A Giant Thank You to Beth Gaudette of GOH Spa in Woburn who Hosted our Wonderful 2016 Retreat for our Support Group Members! 

2nd Annual Evening of Remembrance held November November 6, 2016 in Wilmington, MA.  An evening of dinner, music, interactive tributes and unique memory stone crafts to honor our brother and sisters who have passed. 

Sponsored by the

A Giant Thank You to The Light of Dawn for their generosity to Hope and Friendship 2016!  A fun night at Saugus Elks celebrating the life of Dawn with her husband, children, family and friends.

October 13, 2016 Pink Game Chelmsford vs. Billerica High School Girls Soccer to support Hope and Friendship!  Thank you!

Thank you Kick Cancer Stoneham and the Wilmington High School Girls for supporting Hope and Friendship at the Pink Game on September 27, 2016!

On October 7, 2016, 200+ audience members in Stoneham learned about the most aggressive form of breast cancer, Inflammatory Breast Cancer, in loving memory of wife and mom, Louise. 

Know and share the symptoms:  rapid, unusual increase in breast size; breast heaviness, soreness, aching or stabbing pain; redness, rash, blotchiness or warmth of breast skin; a “bug bite” or “bruise” that doesn’t go away; persistent itching of breast or nipple; skin ridging, thickening or dimpling like an orange peel; nipple discharge, flattening, retracting or change in color; or swollen lymph nodes under the arm or above the collar bone.  See your health care provider immediately.  Get a proper diagnosis by biopsy. 

The Burlington Health Fair was a huge success!  Thank you for all who came out for a great event and a big thank you to Linda for representing Hope and Friendship!

Charity Girls of Northeast Massachusetts Honor Hope and Friendship  Metastatic Breast Cancer Foundation

Jude Martino and AJ, Charity Girls; Heather, Hope and Friendship Metastatic Breast Cancer Foundation

Charity Girls of Northeast Massachusetts Distributes $16,500 to Community Organizations

Local women’s philanthropy group has distributed over $90,000 in its six years to twenty-four different non-profit charitable organizations North of Boston.

NORTHEAST, Mass., November, 2015 – The Charity Girls of Northeast Massachusetts, an innovative philanthropic group of women from the greater North Shore and Merrimack Valley, met recently to distribute the collective $16,500 raised during the past year. A representative of each of the six deserving North of Boston charitable organizations received a check at a celebratory dinner on December 3^rd in Georgetown.  “Charity Girls of Northeast, Massachusetts is extremely pleased to be able to distribute grants that will enhance the programs of several organizations North of Boston. Participating in this group provides a tangible opportunity to positively impact our communities,” said Jude Martino, Founder, Charity Girls of Northeast Massachusetts.

The Charity Girls of Northeast Massachusetts is an innovative philanthropic group of two dozen women from the greater North Shore and Merrimack Valley. Started by Jude Martino as a creative way to support non-profit organizations in her community, and imitating a similar group in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Charity Girls is modeled after a traditional giving circle that allows members to collectively raise money, decide on the use of those funds, and make donations to charities of their choice.

In return for a year-long commitment and a monthly donation, each member enjoys a tax-deductible dinner with friends and the ability to be a philanthropist in her community. Members team up to host one dinner per year in their homes, and invite a local charity to present to the group. Annually, the Charity Girls vote to grant a portion of their combined funds to causes of their choice.

The Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF) collects the pooled donations and manages the fund affording the group the benefits of non-profit status without the administrative tasks involved. The Charity Girls NEMA Fund was established at ECCF in October 2009, and the first dinner was held in November of that year.

By the end of 2015, its sixth year, Charity Girls had raised and distributed a total of $91,500 to twenty-four different non-profit charitable organizations.

Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day March 13th

Hope & Friendship Metastatic Breast Cancer Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit and a local resource offering FREE services to individuals and families affected by metastatic breast cancer.

13 Facts Everyone Should Know about Metastatic Breast Cancer

1. No one dies from breast cancer that remains in the breast. Metastasis occurs when cancerous cells travel to a vital organ and that is what threatens life.

2. Metastasis refers to the spread of cancer to different parts of the body, typically the bones, liver, lungs and brain.

3. An estimated 155,000 Americans are currently living with metastatic breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer accounts for approximately 40,000 deaths annually in the U.S.

4. Treatment for metastatic breast cancer is life long and focuses on control of the disease and quality of life.
5. About 6% to 10% of people are Stage IV from their initial diagnosis.

6. 20% to 30% of people initially diagnosed with early stage disease will develop metastatic breast cancer.

7. Early detection does not guarantee a cure. Metastatic breast cancer can occur 5, 10 or 15 years after a person’s original diagnosis, even with successful treatment, checkups and annual mammograms.

8. Young people, as well as men, can be diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.

9. Like early stage breast cancer, there are different types of metastatic breast cancer.

10. Treatment choices are guided by breast cancer type, location and extent of metastasis in the body, previous treatments, and other factors.

11. Metastatic breast cancer is not an immediate death sentence. Although most people will ultimately die of their disease, some will live for many years.

12. The average life expectancy for patients diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer is
2-3 years. Every patient and their disease are unique.

13. To learn more about National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day on March 13th and to access resources specifically for people living with metastatic breast cancer and their caregivers, visit http://mbcn.org/