History
CREW Pittsburgh has a long history of supporting
women with cancer. Through the years, members have participated in the American
Cancer Society Daffodil Days, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, and the
National Ovarian Cancer Coalition's Walk for the
Whisper, among many others.
In 2003, CREW members contacted the American Cancer
Society (ACS) to find out how we could better support them through the Look
Good, Feel Better program. As we learned what women newly diagnosed with
cancer were going through, we began to consider what might provide comfort to
them at this early stage of their treatment. We assembled our first satchels,
which included a turban and support literature, and that year we gave out 200
Satchels to women participating in the American Cancer Society’s Program. In
2004 we distributed an additional 240 Satchels: 220 were distributed through the
American Cancer Society and the other 20 to individuals and friends.
Early in our Program, we
received the following letter which confirmed our need to expand:
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“I attended the
“Look Good Feel Better” program, and won the Satchel as one of the door
prizes. It is a great program and one you should be proud to be a part of.
More are needed, as everyone should have gotten one… I can admire the bag
and have shown it around to a lot of people. Thank you for the turbans, as
I wear them while my hair is falling out… Please share my note with all the
other people who are making the Satchels, as you never know how many people
can be affected by one Satchel. You make them with love, and love is
distributed with each piece that is given away by me or someone else. I
wish I could sew, or drive, so I could help make them. It’s a wonderful
idea, and it is really needed, as I felt “womanly” carrying my satchel and
showing it off (thus taking attention off me and my appearance for just a
little while). Thank you and continue to produce them.” - Theresa
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After reading this
letter, we made a commitment that if one member of a group was to receive our
Satchel, we would have enough available so that every member present could also
be given one.
In late 2004, we formed CREW Pittsburgh Foundation,
a 501(c) 3 charity, to expand our efforts to assist women with cancer. In 2005,
we enlisted the help of Reiko Becker (link), a graphic designer who improved the
quality of the presentation of our inspirational poems and bookmarks. We also
used a consultant who suggested ways to improve our handmade scarf and
instructions for scarf tying and searched for new resources to obtain quality
items for inclusion in our satchels.
From 2003 to 2007, the
New You Program and its network of volunteers in Allegheny County has expanded
by 350%.
|
Year |
Satchels Distributed |
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2003 |
200 |
|
2004 |
240 |
|
2005 |
250 |
|
2006 |
610 |
|
2007 |
700 |
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Total to Date |
2,000 |
Through fundraising efforts, as well as corporate and individual donations, we
have been able to cover both administrative and production costs on the 2,000
satchels distributed to date. Yet statistics from American Cancer Society
indicate that we are only reaching 50% of the women participating in the Look
Good Feel Better Program in Allegheny County. Additionally, we have not even
begun to meet the needs of those receiving care at Magee, Allegheny General or
West Penn Hospitals or women with cancer who live in adjacent counties who do
not have similar, organized resources available to them.
Our goal for the future
is to continue our expansion throughout western Pennsylvania to reach as many
women as we can as early as possible in their diagnosis.
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