This inspiring post is from our Executive Director's cousin, Jo Gordon, with our thanks.

Several months after my dad died – 13 whiplash years ago – I was driving home from the gym one evening when a Josh Groban song began playing on the radio, Where You Are. Sitting at a red light, the mournful music washed over me. One verse gripped my heart, and squeezed and squeezed: Fly me up to where you are, beyond the distant star I wish upon tonight, to see you smile, if only for awhile to know you’re there, a breath away’s not far to where you are.

I started to cry in a way I hadn’t before – not on hearing the news of dad’s sudden death, not standing at his gravesite on a chilly Johannesburg morning as kaddish was recited, not at the prayer service that evening, not as I waded through his closet, setting aside small treasures and throwing out boxes of boxes and bags of bags; not even that impressive collection of emptiness that he had stored so fastidiously for so long had been my undoing. But this one line in this one song wrung me out.

Our homes are filled with plastics, and most of us don't really know what they're made of -- or whether they're safe. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has put together these tips to help you choose better plastics and plastic alternatives for your family:

• Why you should pick plastics carefully.
• How to choose and use safer plastics.
• Finding safer, non-plastic alternatives.

You are not alone if the social distancing requirements and complying with the need of living in a social bubble has left you feeling anxious, socially isolated and feeling depressed. You are among millions of people who are bearing the brunt of Covid-19’s psychological effects. Our exposure to the continuous feed of stimulating news and notifications over wifi devices, television and social media has made many of us, myself included, worry about the future. As a result, it has made us vulnerable emotionally and mentally. Adjusting to the new normal of being isolated was not easy. I found the thought of following the mundane routine daily with little or no avenues of recreation or in-person interaction made me anxious.

Mother/daughter team Karen and Maddie Loebbaka have been volunteering for Zero Breast Cancer’s Annual Dipsea Hike for 5 years—starting when Maddie was 11! Karen heard about the hike 6 years ago from a friend who is a breast cancer survivor and participated as a hiker the first year she was involved. Then, she and Maddie got interested in volunteering through the National Charity League, a nonprofit that promotes the benefits of mothers and daughters doing volunteer service together. If you’ve recently participated in the hike, you likely met them at the registration table, which they are well-experienced at running.

Waiting to see if your new pain, out of nowhere, will resolve itself. Waiting for the surgeon’s office to return your distress call. Waiting to hear when you can be squeezed into the jammed CT scan schedule. Waiting to eat because if they can fit you in today, you need to be fasting. Waiting in a room filled with other waiters, all stoically counting minutes until it’s their turn to be stuck, probed, imaged. The longest wait – waiting for results. Waiting for the medical team to decide what happens next. Listening to an internal clock, ticking in a terrible silence. Waiting.

The Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program (BCERP) website aims to make the latest scientific findings on the relationship between environmental exposures and breast cancer both accessible and actionable. Consisting of a transdisciplinary consortium of scientists, the BCERP is funded by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Environmental Sciences (NIEHS) and National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). With community partners, the BCERP researchers look at how environmental exposures during key life stages may increase risk of breast cancer. (Full disclosure: ZBC was a community partner in the past.)

When dealing with breast cancer, and looking to prevent breast cancer, the vast amount of information and the decisions that need to be made can be overwhelming. In 1999, Dr. Marisa Weiss, a renowned breast oncologist, founded breastcancer.org to address these needs. As a non-profit organization, breastcancer.org is dedicated to providing the most reliable, complete, and up-to-date information about breast cancer. It is an excellent resource.  Their mission is to help women and their loved ones make sense of the complex medical and personal information about breast health and breast cancer so that they can make the best decisions for their lives. The people behind breastcancer.org bring with them a diverse set of skills and experience, from medical experts, writers, editors, and business development experts, to designers and web producers. A Professional Advisory Board (PAB) reviews all the medical information on the website. The PAB includes over 70 practicing medical professionals from around the world who are leaders in their fields. Breastcancer.org also provides a Spanish translation of its pages on the website.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a non-profit organization whose mission is “to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. With breakthrough research and education, we drive consumer choice and civic action.” By providing integrated and detailed information on toxins in a variety of products, EWG encourages readers to advocate for themselves and their health by making educated purchasing decisions. Their staff covers a wide variety of disciplines, including a team of scientists, policy experts, lawyers, communication experts and programmers all focused on reducing our environmental exposures. In the past, they have found that their education efforts have enabled the public to put pressure on companies to remove potentially hazardous chemical ingredients as well as improving their overall practices. Overall, they diligently work to inform the public, provide specific tips to reduce exposure, and influence policy to create a healthier world for us all.

