Women's Cancer Resource Center
The Women’s Cancer Resource Center improves equitable access to cancer information, support and care.

All of our services are free, and are funded entirely by charitable giving.

ENORMOUS THANKS to Page Hodel for gifting us with the use of these hearts from her Monday Hearts for Madelene project!

DONATE NOW!

Dear AmericanTowns.com,

Last week’s Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade has been weighing deeply on my heart. The ruling will impact millions of girls and women, and anyone who can become pregnant, including trans men.

The court’s decision will have far-reaching implications and will also be felt disproportionately by Black, Latino, and Indigenous people, immigrants, low-income individuals, and people residing in rural areas. Communities that have historically faced barriers in accessing health services due to systemic racism and discrimination will be even more deeply impacted.
For more than 36 years, WCRC has been providing culturally-informed care for women and our LGBTQIA+ communities.

Because when faced with a cancer diagnosis, the last thing a patient should be dealing with is other people’s discrimination.

Cancer care can involve countless visits with health multiple health care providers. For LGBTQIA+ patients, this can mean an endless process of “coming out.”At WCRC, we are proud to offer a safe space where individuals can show up fully as themselves and be welcomed. Our services are sought out by members of the queer community as a refuge.

This Pride Month, WCRC is honored to be recognized by the Horizons Foundation by being invited to take part in Give OUT Day, the national charitable campaign to support LGBTQIA+ causes and nonprofit organizations.

Will you support our clients and help provide judgement-free, identity-sensitive cancer care and information for all?

Make a gift HERE by midnight on June 30th to have your donation matched up to $15,000 by the Barlow Family! Come by and see us in person on Thursday, June 30th from 4 to 7 pm to receive your Give OUT Day goodie bag! Donations can also be made on-site.

Thank you for supporting WCRC as we work to advance health equity for all. We need you now more than ever as we work together to improve equitable access to care.

THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS!

We’re grateful to Safeway and its generous customers who donated to the Breast Cancer Research and Treatment fundraising campaign in April.

As their charity partner, we received a $28,000 grant in support of our Wellness Program.

Learn more about our Wellness Program HERE!

Enormous thanks to the 1440 Foundation, which has approved a project-based grant to WCRC in the amount of $50,000 to support the two additional support groups, one for caregivers and loved ones and a Latinx Services support group. Stay tuned for details!

WELCOME BACK TO WCRC!

After two years of totally virtual programming, WCRC held an Open House just before Pride Month to remind our community of clients, volunteers, and supporters what kind of services can be found at our center:
- Classes on mindfulness and healthy nutrition.
- Mental health relief through support groups and sessions with trained therapists.
- Assistance navigating often complicated healthcare systems and access to leading-edge clinical trials.

All 100% free of charge!

It was incredible to be in community together again! Special thanks to our community partner, Lazarex Foundation (left), for their presence with us.

We are looking forward to welcoming people back this summer as we introduce hybrid programming!

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Akshara Shankar is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley and has been volunteering in person at the Help Desk in the WCRC office since December 2021. She came to Berkeley from the East Coast.

What led you to volunteer at WCRC?
My grandpa was diagnosed with cancer when I was young. In high school I volunteered at the American Cancer Society and at a cancer wing in a hospital. I miss my grandfather, and since then I’ve been drawn to places that serve those with cancer.
Now that I’m in Berkeley, I want to know the resources here and help my new community, both people in treatment and survivors.

Why do you think volunteering is important?
I’ve been volunteering since I can remember, first following after my mom, then on my own. I learn so much from volunteering, different roles, serving with a community of like-minded people, learning from others who know more than I do, and building my character and personality to a different level.

How is volunteering different from other kinds of learning?
When I’m in my classes, it’s hardcore facts, learning about a subject. When I volunteer, I’m applying what I learn, in real world situations, activities that are actually occurring and not something that took place in the past. I can put my learning into action and learn how to handle different situations.

What would you like to tell someone considering volunteering at WCRC?
You absolutely should volunteer at WCRC! There are so many aspects to it and it is so crucial for the community, for example, the different resources it offers. It’s a great place to start to understand the needs of the community.

Vooha Kumar recently graduated from UC Berkeley and served as a Help Desk volunteer through UC Berkeley’s Health Science Internship (HSI) from January through April, 2022.

What led you to volunteer at WCRC?
I was able to list preferences for where I wanted to be placed for the Health Science Internship (HSI) and I wanted to work in the areas of women’s health and empowerment. Women face health disparities from birth and it really struck me how many health inequities exist just because you’re female. There’s so much unnecessary suffering because no one is putting in the time and resources to women’s health. As a woman, it means a lot to me and I wanted to address these inequities, to do something to help diminish them.

Why do you think volunteering is important?
There are systemic inequities, and until we have wide-spread equity, we can use volunteering to give back, as a way to use our privileges to give back to those who have fewer or different privileges.

What would you like to tell someone considering volunteering at WCRC?
Definitely do it. Everyone, and the environment is so lovely and involved, passionate and grateful. Be prepared to talk to clients, it can be hard because you may not know what’s important to do, connect with others who are different than you. The Help Desk is a great thing to do, I definitely highly recommend it.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Congratulations to our community partner, the Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project (QWOCMAP), for their 18th annual film festival!

QWOCMAP uses film to shatter stereotypes and bias, reveal the lived truth of inequality, and challenge the roots of inequity and injustice through art and activism. It fuels leadership and creativity, sparks awareness and galvanizes collective action, builds community and solidarity, forges learning and strengthens movements. It creates, exhibits, and distributes films that authentically reflect the lives and address the social justice issues of queer women of color.

As a community partner at the film festival, WCRC was proud to be represented by two beloved clients, Ayanna and Anna Maria, who brought greetings on the agency's behalf.