SHARE Ambassadors
Who are SHARE Ambassadors?
SHARE Ambassadors are trained community educators. Some are breast, ovarian, uterine or cervical cancer survivors or caregivers trained to educate the disadvantaged communities serving Latino, African-American/Black and Chinese about these diseases.
Our Ambassadors offer in-person or virtual educational presentations and attend events at community organizations and community health sites in Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.
If you’d like to get involved in the Ambassador project or your organization is interested in a presentation or receiving materials, please email outreach@sharecancersupport.org
Why is the SHARE Ambassador initiative important?
Our ambassadors reach out to communities to address healthcare disparities and educate them about breast, ovarian, uterine and cervical cancer; empowering them to make informed health decisions.
Black women have the highest mortality rates of all racial and ethnic groups and are more likely to be misdiagnosed of cancer than white women. Higher death rates among African American women can be attributed to a combination of factors such as, disparities, structural racism, mis-diagnosis, social and economic resources, access to screening, treatment and late stage diagnosis. By addressing the disparities, providing resources and information surrounding risk factors, screening, treatment, access to quality care, diversity in health professionals, mindfulness of cultural differences, trust, providing materials in different languages and raising awareness about cancer can all help to improve better outcomes for Black people.
Hispanic/Latino women are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage with larger tumors that are more difficult to treat. It is believed that these disparities exist because of both medical reasons, such as higher rates of diabetes, and sociological reasons, such as cultural differences, language barriers, less access to treatment, and lower rates of mammograms in the Hispanic/Latino community.
Asian Americans are one of the fastest-growing populations in the United States, with Chinese Americans being the largest subgroup. However, cancer screening rates among Chinese Americans are generally lower compared to the white population, which can lead to delayed diagnoses and lower survival rates. Cultural differences and language barriers often limit access to crucial support, such as cancer screenings and educational resources on cancer awareness. It is important that we work together to overcome these challenges and provide the necessary support to those in need.
How have SHARE Ambassadors made a difference?
SHARE’s outreach efforts touch thousands of lives annually with vital information about risk factors, genetics, screening, symptoms, and treatments for breast, ovarian, uterine and cervical cancer.
As community educators, our ambassadors collaborate with communities to address disparities in healthcare and educate them on health topics
Through hosting presentations, giving out educational materials and resources, attending healthcare events and more at:
- Latin American Consulates
- Community Health Sites
- Community Organizations
- Libraries
- Schools
- Food Pantries/Soup Kitchens
- Senior Centers
- Hospitals
- Houses of Worship
- Government Officials
- Mammogram Vans
- Shelters
- Health Insurance Companies
Testimonials
“Thank you so much for sharing information that could very well save our lives. You really don’t know how impactful your testimony and your colleague’s testimony were to us.”
One Ambassador spoke to a fellow breast cancer survivor after giving a presentation at a Queens library and shared about the importance of genetic testing; that woman then had her daughter undergo testing, giving her the information she needed to understand her health. After another presentation, a LatinaSHARE Ambassador met a young woman who was intending to quit treatment for her breast cancer. After being encouraged by this Ambassador, she decided to continue her treatment.
How do I become a SHARE Ambassador?
All of our Ambassadors have their own unique stories — from being survivors themselves to being a loved one of a patient or survivors . If you are passionate about breaking down the barriers to health equity and SHARE’s mission to connect women at risk with peers who understand, please explore becoming an Ambassador. Many of our Ambassadors got involved through being in a support group, attending our educational programs, or filling out the form on the right side of the screen.
Pink & Teal
Our Pink & Teal Seminar is a free service geared towards providing companies and organizations with essential and lifesaving knowledge. Between our video, live Ambassador, educational materials, support groups, and national helpline, through this initiative SHARE delivers important information on the signs and symptoms of breast and gynecologic cancers as well as insights seminar attendees might need to proactively manage their health and communicate with their doctor and care team.
AfroSHARE
The AfroSHARE Ambassadors are a group of passionate individuals who understand the importance in raising cancer awareness in the Black communities as it highlights and addresses health disparities surrounding cancer.
The Ambassadors play a pivotal role by educating members of the community about risk factors, symptoms, family history, incidence, mortality rates and most importantly how to be an advocate for yourself and loved ones. Black Women have an unusually high mortality rate across the board for all cancers that SHARE currently serves. Through this initiative we help to build trust, support and healthier outcomes for our community.
LatinaSHARE
The LatinaSHARE Ambassadors are dedicated, trained and most are cancer survivors who provide information about breast, ovarian, uterine and cervical cancer in their community and in their own language.
According to the CDC: Cancer is the leading cause of death for Hispanic and Latino people in the United States. Compared to members of other races and ethnicities, Hispanic and Latino people have higher rates of getting and dying from some kinds of cancer.
Hispanic women have a high rate of getting cervical cancer. Hispanic women have the second highest rate of dying from cervical cancer, after non-Hispanic Black women.
ChineseSHARE
The ChineseSHARE Ambassadors are devoted to promote health literacy and awareness of the signs, symptoms, risks, treatment of breast and gynecological cancers in the Chinese community. By speaking their own language, our Ambassadors provide support to people who have limited access to health care services, that includes immigrants, low-income communities, monolingual individuals and families. With this initiative, our Ambassadors are building trust in the community and will ultimately improve health outcomes and quality of life for the community
SHARE thanks The New York City Council’s Cancer Initiative through the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for providing major funding for this project.
