In this post, I am going to talk
about why I believe that the class should donate to Sharsheret. In
hebrew, Sharsheret means chain meaning that they link people together. Sharsheret is an organization dedicated to
helping woman diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer. It was founded in
2001 after a Jewish woman named Rochelle Shoretz was diagnosed with breast
cancer. Rochelle lived in a very close
knit Jewish community in New Jersey and when she was diagnosed, many members of
the community reached out to her and cooked her meals and help with her kids.
Sharsheret’s mission is to offer a community of support to all Jewish
woman from all backgrounds and all religious levels. Sharsheret is primarily a Jewish organization
but also helps woman of all religious backgrounds as well.
Sharsheret
connects with patients with mental health professionals and genetic counselors
to speak privately anytime throughout the entire experience with cancer.
They also connect women who are newly diagnosed with woman who have
the same diagnosis or woman who have experienced it and beat the cancer. They also help women cope with the side effects
of chemo and radiation and send patients their best face forward kit which is
mailed directly to patients and is an easy to use makeup kit for people who are
suffering from hair loss and change in skin tone. These are just three of
the many things that sharsheret does to help women diagnosed with breast and
ovarian cancer.
One way that
Sharsheret raises money is through team Sharsheret. Team Sharsheret is an
athletic initiative that supports all of their programs by raising awareness
and funds. People run for team sharsheret in the Jerusalem marathon, New
York City marathon, the panasonic New York City triathlon among other races.
They hold events every month and are always trying to find new ways to
raise money and awareness.
This organization is close to me as
one of my best friend's mothers was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was in
middle school and my community all came together and offered all the help we
possible could. Every year many people in my community walk in a 10k for
team sharsheret in support of the organization and to raise breast cancer
awareness. Every year my mom walks a 10k
with my friend’s mother who was diagnosed for team sharsheret. Also, I
understand the strain the disease can have on a family. My grandfather is currently going through
chemo (he’s going to make a full recovery), and nothing makes him happier than
when my parents and younger brother go to his house or when I call him on the
phone from school. All the money donated to Sharsheret goes to the 12
national programs that they provide for free to the woman and families that
they support. Sharsheret offers so much
help in so many different ways and any amount of money helps the cause.
Thank you for
reading my post and I hope that you guys decide to donate to Sharsheret.
Hi Zach,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog post about Sharsheret. It’s an amazing organization that is truly dedicated to helping young women and families who are affected by breast cancer. What I find most interesting about Sharsheret, is that it has a huge variety of informational and supportive resources about breast cancer listed on their website. A great aspect about the organization is that not only does it provide resources such as breast cancer kits and other educational resources, Sharsheret also can connect young women diagnosed with a clinical team made up of mental health professionals to help them with any problems they may be facing, which you mentioned in your post. Additionally, with their Peer Supporter Network program women all over the country can connect to discuss their issues, concerns, or sentiments about themselves and families. I find these supportive programs to be beneficial because many times, women are left without the necessary resources that can help them truly cope with their disease.
I have now been a proud supporter of Sharsheret for the second year because it happens to be one of my sorority’s national philanthropies. Every year, we plan, organize, and participate at least 1 large event in order to fundraise for this great organization. This year we organized and participated in a Pink Day Fundraiser called the “Cake Race.” The whole week preceding the event we tabled in the union handing out fliers about Sharsheret’s mission and selling phone case pockets. For the Cake Race, we sold tickets and collected money from participants. All in all, we were able to raise over $1000 for such a great organization. Additionally, if anyone is interested, another Panhellenic sorority is hosting their annual “Fashion For a Cure” fashion show with Chabad this Thursday. So far they have already raised more than $7,000 for their $10,000 goal. If you're interested in donating or attending, I’ll attach the link.
For anyone who is still not fully convinced, I will attach the link for Sharsheret on Charity Navigator. It has an overall four star rating as well as financial rating of 99.17 out of 100 and finally, an accountability and transparency rating of 100. It’s an amazing organization that is significantly dedicated to help change the lives of many young women and their families who have been affected by breast cancer. Thank you Zach for sharing your stories and Sharsheret with the class!
https://binghamton.campuslabs.com/engage/event/1901671
https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=11562
https://secure.qgiv.com/event/931858/
Hi Zach,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I just want to say that I was quite impressed with your presentation in class today about sharsheret. Both unfortunately and fortunately, sharsheret has helped many women and their families, specifically in my community. I have seen first hand the incredible events, opportunities, and disciplines this organization covers. I think the name of the organization itself has a powerful indication of its success. Sharsheret, as you mentioned, is the hebrew word for a necklace or a chain.
The simplest definition of a chain is an item that links one person to another. However, I would like to expand on that definition in hopes of showing another true intention of Sharsheret.
Each human being has a set of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). He or she has 23 chromosomes from his or her mother, and 23 chromosomes from his or her father. At the time of his or her fertilization, these double-helixed strands of information replicate, cross over each other, and produce new combinations of the information which preceded it. The abilities of phenotypic expression in DNA is quite infamous. An example is a gene known as BRCA. This gene has the possibility to become activated at any time and activate cancer in the tissue of a breast. Its power is both horrid and tragic, however, luckily BRCA can be tested for. This information can help women and their daughters ensure their health and well being (which is a service Sharsheret provides). BRCA is one example of a differing unit in DNA, there are many others that can have positive effects on a human being.
Even though their are such specific different physiological details that are coded for by each person's DNA, everyone is actually quite similar. In fact, 99.9% of a person's DNA is exactly like every other human being. What differs, or the other 0.1%, defines an individual. It makes him or her unique. Even when the 0.1% activates a gene that does not turn out for the best, that person is still unique--- still a part of the "chain". Sharsheret's mission is to preserve the chain. This unique chain has endless combinations. Some, as we know, unfortunate. However each one is as beautiful as the other, and can be either encouraged or overcome with strength. This is exactly what a woman, her family, and her community needs to know during a time of crisis.
For more information:
DNA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc2wbIDfO7E
BRCA: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics/brca-fact-sheet
Sharsheret: https://sharsheret.org/
99.9%: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1416706/DNA-survey-finds-all-humans-are-99.9pc-the-same.html