Programs & Services

Reducing the Risk

About

Breast Cancer

Information for survivors

Programs for women living with breast cancer

Health information for risk & recurrance

Welcome....

Serving the

Greater Hamilton

& Halton Regions

Community Support

How to support BCSS and our survivors

2008 BCSS launches a Comfort Bag Program, designed for women having a mastectomy. It includes information for after surgery including a pillow for under the arm. The demand has been fantastic.

2006 Leon Denbok of Denbok Landscaping and The Rotary Club of Burlington North, took the lead in building our Serenity Garden. The garden is a wonderful asset to our community offering hope, peace and serenity for anyone affected by Breast Cancer. The Grand Opening celebration was May 2006. Our programs continued to expand and grow as our premises have.

2004 The Capital Campaign was conducted during 2004-2005 raising over $500,000.00. This included a $50,000.00 Grant from the Trillium Foundation for home improvements and to make the premises accessible. We renovated the garage into a meeting area, the basement was renovated for the wigs and prosthesis area, the kitchen was made into a meeting space for nutritional programs, the washroom was renovated to be accessible. It was a busy year building our premises. We continued to lobby the Federal Government on providing a National Strategy for Breast Cancer. Attended the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Conference. Developed a policy manual for volunteers and staff. Initiated new holistic healing programs.

2003 The official grand opening of the BCSS new location on Brant Street. Blair Lancaster was hired as Executive Director and Launched the Capital Campaign

We offered two support groups each month and introduced a new support group to the Milton Community.

Attended the Support and Advocacy Conference and took part in the development of a Breast Cancer Charter of Rights.

2002 BCSS got a new logo and launched a new website.

3 staff members and 1 volunteer from BCSS attended the world conference on Breast Cancer in Victoria B.C.

BCSS started a new young women’s support group.

A staff member participated in the Canadian Breast Cancer Network stakeholders meeting.

BCSS presented with the community award for CIBC Run For The Cure.

Clothing for Charity graciously donated a large amount of money towards the purchase of our new home. On November 20th BCSS moved into the home on Brant Street.

2001 BCSS partnered with Clothing for Charity Ltd. and Sunoco Inc. to provide a clothing donation program and proceeds go to the Breast Health Fund of Canada.

BCSS changed its status with the Canadian Breast Cancer Network from member to partner.

2000 Moved into a new premises located in the Office Galleria of the Burlington Mall

Received “The Bridge Over Troubled Water Quilt and displayed it in the back of our center.

Received a grant from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation to expand the Mammacheck breast self-examination program. The programs new title is Breast Health Workshops.

1999 Name changed from Burlington Breast Cancer Support Services to Breast Cancer Support Services. (serving Halton/Hamilton-Wentworth)

Our History...

1998 BCSS amended the Mammacheck program to be suitable for young women. A pilot project was accepted into Burlington High Schools and will expand into all of Halton in the fall.

1997 BCSS sponsorship of the Breast Cancer Self-Help in Ontario Project was completed under the management of Dr. Ross Gray.

· BCSS members attended the first Canada/US Breast Cancer Advocacy Conference, as well as the 1997 Preventative Oncology Seminar sponsored by the O.C.T.R.F. and a seminar entitled “Ethical Issues in Women’s Health: The delicate

· BCSS’ sponsorship of The Network Project is completed. The Network (under the continued direction of Chris Sinding) was integrated, as planned with the Ontario Breast Cancer Support and Resource Centre (Willow) in Toronto.

· BCSS collaborated with the City of Burlington, Canadian Cancer Society and Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital in a Breast Health Awareness Forum.

1996 BCSS collaborated with the Breast Cancer Information Exchange Project, AVON and Health Canada to produce the latest version of “What You Need to Know about Breast Cancer.” BCSS printed additional copies of the booklet, through funding received form the Hamilton Community Foundation.

BCSS sponsored the successful application for funding from Health Promotion and Programs Branch, Ontario Region, Health Canada, for “Breast Cancer Self-Help in Ontario: A research Study.” Dr. Ross Gray, Psychologist at the Toronto Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre, managed the study.

1995 BCSS, through funding received from the Trillium Foundation, hired a consultant for Board development and training.

BCSS held its first memorial service to honor the lives of members who have passed away.

BCSS members participated in regional consultation meetings for the newly formed Canadian Breast Cancer Network.

1994 BCSS made a successful proposal to Health and Welfare Canada to establish Ontario’s Breast Cancer Support and Resource Center now known as Willow.

BCSS welcomed the Minister of Health, Diane Marla, to the office. She announced an $80,000 grant to establish a program to evaluate self-help programs.

1993 BCSS was awarded $218,000 from the Health Promotion Branch of Health and Welfare Canada (covering four years) to establish the Breast Cancer Support Network of Ontario Project.

BCSS, in cooperation with the Zonta Club of Burlington 1, established “Mammacheck”, a program to teach women breast self-examination.

The Trillium Foundation awarded a grant to BCSS to help develop our self-sustaining financial independence.

1992 BCSS helped launch Breast Cancer Action Ottawa

An Executive Director was hired.

BCSS was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Ontario Ministry of Health for the purpose of “enhancing access to information related to coping with breast cancer.”

1991 BCSS published the information booklet “What you Need to Know About Breast Cancer” funded by the Hamilton Foundation.

1990 BCSS sponsored the Halton Women’s Health Project, funded by Ontario Ministry of Health, Health Promotion Branch.

1989 A year later, BCSS became incorporated and received charitable status as well. The first donation received was from the Junior League of Hamilton/Burlington - $200.00.

In April 1989 BCSS members attended the Y-ME Conference in Chicago. Thereafter, the BCSS group was modeled on Y-ME’s self help for breast cancer.

1988 Pat Kelly and Barb Sullivan founded BCSS in 1988. Both had been treated for breast cancer and felt the need to meet with other women survivors, with whom they could share information. With six women, they formed a support group and held meetings at Barb’s home. By April 1988, the group had grown to twenty and had moved the meetings to larger quarters at the Burlington YMCA.