2021 ANNUAL REPORT
1321 19th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35205 www.forgeon.org
(205) 838-6159
LETTER FROM OUR DIRECTOR While 2021 was by no means a picture perfect year for any of us, it was a striking one for Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center. Our first full year as a 501(c)(3) brought tremendous growth, from the number of clients we served to our expanding geographic footprint across Alabama. It also brought significant growth in our programming, from yoga to Lyft rides, and many more in between. Finally, it brought strategic expansion of our support services, including the creation of two new support groups: the Young Breast Cancer Support Group for those under 45 and the Metastatic Breast Cancer Support Group. Forge also hosted our first signature event, Haute Pink, Designed to Inspire awareness and financial support for Forge. This inaugural event, a fashion show featuring ten of Forge's clients and friends modeling outfits created for them by local Birmingham fashion designers, was unlike any other. It perfectly captured the stories, beauty, and strength of breast cancer survivors. One thing remained the same, however: Forge's commitment to supporting, empowering, and improving quality of life for Alabama breast cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones. We hope you'll enjoy our annual report, highlighting some of our biggest accomplishments in 2021, and will choose to support our work -- supporting those impacted by breast cancer. Because until there's a cure, there's Forge. Sincerely,
Lauren Roberts
OUTREACH 101%
INCREASE IN ACTIVE CLIENTS Forge doubled our active clients in 2021, despite a 94% reduction in mammograms and a 40-50% reduction in breast cancer diagnoses due to Covid-19.
INCREASE IN ALABAMA COUNTIES SERVED
240%
1,687
With the closing of Susan G. Komen of North Central Alabama, Forge stepped up, expanding our original, five-county geographic footprint to serve those living across the state of Alabama. In 2021, we provided support and resources to those impacted by breast cancer in 17 counties, from Huntsville to Brewton.
INDIVIDUALS DIRECTLY IMPACTED IN 2021 Our Forge team provided support and resources to 1,687 breast cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones in 2021, a 123% increase over 2020.
OVERVIEW OF GOALS As part of our new, three-year Strategic Plan, Forge focused on expanding our outreach and strengthening our relationships. To that end, we met with over 220 new, potential referral sources, including 81 physicians and 7 cancer committees, and distributed 734 care bags to newly-diagnosed patients. Moreover, thanks to a generous grant from Regions Bank, Forge was able to increase our marketing, social media, and website reach as follows: • Website users increased by 120% • Social media reach increased by 202% • 365,763 viewers/listeners to our media appearances, per Nielson While 52% of our referrals continue to come from physicians, 48% came from other sources like clients, online searches, social media . . . and you.
SUSTAINABILITY
OVERVIEW OF GOALS Our marketing and fundraising goals focused on raising awareness and diversified funding for our organization. As part of our plan, Forge created a new marquee event to honor those we serve, while increasing brand awareness and financial stability: Haute Pink. Designed to Inspire, this event featured ten of Forge's clients/volunteers/friends, sharing their stories and modeling outfits created for them by local Birmingham fashion designers. This first event was nothing short of magical and perfectly set the stage for future years. You can see a video recap of the event at https://forgeon.org/fundraising-events/ We also added several new foundation and corporate partners in 2021, including Regions, Medical Properties Trust, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, The Daniel Foundation, GRAIL, Valley Bank, Alabama Power, and the Junior League of Birmingham.
HAUTE PINK
PROGRAMS INCREASE IN DIRECT SERVICES
216%
In 2020, Forge began providing direct financial assistance to our clients in the form of gas cards and Lyft rides to medical appointments and grocery cards for nutrition. When you add these resources to the value of the free mental health counseling we provide through Oasis Counseling for Women and Children, Forge provided $29,050 in direct services to our clients in 2021.
CLASSES & PROGRAMS PROVIDED
183
In order to meet the changing needs of our clients during a pandemic, Forge's programs went virutal and/or hybrid, with some in-person participants. This allowed us to increase the number and variety of our lifestyle classes, educational events, and support groups. On average, we offered 16 monthly opportunities to gather and create community with other survivors and co-survivors.
RIDES TO MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS
479
Treatment compliance is crucial to better medical outcomes but transportation and financial constraints are often a barrier for our clients. As such, Forge now provides Lyft rides and gas cards, which provided our clients access to 479 treatment and follow-up medical appointments in 2021.
OVERVIEW OF GOALS Forge's mission is to support, empower, and improve outcomes for Alabama breast cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones from the day of diagnosis through the rest of life. To that end, we provide a wide variety of resources and support, including tip sheets, lifestyle and wellness classes, support groups, mental health counseling, rides to medical appointments, financial counseling, and much, much more. But the heart of our organization remains our Peer Volunteers, who have also been through a breast cancer diagnosis and are matched one-on-one with our clients. They serve as a hand to hold, an ear to listen, and a shoulder on which to lean.
LEADERSHIP STAFF
Janet Dees
Claire Gray
Jinida Holt
Samantha Nichols
Alaina Pineda
Lauren Roberts
Dr. Chuck Shumate
Client Services
Community Outreach
Volunteer
Community Liaison
Program & Data
Executive Director
Clinical Liaison
Christy Parrozzo
Kerry Schrader
Blue Cross and Blue
Mixtroz
& Support
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Susan Sellers
Robin DeMonia
Dorothy Pak
President
Secretary
Treasurer
United Ability
Direct Communications
UAB Health System
Javacia Harris Bowser Wayne Carmello-Harper See Jane Write
Ascension St. Vincent's
Shield of Alabama
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Wayne Carmello-Harper
David Randall
Kevin Flynn
Ashley Mathews
Christopher Nanni
Ascension St. Vincent's
UAB Health System
Brookwood Baptist
Grandview Medical
Community Foundation
Health
Center
Greater Birmingham
CLINICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Kris Boone, RT(R)(M) Ascension St. Vincent's Bruno Cancer Center Kathryn Bowden, JD, MEd Oasis Counseling William C. Braswell, MD, FACS Shelby Baptist Medical Center Timothy Bullock, MD, FACS Ascension St. Vincent's John Carpenter, MD UAB School of Medicine, Retired
Beth Chandler, PT, CLT Grandview Medical Center Jennifer De Los Santos, MD Grandview Medical Cancer Center Kristi Denny, RT(R)(M), ARRT BN-CI Grandview Medical Cancer Center Nicholas Dionne-Odom, PhD, RN, ACHPN UAB Center for Palliative and Supportive Care Madeline Harris, RN, MSN UAB Breast Cancer Center, Retired
Jennifer Hicks, MSHA, MBA UAB Palliative & Supportive Care Louis Josof Ascension St. Vincent's Bruno Cancer Center Katia Khoury, MD UAB Hematology Oncology Rachael Lancaster, MD, FACS UAB Division of Surgical Oncology Marsha Newton, BS, LBSW Princeton Baptist Medical Center
Luis F. Pineda, MD, MSHA Cooking with Cancer, Inc. Laura Rutledge, RDN, CSO Ascension St. Vincent's Carol Stephens, PC CLT-LANA Brookwood Baptist Rehab Services William A. Thompson III, MD, FACS Alabama Oncology Sandra Tincher, MD Brookwood Baptist Cancer Care
2021 PARTNERS
FORGE BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR CENTER 1321 19th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35205 www.forgeon.org
(205) 838-6159