Our donors are the life blood of Ribbons of Life Breast Cancer Foundation.  Our funds come from Ventura County businesses (82+), individual donors (272+) and over 82 members of the Federal Campaign via their monthly payroll deduction. This support allows us to provide our services to women and their families within Ventura County.

 2020

A YEAR FILLED WITH CHALLENGES

Fundraising efforts on our behalf were very limited during this time.  To help protect your health and the health of our Ribbons of Life family, many events were cancelled.  This created even more challenges for the Foundation, as we can only assist our members with the support of our donors.  To alert the donors to what our professional volunteers were able to accomplish during the pandemic, on October 1, 2020 we sent a letter to them outlining our work. The purpose was to show the donors where their fundraising efforts have gone and to make a gentle reminder of our Mission and our needs.  As the situation surrounding the pandemic evolves, our donors are closely monitoring the recommendations and directives of officials.  The following letter is provided for your interest:

Where The Money Goes?

Funds raised are used in three ways:

1) To work our mission by serving women with breast caner and their families while empowering them to network and become their own health advocates;

2) To educate our community about breast cancer;

3) To maintain our Ribbons of Life Breast Cancer Resource Center and Create4Life Studio.  Both located within Barrister Executive Suites (1500 Palma Drive, Ventura, 93003).

Ribbons of Life has used donated funds from our community to make this possible. The Resource Center has been decorated with cheerful colors by Janet Eaton, Designer/Supervisor and Jill Tannehill-Shaw, Design Consultant (from Ethan Allen) and includes designer furniture centered around the room’s focal point: RoL’s first photo quilt created by RoL thrivers. Behind each smile is a life story. The Resource Center provides a welcoming, independent, non-institutional homelike environment where a woman and caregiver/supporter can meet with a breast cancer navigator by appointment who will listen and help identify a woman’s immediate needs and that of a caregiver/supporter(s). RoL provides resources specific to the individual with breast cancer. There are educational items, books and DVDs that can be checked out for free and, if the individual is in treatment, items that may assist them.  *(Note: The Center is not affiliated with any one hospital or organization within Ventura County).

Our Create4Life Studio was made possible by funds donated from the Ventura HOG Chapter Heels & Wheels.  Create4Life is the umbrella title for Ribbons of Life projects.  It is held six times a year (the 2nd Saturday of every odd month: January-March-May-July-September-November at 11:00 am) immediately following the Ribbons of Life breakfast held at Mimi’s Cafe in Ventura. Create4Life is a free, fun and welcoming place in time for thrivers and supporter friends to come together to rejuvenate, invigorate and create something with meaning. Participants are invited to bring whatever project they want to work on. If you don’t have a project, there’s plenty to see, learn and create.

PLANNING A FUNDRAISER?  Please click “Contact Us” in the upper right-hand corner should you wish to plan a fundraiser.  Ribbons of Life is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Fed ID#26-1344198).  All of us are “unpaid professional volunteers” as we assist women with breast cancer and their families within Ventura County. While all funds donated are tax deductible, this is not the primary reason our fundraisers put their time, energy and money into raising funds for us. They do it for the love of the women and their families in our community.

Some Thoughtful Fundraising Ideas

Here are some ways our community has come together through their fundraising actions:

Bake Sales~~Golf Tournament~~T-Shirt and Hat sales~~Bowling Tournament~~Scrapbooking Parties~~Sports Events such as women’s high school or college basketball and softball teams~~employee deductions~~local company promotions~~suggested donations when celebrating birthdays and graduations, and more!

Try AmazonSmile:  You shop, Amazon gives!  Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazzonSmile purchases.  Sign up at www.smile.amazon.com.  Some great Amazon products, some great Amazon prices!