February 10, 2024 • 18 mins
Thousands of people come down with breast cancer each and every year here in Massachusetts, and while treatment is critical for recovery, it can also get very expensive, very quickly. Finances can become overwhelming, even for everyday purchases like food and housing costs. Enter Pawsitively 4 Pink. Founder Michelle Power talks with Nichole this week about their work to ease financial burdens for low-income breast cancer patients by helping them cover some of their essential costs. She also has details about their new statewide collaboration with Resinate to raise money and awareness.
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(00:07):
From WBZ News Radio in Boston.This is New England Weekend. Each week
we come together, we talk aboutall the topics important to you and the
place where you live. It's sogood to be back with you again this
week. I'm Nicole Davis. Eachyear here in Massachusetts, thousands of women
are diagnosed with breast cancer. Iactually went to go look at the latest
data from the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, and frankly, I was shocked to
(00:31):
see that. When it comes tonew cases each year, and when you're
looking every state around the country,we rank thirteenth. Trying to overcome and
recover from cancer is difficult enough.It takes everything from your body and your
mind and your emotions, your relationships. The finances surrounding cancer, though,
can quickly become overwhelming. See Ididn't realize this, but breast cancer specifically
(00:56):
is one of the most expensive medicalconditions to treat in the US. Not
only do you have the medical billsand the insurance payments, but this can
impact housing and food utilities. Positively, for Pink in Worcester is here to
help with that. They're teaming upat the chain of dispensaries called Resonate to
make that help happen. Michelle Poweris the founder of Positively for Pink.
She is here with us now we'regoing to talk all about this. Michelle,
(01:19):
I really appreciate your time to start. I would love to hear more
about Positively for Pink, your ideahere. How did this all come together?
I think it's been coming for along time, to be honest with
you, I've been a psychotherapist forover thirty years in the Worcester community,
and I used to say all thetime to my friends, you know,
like I could be doing something greater, helping more people in the sense in
(01:45):
the community. And then my motherpassed away and that really led me down
the direction of Positively for Pink.She had pink reatic cancer. A friend
of mine has metastatic breast cancer thatdied of breast cancer. My aunt had
breast cancer. So I've really beensurrounded in my life around women who had
(02:07):
breast cancer or some form of cancer. But the one that stuck out the
most for me was breast cancer.So I went and researched resources for women
with breast cancer, and what Irealized was there were very few resources,
(02:28):
financial resources for low income women withbreast cancer, and I thought, Okay,
well maybe I could do something aboutthat. And so what started out
to be Worcester County a part timething quickly, very quickly turned into the
(02:50):
realization that this could be a fulltime gig and it was a necessary thing
in the state of Massachusetts. Sure, I mean, healthcare costs are not
getting any lower, right, They'rejust getting more and more expensive. Insurance
can be impossible to navigate. Andfrankly, if we're talking about low income
people here, you may not evenhave insurance. We do live in Massachusetts,
(03:12):
where you know, Romney Care quoteunquote is a thing. We do
have the state insurance program. Butstill some people fall through the cracks.
Talk about the economic impact that havingcancer can have not just on the patient
but also the family. Well,you know what, how about if I
give you an example works on that. I mean, I think this just
proves that point on every level.We started working with a woman three years
(03:38):
ago who was diagnosed with metastatic breastcancer. She had a seven percent chance
of survival, and she and herhusband had a very successful of eighteen years
daycare that they ran from their home. So both of them obviously they were
both working for the company, andher doctor said, listen, Batani,
(04:00):
this just you cannot have all ofthese children around you at this job.
It's just too dangerous for you.She stopped her daycare, closed the doors
and there when both she and herhusband annual income immediately went to low income.
