Healthy programming supporting our mission of engagement and peer connection.

Better Together is a 501[c]3 community based non-profit organization committed to the health of women diagnosed with breast cancer, focusing on physical and emotional well-being, engagement and peer support. We create a community thriving in survivorship together. Better Together is based out of Cape Cod, MA, a region that is home to some of the highest rates of breast cancer in the region. Our objective is to provide healthy programming for members that supports our mission of engagement and peer connection, while also making physical activity a priority after a breast cancer diagnosis to women 55 years of age and under. One of the main goals of Better Together is to provide counseling and wellness services to its members that are free of charge, as breast cancer is one of the most expensive types of cancer to treat. Better Together understands the unique needs and circumstances of young women facing breast cancer and is committed to supporting this growing population.

Better Together started in August 2018 by Megan Roller, a breast cancer survivor. As Megan was recovering from her illness she noticed that there was a lack of programs to support breast cancer survivors on Cape Cod after they had received treatment, and that the types of wellness programs available were geared toward a wide range of cancer survivors who were older and lacked counseling services. Most women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer receive no post-treatment support, and health insurance plans do not always cover post-treatment counseling. Megan realized that recovering from breast cancer does not stop after medical treatment. She started Better Together as a way to fill a much needed gap for women who are recovering from breast cancer and create a positive community that can help prevent their cancer from recurring.

Many women receiving treatment for breast cancer can also be overwhelmed by the number of options available to them, and suffer from increased stress and anxiety as they manage their illness and difficult process of navigating insurance requirements. In the words of one of our members: “Being diagnosed with Breast Cancer, especially at a young age, is devastating beyond words. I felt so alone facing my mastectomies, decisions about early sudden menopause and treatments... I didn’t know how to talk with my young children, who were as scared as my husband and I were… Better Together helps in emotional and practical ways beyond any expectations I’ve ever dared have of a non-profit. All younger women and their families need Better Together…”

In addition to the benefits of counseling, studies have shown that women who get three or more hours of aerobic activity every week are up to 50% less likely to have their cancer return (youngandstrong.dana-farber.org). Along with reduced rates of recurrence, regular exercise has also proven to have additional benefits to women diagnosed with breast cancer. These include:

• improved self-esteem, body image, and overall quality of life
• better sleep, mood, reduction in fatigue, lower anxiety and depression
• stronger bones, increased range of motion

At the moment, we operate through volunteers only. As our membership grows, the need to grow and maintain an administrative staff is critical to the success of our mission. Our services are scheduled around the needs of our members as they tend to have young families, jobs and other responsibilities. We currently offer 24-hour support through a private Facebook group, and are available through phone and text. The Executive Director also meets with members each week for face-face support. In December we will begin our partnership with B Free Coaching and Wellness to provide more services for our members that include access to their full fitness schedule and monthly open door counseling and workshop sessions.

Better Together seeks support from the Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation in order to grow our business and membership base, and expand our wellness and counseling programs. Our near term goals for 2020 include:

1. Hire part-time staff to manage and grow our organization. We are currently volunteer-only.
2. Secure a permanent location with room for meeting and workshop spaces and an office to house administrative support.
3. Develop a more professional, responsive website and social media outlets to reach more women and increase membership.
4. Streamline the membership application process. As Better Together grows, our membership process needs to expand to accommodate to different members in different stages of their cancer journey.
5. Increasing counseling services. This will allow us to broaden outreach and connect with more women in need of our services, some who may need more regular counseling.

We would like to secure an office/workshop location, hire part time staff, and develop a more functional website in the first quarter of 2020 (January-March). Once this is secured, we will focus on improving existing institutional partnerships with local businesses, the medical community and Cape Cod Hospital and fostering new ones (April-December 2020).