BURLINGTON, N.C. — A Triad nonprofit that supports breast cancer patients across the country received a top honor.
Little Pink Houses of Hope based in Burlington is the National Breast Cancer Nonprofit of the Year.
Breast Cancer Wellness Magazine, one of the industry standards for breast cancer selected the organization based on all the work Little Pink Houses of Hope does for patients as well as the unique programming the group provides.
The group's mission is in its name. For more than a decade "Little Pink" as it's called, has been giving hope to families battling breast cancer.
Thanks to the program, families are whisked away on free week-long vacations, where they meet up with other families who are also on the same breast cancer journey.
Jeanine Patten-Coble started Little Pink Houses of Hope.
"One of the biggest things we offer is an opportunity to hit the pause button on their treatments and the craziness of cancer to enjoy these precious moments with their families," said Coble. "We send away 8 to 10 families, 20 different weeks of the year all over the United States and they have a great opportunity to develop a unique network of support where they no longer feel isolated. The kids have a great experience, the parents have a great experience but collectively as a group, they're connected in ways you can't even imagine."
Patten-Coble said the idea to provide this type of service started after she started looking for resources during her own breast cancer battle.
"I was diagnosed when I was 39. It came out of the blue, I had no family history of it and it became really clear to me that there was a gap or void in services. There were a lot of things out there for me as a cancer patient but not a ton for my family," recalled Patten-Coble.
Patten-Coble created Little Pink to provide families the wide range of love and support they need during their own personal breast cancer journies, which extends long past the retreat.
"It extends into the lives of our families and their futures. We do scholarships for the kids who come to our retreats. They don't just come for a week and then we don't see them again. They truly become part of the Little Pink family," said Coble.
Coble and her team went from providing mostly North Carolina families with regional getaways to providing retreats to breast cancer patients and their families all over the U.S. Destinations include South Carolina, Arizona, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, and California.
The retreat locations are all donated and Coble is especially thankful to those who have stayed by her side since the beginning.
"We have been so lucky and so blessed right here in the Triad to have amazing corporate support and individuals who understand the mission, individuals who have known and loved people in their own family and friends circle who've had cancer, and they really just want to give back," said Coble.
Upcoming events include a motorcycle ride in August and the organization's fundraising gala held every October, during Breast Cancer Awareness month.
You can learn more about Little Pink's virtual retreats that were added during the pandemic as well as how to volunteer or provide other support here.