They how do you afford your rent, copay's transportation, any of those
(04:25):
things? Food. So we endedup paying Batani's mortgage for three years at
fifteen hundred dollars a month. Wow, Okay, yes, And she has
a phenomenal story. I mean,her metastatic breast cancer went to her pancreas,
had stage four pancreatic cancer, wentto Boston because it's the only place
(04:47):
in the country that has a veryspecific radiation machine for the pancreas. She
did that treatment came out that rediagnosedwith more of breast cancer in the other
borak Is. She just had onething after another after another. Today she
(05:08):
is in remission. And I loveto tell that story. Not because obviously
we did anything in terms of amedical treatment for her, but we certainly
gave her peace of mind that shehad a place to live while she was
going through treatment. Well, yeah, if you're worrying so much about the
basics, about food, about aplace to live, about your children and
(05:31):
your family safety, and all thisother stuff that can really take a toll
on you when you're just trying torecover from a deadly disease, or even
just little stuff if you come downwith the flu and you're sitting there worried,
if you're out of work. Itdoesn't take much to really trigger those
feelings in somebody. Absolutely not.And I say to you know, I
love to say to set off fundraisersbecause it's a really true statement that you
(05:54):
know, we're all two or threepaychecks from being low income. True,
you know, we'd like to havethis. We like to put low income
people into a box and say,oh, they're lazy, they don't work,
there's no motivation. But in fact, the majority of time that statement
simply isn't true. I don't thinka lot of people realize that Worcester County
(06:15):
or Worcester, they're in the toptwenty cities in the country for having the
lowest poverty, oh, at thehighest poverty level. Why do we think
that is? Like, what isit about Worcester and Worcester County that's got
us in that place. I know, it's a really good question, not
what I have an answer for,but it's it's a great right. You
(06:38):
know. We'll have to dig intothat a little bit more because that's concerning
to me. But you know,at least you're there to help and something
that I really appreciate as a doglover myself. You're not just there with
the money, but you've literally gotthe word paw in your name positively from
Pink, and being positive is cool, but when you have dog, it's
that much better. So how didthe dogs get in cooler? Yeah,
(07:00):
so the dogs came into play becausewhen we were thinking of a name,
passion, dogs are my passion.They just I just I couldn't have survived
without them. They've taught me somany lessons in life, just learn how
to love and you know, loyaltyand forgiveness and patience and all of those
(07:20):
wonderful things that we all need towork on. So I knew we had
to have them involved somehow with Positivelyfor Pink, and so I said,
okay, we could do it.Wanted two way. We could do a
therapy dog, although that takes alot of money and a lot of time
to have them trained. So Isaid, well, why not help out
(07:42):
a local rescue, have the dogtrained basic training as an emotional support dog,
and then place it with some ofthe women. Now in theory,
Nicole, that sounds like a reallygood idea. However, what we quickly
came to realize is that, youknow, a I think it's a lot
of responsibility for a woman who's goingthrough breast cancer for sure, even though
(08:07):
the benefits, you know, they'reclearly there for these women. So then,
not that long ago, about threeweeks ago Emily's and Terry's of Shrewsbury,
mass Joseph Cupstas said to me,Michelle, I really want to be
a part of the dog situation.I really I love that aspect of your
company and I really want to bea part of it. So he wants
(08:30):
to have a local trainer in Northborotrain some therapy dogs. Then we would
place them with families who they don'thave to be low income. It can
be a family who has been involvedwith breast cancer. What we would require
of them is that they would takefour hours a month out of their time
(08:54):
and go and visit the women thatwe're working with, go to an oncology,
send and and and do what theydo, give out love as they
should, so sharing them with thecommunity, but not necessarily putting the burden
on the patience to have to takecare of them, but making sure that
the support is there. That's sucha novel idea. I would not have
(09:16):
thought of that. I love itthough. I love it in the way.
And you know what, there havebeen times when we have two dogs
ourselves, their sheep of doodles,and we have brought them to events and
when we do, it's it justchanged the whole dynamic of an event.
It really does. It just bringsout the best in people, and dogs
bring out the best in people.They do. Look not everybody's a dog
(09:37):
person, but as a dog person, I can tell you that my whole
day changes when I get to pedadoog. And it is just the their
their energy and their smiles and okay, maybe not so much the drool,
but you know, it's just theyare just the kindest and most affirming and
(09:58):
loving creatures. Once you build thatbond with them, I mean, they
will be with you by your sidefor life for sure. And it's typically
a pretty fast bond. I meanit happens pretty instantaneously, which you get
a love about them. Treats help, they really love their Paul what is
it the Papperoni's and their bones andall that stuff. So I can tell
(10:18):
you my dog does, so sheis really obsessed with that stuff. So
let's talk then about your connection withResonate. How did Resonate come into the
picture. Resonate came into the picturebecause we were at a fundraiser, the
Sheriff's coke drive fundraiser, and Ihappened to be talking to one of Pete
(10:39):
Dacaro, who is the owner ofResonate, one of his employees, and
he said, Oh, my bossjust happens to be sitting right over here.
