WOMEN ROCK

Women Rock has four main areas of focus, our Images of Hope, Provisions of Hope, and Breast Friends Survivor Support programs, and Breast Cancer Education Community Outreach which seek to address the nation’s need for early detection and accessibility routes to preventing tragic breast cancer outcomes. Through free mammograms, Women Rock’s Images of Hope intends to close the survival gap between those with private insurance and those with inadequate insurance or no insurance at all. Images of Hope will enable more underinsured and uninsured women obtain breast imaging services. The Images of Hope program provides funding for life-saving mammograms, breast imaging services, biopsies, and other diagnostic screening services. Images of Hope funds Women Rock’s Breast Cancer Education & Community Outreach program which encourages breast health education in low socioeconomic communities. The Outreach Program operates a unique mobile breast cancer awareness and education station which provides hands on training within rural, under-reached communities. With our education station, we can spread knowledge with more mobility, bringing breast cancer awareness education to the people. The Provisions of Hope Program financially supports those diagnosed with breast cancer. By providing funding for utility bills, gas, groceries, and other everyday essentials, Women Rock can help alleviate the financial burden that many of those diagnosed with breast cancer encounter. The COVID pandemic has exacerbated financial challenges, and the cost of battling cancer on top of everyday expenses can monetarily devastate a family. Working personally with these clients to find out their greatest needs, Women Rock establishes close relationships with them to help during this most difficult time of diagnosis and treatment. Women Rock recognizes the need to establish support for those recently diagnosed, those going through treatment, and long-term survivors. As such, Women Rock formed the Breast Friends Survivor Support program, the only cancer survivor group in the Texoma area with a focus solely on breast cancer. The Survivor Support program provides peer to peer understanding of physical and emotional issues to help clients not only cope and live with a breast cancer, but learn how to love life again.

The need for education of services available, and Post- care assistance are crucial to our community. Our organization helps provide a nourishing and supportive infrastructure to breast cancer screening and early detection. The education component is particularly meaningful because it elevates the project impact beyond a short-lived quest to simply provide for those who cannot provide for themselves. By teaching women about the importance of early detection as well as self-examination techniques, Images of Hope will cultivate long-lasting personal responsibility as an additional defense against loss of life due to breast cancer. While conducting the successful Images of Hope program, which reaches out to women to equip them with vital breast health education and free screening mammograms, it became obvious that those diagnosed through the program – or those who already had a diagnosis – were also in need of support and assistance. The Provisions of Hope program seeks to assist victims of breast cancer with conservative financial support to help them overcome the loss of income from time away from work due to chemotherapy and other treatment schemes. Provisions of Hope will pay for general living expenses that cover such items as transportation, utility bills, rent, and food for the victims and their families. Many of the people we provide assistance for are single parents, caretakers and sole breadwinners. Amount of funding is based on specific needs. In addition, Insufficient mammography screening leads to breast cancer being diagnosed at later stages, a factor that increases the breast cancer mortality rate. “Later stage at diagnosis for cervical, breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer among patients who are uninsured or who have Medicaid insurance can be explained in part by lower access to and/or use of cancer screening services," finds the ACS. Because breast cancer is diagnosed at later stages among those lacking adequate insurance compared to those who are fully insured, the under and uninsured are less likely to survive breast cancer than those with private insurance. Unlike other organizations or aid opportunities for breast cancer patients, Women Rock doesn’t stop support after creating access to screening services. Women Rock’s programs are unique in how they walk hand-in-hand with clients from the education stage to a diagnosis, to treatment, and hopefully, survivorship. Through the emotional and financial support of Women Rock, clients are confident they can access their next treatment without having to worry about rent, childcare, or if their diet is supporting their treatment. Women Rock removes these barriers to ensure no women is left behind due to financial or accessibility challenges.

Community partnerships allow us to create opportunities to provide free screening mammograms and education on breast health and early detection of breast cancer for those in need in our community. Women Rock is a sustainable organization with a wide volunteer base, and a history of successful fundraising. As our community outreach continues to increase, more screening mammograms will be provided, and more lives will be saved through early detection. Women Rock holds agreements with local hospitals and health care providers for the Images of Hope and Provisions of Hope Programs. Women Rock works informally with other health care advocates, family, friends, and community leaders to promote breast cancer awareness and the early detection of breast cancer, as well as providing support to those diagnosed with breast cancer in our community. Through these community partners and attendance in community events throughout the year, Women Rock, provides education, receives client referrals, and fulfills requests for assistance. Women Rock maintains relationships with Texoma Medical Clinic Breast Care Center, the Grayson County Health Clinic, Solis Mammography centers, and Wilson N. Jones Regional Medical Center Women's Center to provide services. We also have informal agreements with Moncrief Cancer Institute, The Bridge Breast Network, and The Sarah Cannon Nurse Navigator group to cross refer clients as needed. Recent lapses in funding experienced by both The Bridge and Moncrief have resulted in increased collaboration with these and Women Rock to bridging the gap in services by referring clients to Women Rock, ensuring that women do not have to go without potentially lifesaving exams. However, the Bridge Network has identified trends of more women under 40 are being diagnosed at a later stage, in conjunction with increased referrals from North Texas for assistance services. In addition to creating tight-knit, supportive communities for individuals who are at risk for, currently battling, or a survivor of breast cancer, Women Rock believes in cultivating community opportunities and growth within their local Sherman-Denison area. Through diverse community partnerships, Women Rock fosters interpersonal relationships ranging from service

Progress is marked by meeting the ongoing challenges our community faces by providing a caring and supportive infrastructure that can carry out our mission and meet demands year after year. Women Rock has successfully met the need of those in our community and added additional programs and types of support as the need has arisen. Women Rock has realized an increase in services provided each and every year since our beginning. Community support is essential in continuing to meet the need and growth and to grow our geographical footprint.