If you are a survivor, previvor or caregiver affected by a hereditary cancer, have ever wondered whether you should pursue genetic testing, or have tested positive for a mutation and wondering what the next steps are, Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE) has a website chock-full of information and resources. FORCE is a non-profit organization committed to promoting awareness, sharing current information, providing support, advocating for and supporting research, and building a community of research and medical experts to guide those who are dealing with hereditary breast, ovarian and related cancers. Whether you are new to the topic or well-informed, this website can provide useful information and support to guide your journey.

Many people who have had breast cancer experience pain or discomfort caused by damage to the nerves, known as neuropathy. Nerves control our sense of touch, how we feel pain and temperature, and our muscle strength, so these changes can impact our quality of life after cancer. While researchers have much to learn, we know about causes and some ways to manage it.

The number of girls starting puberty before age 8 is more than double what it was just a generation ago! And this is a problem: scientific research has shown that earlier development can lead to health issues, both in the short and long term, including increasing lifetime breast cancer risk. 

Puberty is controlled by sex hormones, which are influenced by behaviors and some chemicals in our environment. Girls today have different lifestyles than previous generations. For example, they have fewer opportunities to be active and new distractions that can make it harder to get enough sleep. Kids are also exposed to more and different chemicals that affect hormones. Scientists think that these changes have led to puberty starting earlier than ever before. 

Zero Breast Cancer is excited to share that our Program Director, Catherine Thomsen, is a featured guest on the November 360BayArea podcast. Titled Beyond the Pink, the episode explores the breast cancer topic from unique angles that go beyond the pink ribbon in order to understand genuine and diverse personal experiences of women who are diagnosed or had loved ones who have had breast cancer.

From left to right: Britt Thal, Janice Barlow, Roni Peskin-Mentzer, Fern Orenstein, Francine Halberg, Rochelle Ereman

Fern Orenstein was a founding member of Marin Breast Cancer Watch (which became Zero Breast Cancer in 2006). She retired from the main board at the end of 2015 as term limits finally caught up with her after 20 years! We are grateful that Fern remains a very active and engaged member of the ZBC Scientific Advisory Group. You can read more about this group here.

Fern has embodied the mission and passion of Zero Breast Cancer with every ounce of her soul and every inch of her petite but mighty body. She served in every conceivable capacity and in every volunteer role during her tenure as a Director of the Board, including serving several years as Treasurer and President.

As a Dominican University student pursuing a degree in Global Public Health (GPH), I wanted to engage in work outside my school environment. I am not from Marin County. I was born and raised in the San Mateo County, specifically in Redwood City. In my second year as an undergraduate, I was presented the opportunity to intern with Zero Breast Cancer. They were seeking a bilingual intern, and with only one day to spare I decided to apply and hoped for the best.

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Zero Breast Cancer materials have made their way to Washington, DC via a request from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. – Xi Omega Chapter.

ZBC educational fliers were shared with over 100 attendees at their Pink Table Talk: Breast Cancer Risks and Realities panel with speakers Dr. Regina M. Hampton and Dr. Carolyn B. Hendricks. The event took place on October 7th and was livestreamed on Facebook. Check out the recording of this very informative talk here.

Sixteen years ago, Zero Breast Cancer’s Dipsea Hike was founded in memory of Andrea “Annie” Fox. Annie worked for the county, was an active athlete—a member of the Tamalpa Runners—and she loved Mt. Tamalpais. She was a founding board member of Marin Breast Cancer Watch, which is now Zero Breast Cancer. Annie was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 31 and died of her disease at age 35 in 2002 just before the first hike. Amongst others, Annie was survived by her mother Marjorie Bonner and her significant other at the time, Chris Stewart—a tireless organizer and volunteer who makes our annual hike possible.

Marjorie was a donor to Marin Breast Cancer Watch since 2001, she founded the Andrea Fox Fund managed by the Marin County Board of Supervisors and continued to support Zero Breast Cancer for over 15 years.

Dear ZBC Community,

The events of the past few weeks have been heartbreaking. We have seen yet more systemic, racist violence adding George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery to the long list of black lives taken, which has caused grief, anger, and public action in the form of national - and even global - protest.

Reducing stress is a key component in helping manage daily tasks. It doesn’t matter if you are in high school, college, or an adult, it can always be a battle to deal with stress. Specifically, the stress that comes with a breast cancer diagnosis can be the biggest battle of them all.

One of the best things to do is to take your mind off of whatever is bothering you. For example, when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago, she would attend weekly yoga classes and would go to any seminars offered at the hospital in order to gather information and meet others going through the same battle as her. She felt that attending weekly events really helped her through her treatment and post-treatment stages.

There are many different ways to reduce the risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer, one of which is living a healthy lifestyle. One factor of a healthy lifestyle includes having daily exercise. Anyone can reduce their risk at any age, but it is especially encouraged to have an early start to prevent breast cancer.