Maybe you should talk to him.So he and I started to talk,
and at the end of that conversation, I think we both had some
respect for what one another does,especially since we are holistic in part and
(11:01):
so is he. So he said, listen, why don't we set up
a time to meet and talk about, you know, collaborating and maybe partnering
and see what might work. Infact, that's what we did. We
met with him for several hours andthrough that collaboration we came up with a
pretty good initiative, I think,and it's called support your Breasty, which
(11:26):
it is. It made me gigglethe first time I read it, and
I thought it was so cute.So when somebody goes to those dispensaries and
they purchase this pre role, howdoes it help you? So it helps
us because well, first of all, let's just say, you know,
like one of the things that makesPositively for Pink different is that we will
(11:48):
help a woman regardless of whether shechooses holistic or traditional therapy, and we
will help them up to six monthsout of therapy and there are very few
with any other organizations that do that. So having said that, if a
woman goes purchases anybody purchases a prerole, we get fifty percent of any
(12:15):
of the dispensaries who are doing thiswith Peter, and Peter is matching that
fifty cents, so we get adollar per pre role. And we just
we talked about how long this mightlast, and it seems like we're going
to continue it until it seems tofade off a little and then and reintroduce
(12:37):
some other aspect of it. That'sso cool, And look, you don't
have to be in central mass tobuy this either they're going to be putting
this out in other dispensaries from whatI can tell, in places like Uxbridge
and Littleton and bill Ricka. Soyou don't have to come all the way
to Worcester or even go out toNorthampton if you're in say parts of eastern
Massachusetts and you want to take partas well, exactly exactly. And along
(12:58):
with this support of rest Day campaign, I mean that came out of I
really felt like we need something positive, some kind of movement to happen in
the world, and so I cameup with a human connection initiative called support
your Breastate because we all have someonethat we count on for something, you
(13:18):
know, our ride and die are, you know, like they'll do anything
for us, And why not honorthose people, especially those people who are
helping the women with breast cancer.Many many of the women that we work
with suffer tremendously from pain from thea chemo, from radiation, the nausea,
(13:39):
and using cannabis as a way ofminimizing those symptoms is tremendous for them.
So I just want people to realizethat it is really a helpful erb
because I think a lot of people, again like low income, they think
like, oh, are you promotinga drug. Well, yes, but
(14:03):
it's medicinal drug and doctors give prescriptionsfor it. And so I think that's
a really important point to stress stigmaon both sides, right, stigma against
cannabis use and stigma against low incomepeople. You're out there trying to break
that stigma, and honestly a goodpoint when it comes to that. I
know of a few people who aregoing through chemotherapy and they say that using
(14:26):
cannabis can actually help them with theside effects, right, the chemotherapy.
So even if you're not just goingthrough cancer and using cannabis as your main
treatment plan, which some people do, do you know those side effects from
the chemotherapy can be debilitating and ifa little bit of cannabis can help,
I mean, why not very much. So you know, I fortunately have
(14:50):
never had cancer, but I knowthat Peter has, so he certainly has
a personal experience and journey with that. And certainly many of the women that
we've worked with suffer, like yousaid, with the side effects of chemo
and radiation, and it's painful.And if we can do anything alternatively or
(15:11):
traditionally or a combination of both,all should be acceptable. Yeah, sounds
like it's a pretty good partnership thoughwith Resonates. Sounds like you guys have
a really good path ahead for thefuture. I'm extremely excited about it.
It's our first major partnership in termsof long term what this could be and
the financial success of this will helpus certainly provide to many, many more
(15:37):
women in Massachusetts. And that's reallythe hope, that's the whole point of
the you know, the partnership.We don't want to forget about that.
