade of the Power of One-to-One.” Now, we are well into the first year of “Decade Two.”

Read our 2010 Summer Newsletter (1MB PDF)