News From Jill

News from Jill October 2010

Welcome to News From Jill

Greetings!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You've seen the ads, you've seen the promotional events, and you've seen all the pink items for sale. What you don't see in the midst of all these ads, events and sales, is the fear, heartache and pain that a diagnosis of breast cancer evokes. And not just in the patient. This disease ravages family, friends, and organizations.

Join me in helping our friends, families, and colleagues who are affected by this disease. In this month, my hope is for you to discover new ideas to help those you know, love, and care about during this difficult time.

Make a Difference

Ask Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point. He knows what a difference that one person can make. One person can change the course of history. Consider MLK, Gandhi, Mandela, Mother Teresa. The difference they made? The reason we remember them? They took action. Small steps that reached into the hearts of millions around the world. It doesn't take gigantic leaps of faith or millions of dollars to make a difference. What it does take is one person who cares so deeply that it moves them to act in selfless ways without hesitation and gives others the courage to follow suit.

Consider what small steps you can make today. Do you have a colleague or friend who is undergoing chemotherapy? Prepare meals, freeze, and deliver them so that this patient can thaw the meals as needed on the days when she doesn't feel like cooking, but her family still feels like eating! Don't ask, just deliver. What about transportation to the medical center for treatment? Having the energy and ability to drive to and from treatment is a huge ordeal for patients. Small kindnesses leave large lasting memories.

What about your organization? Try running a race for your own employees. With dollars or days you can bank, create a fund that HR can distribute to critically ill employees as needed when their own sick time and paychecks begin to disappear. Or, host a live auction at lunchtime. Employees can donate their "white elephant" gifts. Someone's trash is always someone else's treasure. All proceeds go to the fund for critically ill employees distributed by the HR department as needed.

Go online with colleagues to determine what employees need and appreciate and then deliver. Discover the many ways that you and your organization can join the fight against breast cancer at the Breast Cancer.org website. Be creative, be helpful, and don't wait to be asked. Most people won't ask, but they will say, "Thank You."

Wednesday, October 13, 2010 is
Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day

Learn More Here

I love you, Suzy.