SHARE History

1976:

Dr. Eugene Thiessen, a New York-based breast cancer specialist, announces on the Arlene Francis Radio Show, the creation of a support group for breast cancer patients. Twelve women show up, including Lee Miller. Miller, a social worker and counselor, agrees to guide the sessions along with Dr. Thiessen as advisor. Named Self-Help Action & Rap Experiences, SHARE is born.

1977:

The SHARE hotline is established. Volunteers answer it on a rotating basis, with the phone stored in someone's closet, and the bill paid with a small donation from each volunteer.

1978:

SHARE incorporates as a 501(c)(3) organization.

SHARE holds its first educational program. The topic is "Sexuality and Breast Cancer," and the program is presented by a psychologist from Payne Whitney.

1983:

SHARE introduces Wellness Programs, including yoga, nutrition, and exercise programs.

1986:

The first SHARE office is opened through the efforts of Barbara Kronman.

1987:

Barbara Kronman becomes SHARE's Executive Director.

SHARE's first support group for women with metastatic disease is led by Roberta Hufnagel.

1988:

Sally Berg becomes SHARE's co-Executive Director with Barbara Kronman.

1991:

The first SHARE-A-Walk fundraiser, initiated by Sally Berg, is held, raising the public's awareness about breast cancer and bringing in $125,000 for SHARE.

Share joins the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) board, eventually bringing the largest New York State contingency to lobby for breast cancer funding in Washington, DC.

SHARE starts offering support groups for women facing ovarian cancer.

1993:

Alice Yaker is hired as SHARE's first paid Executive Director.

1994:

LatinaSHARE is founded by Alex Colon with the goal of offering supportive and educational services to Spanish-speaking women facing breast cancer.

1995:

Bess Myerson pledges to donate $100,000 to SHARE to enhance SHARE's Ovarian Cancer Program, and Betty Reiser is hired as its first director.

A small task force of SHARE women led by Marcia Presky visits Israel, Poland, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic to share their experiences with breast cancer and to encourage women to take an active role in prevention, detection, and treatment of the disease.

1996:

Lee Miller starts SHARE's first bereavement program, which includes support groups and an annual Memorial Ceremony.

SHARE's Ovarian Cancer Program Hotline is established.

1997:

SHARE is a founding member of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (OCNA).

SHARE's hotline volunteers answer more than 7,000 calls in nine languages.

SHARE starts SHARE Leaders, a group of breast cancer survivor/advocates who are all graduates of National Breast Cancer Coalition's Project Lead program, to encourage survivors to offer the patient perspective to the breast cancer research community. Helen Schiff leads the group.

1998:

SHARE's Bilingual Survivor Patient Navigator (SPN) Program is started by Lee Miller and Alex Colon at the Breast Clinic at Bellevue Hospital, ensuring that patients diagnosed with cancer have a trained survivor to support them the moment they are diagnosed. An SPN would eventually be placed at Mt. Sinai St. Luke's Hospital.

2003:

SHARE's Side-by-Side program is established by Lee Miller to facilitate communication between doctors and patients.

2004:

SHARE hosts its first annual "A Second Helping of Life" tasting event, featuring New York City's top women chefs.

2005:

SHARE's dedicated New York State Ovarian Cancer Hotline starts with funding from the New York State Attorney General's office.

2007:

The SHARE Leaders Program receives a Best Practices Award from the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

SHARE enhances its services for women facing metastatic disease, offering a support group led by Kathy Hynes Kadish, a woman living with metastatic disease. SHARE currently offers 9 support group sessions per month for women living with metastatic disease.

2008:

Ovarian cancer survivors represent SHARE as the first patients ever to present to the annual meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO).

2009:

SHARE begins its Pink and Teal Corporate Seminar Program, educating employees in corporations around the city about breast and ovarian cancers and empowerment of patients. SHARE's first annual Pink and Teal Reception, spearheaded by Art Thomson, is held to fund the program.

2010:

SHARE receives a three-year grant to develop a Novela on Breast Cancer Survivorship, a unique communications tool to reach Latinas. The novela ultimately reaches over 50,000 people and counting.

SHARE creates an Ambassador Program to reach women in underserved African-American and Latino communities, which eventually reaches 9,000 women annually.

2011:

SHARE presents its first poster, on the impact of the Novela, at the annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

2012:

LatinaSHARE is invited to present the Novela in Bolivia at the 1st International Conference for Patients with Cancer with Dr. Mauricio Kotliar.

2013:

LatinaSHARE is invited by Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center to participate in an important quality of life intervention funded through the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

The SHARE Caregiver Circle for Family and Friends is founded to support family, friends, and caregivers of breast and ovarian cancer patients and survivors.

SHARE conducts its first educational webinar, reaching people around the country with information about cancer. SHARE webinars currently reach people all over the world, including Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

2014:

LatinaSHARE celebrates 20 years of providing supportive and educational services in Spanish for Latinas facing breast and ovarian cancers.

SHARE's Helpline has grown to answer calls in all 50 states of the United States, Canada, and in some countries in Europe and Latin America.

SHARE offers its first Japanese language support group for women facing breast cancer, led by Aiko Brody.

LatinaSHARE holds the first Spanish-language webinar in the nation providing information about breast cancer to Latinas facing the disease.

2015:

SHARE reaches 32,000 women and their families affected by breast and ovarian cancers, including 9,000 women in underserved communities.

National Helpline:
844-ASK-SHARE