Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rosemary Carrera. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Rosemary, thanks for joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
I had been practicing optometry for 13 years. As I was in-between patients on a Thursday afternoon, I received the call that would change everything…”You have breast cancer,” the voice said. I set up my appointment to see the surgeon and went on with my day seeing patients until I could break the news to my family. Despite all of the support I had from family and friends, this was a really difficult time. I was no longer able to practice due the side effects that lingered after treatment (and still persist 3 years later). I found myself helping other women in treatment look for resources and saw a void in our area of organizations that offer practical help with the challenges a cancer diagnosis brings. Issues such as child-care, transportation, and home care services were non-existent in our community. 305 Pink Pack was created out of this need, and I now find myself doing what I love, helping others during such a frightening time, and providing the resources they need to make the process a little less stressful.
Rosemary, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
305 Pink Pack provides solutions to the critical issues that become barriers to cancer care and recovery. We offer a personalized program for each member that offers child-care, transportation, home and personal care services, grocery assistance, emotional support and help with financial aid applications. We are the only organization in South Florida that guarantees these services for our members. Launching the program in January of 2020 posed a number of unexpected challenges, but we managed to make assistance available to 92 women. In 2021 we reached capacity after only 10 weeks ultimately offering support to 104 women. We continue to expand our reach in 2022 to even more women in need, and are excited for what the future holds for us!
Can you open up about how you managed the initial funding?
How much help we can provide depends solely on our funding. We have been fortunate to receive grants and corporate sponsorships from businesses in the community, and individual donors have made an incredible impact. As we grow, we are working on hiring our first two paid staff members to work with the over 200 women already in the program as we expect to reach 300 next year.
Our first fundraiser was held by Phitness Lab, and we will never forget it. Phil, the owner, lost his sister to cancer and knew first hand the difficulties that this diagnosis brings with daily living activities. He, and the Phitness Lab family, have been incredible supporters ever since! We reached out to family and friends and little by little we were able to fund our first six months of services. Virtual fundraisers during 2020 and our first grant awarded by the Coral Gables Community Foundation, propelled us through the rest of the year!
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
To be successful you have to be a good listener. You have to pay attention to what your clients are telling you their needs are. The feedback they provide and what you do with it to improve your work is priceless.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.305pinkpack.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/305pinkpack/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/305pinkpack
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/305pinkpack
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNUDsqUeXcGT0rdAQK0GjaA
Image Credits
Jetset Creative