Breast Cancer Support Services of Berks County has been selected as the recipient of a $25,000 grant from the J.A. Grifols Foundation. The organization was invited to apply for the grant after being nominated by team members Tabatha Schaar and Denise Soto at Grifols Biomat located in Reading.
“The J.A. Grifols Foundation is excited to support an organization such as BCSS that directly impacts the local community where plasma donors live. We are looking forward to further enhancing our partnership with BCSS,” Corbin Whittington, J.A. Grifols Foundation Board Chair.
In addition to receiving this grant the team members at Grifols Biomat have held fundraisers during October in honor of breast cancer awareness month benefitting the organization.
Breast Cancer Support Services of Berks County is a survivor driven non-profit organization that provides hope, information and emotional support to every person affected by breast cancer.
BCSS offers a variety of peer to peer support groups and resources, educational programs and workshops, comfort bags, creative arts, counseling assistance, and both an email a survivor and phone line support system to local survivors. For 28 years BCSS has continued to raise 100% of our operating budget annually as all of our services and resources are provided at no charge.
Over the past two years BCSS has increased the number of programs, services, and resources that are offered to breast cancer survivors. Moving forward the goal of the organization is to provide support to the entire family as all members are affected by a diagnosis.
The grant provided by the J.A. Grifols Foundation will allow BCSS to begin this next phase of the strategic plan by providing BCSS the funding required to impact every member of the household here in Berks County.
“We are beyond excited to share that we will be partnering with the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts and South Mountain YMCA Camps to provide offsite programming that can be enjoyed by the entire family” said Michele Reinert, CFRE, Executive Director, BCSS.
“More details will follow soon. Additionally, we will be adding a new part-time team member that will be training and recruiting a special group of volunteers allowing us to launch the BCSS Ambassadors this summer. Stay tuned for more exciting news from BCSS in the near future.”
The J.A. Grifols Foundation was established in 2008 in honor of Jose Antonio Grifols Lucas, physician and pharmacist, with the mission of contributing to the health and well-being of plasma donors and the communities where they live.
As an homage to the pioneering work of Jose Antonio Grifols Lucas, the J.A. Grifols Foundation provides support to thriving and vibrant communities where plasma donors are valued and appreciated for their gift of plasma. By creating community partnerships, the J.A. Grifols Foundation creates an immediate and enduring impact in the communities they call home.
