The Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded Sharsheret a grant to develop survivorship programming and culturally-relevant resources for young Jewish breast cancer survivors.

The CDC grant is a three-year cooperative agreement to support breast cancer awareness in young women. According to the CDC, “This new program will provide resources to organizations to establish or enhance existing support services for young (<45 years of age) breast cancer survivors and their families. Organizations also will be funded to develop tools and resources to increase patient and provider knowledge of health behaviors and other strategies for reducing disease risk …”

The CDC’s work with young breast cancer survivors falls under the Affordable Care Act and the funds made available through Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s EARLY Act legislation.

Sharsheret, Hebrew for “chain”, was founded in 2001 by Rochelle Shoretz, herself a breast cancer survivor. During the past ten years, the organization has responded to more than 23,000 breast cancer and ovarian cancer inquiries, involved more than 1,400 peer supporters, and presented over 250 educational programs nationwide.

Sharsheret was a resident group at Bikkurim and Rochelle a Fellow in the launch cohort of the Joshua Venture.