By Pamela A. Zinkosky
While a breast cancer diagnosis may seem to make the world stop, life actually goes on. Mortgage, utility and car payment bills continue to come, and food still has to be put on the table. But for many women, mounting medical bills make it hard to meet other financial obligations.
That’s where Shades of Pink Foundation, a local 501(c)3 organization, comes in. The Foundation provides financial assistance with household bills, transportation, childcare, tuition and other obligations so that a woman can use the necessary resources to get medical treatment.
“It allows the woman to focus on her medical needs,” says Dr. Pamela Benitez, a breast cancer surgeon who co-founded Shades of Pink with Susan Krueger back in 2005. “We can provide the funds for food, utility bills, gas, and that frees up her budget,” she says.
“It’s like we get them over a hump,” explains Benitez, who says Shades of Pink helps only women newly diagnosed with breast cancer who live in Southeastern Michigan. “We give them enough to get them through.”
In 2010 – the organization’s fifth year of operations — Shades of Pink Foundation provided $75,000 in assistance to 60 women with breast cancer. All told, Shades of Pink has provided $150,000 to $200,000 in financial assistance, Benitez says.
The funding comes from private fundraisers in which Shades of Pink is the beneficiary, as well as private donations and major events put on by the Foundation itself like the upcoming Shades of Pink Walk, which last year included 800 walkers, 75 of whom registered onsite during the pouring rain, Benitez says.
This year’s Shades of Pink Walk is on April 28 at the Detroit Zoo. The registration fee is $25 for participants ages 6-17 and $35 for those over 17. Children under 6 can walk for free. For their registration fee, walkers get to choose a 1, 3 or 6-mile walk and get a day at the zoo, a t-shirt and a pin. There are also raffles for prizes, food and shopping, courtesy of corporate sponsors who underwrite the event. This year, walkers can also form teams and collect pledges for Shades of Pink. Benitez says she’s hoping for 1,500 or so walkers this time around.
While Shades of Pink is just one of many organizations dedicated to helping women with breast cancer, Benitez says it’s very special for one particular reason. “We’re all volunteers,” she says. “So the money that someone gives will go directly to a woman in need in the community. It’s staying here in Southeastern Michigan.”
Shades of Pink operates with the help of some 90 volunteers who handle administrative tasks and organize the events. “Nobody’s getting paid a salary,” says Benitez. “It’s all the result of blood, sweat and tears of the people who’ve jumped on board with our mission.”
Shades of Pink works through social workers in hospitals who evaluate patients’ financial needs and determine where they need help. A Shades of Pink client committee then pays the appropriate bills directly, which ensures that the organization knows exactly where its funds are going. It also maintains anonymity for women who want it. Board members like Benitez might know the initials of those who received financial aid in order to explain to the public where the money is going, but not the full names of beneficiaries.
In addition to its upcoming walk, Shades of Pink will be hosting a fun event in May, and details are coming soon on that, Benitez says.
Right now, Benitez is looking for exposure so that those in need know about Shades of Pink. “We have money to give away,” she says. Individuals seeking help can contact Shades of Pink directly through its Web site at www.shadesofpinkfoundation.org, and they’ll be directed to the appropriate social work channels for financial evaluation, she says.
Find more information about Shades of Pink at www.shadesofpinkfoundation.org. Online registration for the April 28 walk will be available soon.