These women absolutely need our help.We're one of the few organizations that can
help them. And one other littleknown or unknown fact for a lot of
people is four out of five ofthe New England states have the highest diagnosis
(15:58):
rate in the country in the country. Wow. You know, my goal
really is to scale geographically positively forPINK to all of the New England states
and at some point nationally, butcertainly for New England since there's such a
high diagnosis rate. Yeah, andhopefully you can find a way to maybe
(16:21):
as well team up with some ofour healthcare facilities because Boston has some of
the best healthcare facilities in the world. I mean, we are world renowned
for our healthcare industry. So clearlymore work needs to be done. And
I know places like Dana Farber aredoing like incredible cancer research, U Mass
Memorials doing it as well, Butthis is clearly something that we have a
long way to go on and gratefullyyou're there to help these women as they
(16:42):
navigate that. Yeah, it's sucha complicated thing. You know, we
do have the arm where people dothe research. We do have an arm
where people you know, do theprevention, but we interestingly don't have an
arm to do the financial aspect tohelp these directly. And let me just
say, we don't pay. Wedon't hand them fifteen hundred dollars a month
(17:06):
and say pay your mortgage. Sojust so people know indirectly we are paying
you know, their utilities, wepay their mortgage company, so we're not
just handing money over it. Andso just to be transparent about that,
I think that's important as well.No, that is important. People like
to know where they're donating, soand let's talk about how they can do
that. Other than of course goingto resonate buying a pre role, getting
(17:27):
the pre role from some of theother dispensaries and places that are carrying this
collective Premium Cannabis and bill Ricka andLyttleton's CNA and Haverol and Amesbury Caroline's Cannabis
and Uxbridge in Hopedale, Canavana inRockland and Liberty Market in Lanesboro. So
if you're in any of those areas, you don't have to drive to Worcester,
(17:47):
you don't have to drive to Northampton. You can go to those places
get this pre role to help positivelyfor pink. If you don't maybe in
Bibing Cannabis though, and they stillwant to donate to you, how can
they help out? Sure they cando in a couple of ways. We
have several fundraises throughout the year.So anybody wants to take a hop on
(18:07):
our website, we always have ourevents posted, so that's one way they
can do it. Also, ifyou go to our website and you go
to Facebook, you go to Instagram, you go to TikTok, you go
to any of the above any socialmedia, there's always a donate button there.
Yeah, So that's those are thethree ways that you can you can
participate and donate and help these women. All right, well, Michelle,
(18:30):
thank you for your efforts to helpthese women through truly one of the worst
times of their lives, and thankyou for all your help for them and
just good luck with this campaign.I think it's really great. Oh,
thank you, Thank you very much, Nicole. I think to be I
think it's going to be phenomenal andI really appreciate you taking the time to
talk with me today. Have asafe and healthy weekend, enjoy the mild
weather, and please join me againnext week for another edition of the show.
(18:53):
I'm Nicole Davis from WBZ News Radioon iHeartRadio.
From WBZ News Radio in Boston.This is New England Weekend. Each week
we come together, we talk aboutall the topics important to you and the
place where you live. It's sogood to be back with you again this
week. I'm Nicole Davis. Eachyear here in Massachusetts, thousands of women
are diagnosed with breast cancer. Iactually went to go look at the latest
data from the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, and frankly, I was shocked to
(00:31):
see that. When it comes tonew cases each year, and when you're
looking every state around the country,we rank thirteenth. Trying to overcome and
recover from cancer is difficult enough.It takes everything from your body and your
mind and your emotions, your relationships. The finances surrounding cancer, though,
can quickly become overwhelming. See Ididn't realize this, but breast cancer specifically
(00:56):
is one of the most expensive medicalconditions to treat in the US. Not
only do you have the medical billsand the insurance payments, but this can
impact housing and food utilities. Positively, for Pink in Worcester is here to
help with that. They're teaming upat the chain of dispensaries called Resonate to
make that help happen. Michelle Poweris the founder of Positively for Pink.
She is here with us now we'regoing to talk all about this. Michelle,
(01:19):
I really appreciate your time to start. I would love to hear more
about Positively for Pink, your ideahere. How did this all come together?
I think it's been coming for along time, to be honest with
you, I've been a psychotherapist forover thirty years in the Worcester community,
and I used to say all thetime to my friends, you know,
like I could be doing something greater, helping more people in the sense in
(01:45):
the community. And then my motherpassed away and that really led me down
the direction of Positively for Pink.She had pink reatic cancer. A friend
of mine has metastatic breast cancer thatdied of breast cancer. My aunt had
breast cancer. So I've really beensurrounded in my life around women who had
(02:07):
breast cancer or some form of cancer. But the one that stuck out the
most for me was breast cancer.So I went and researched resources for women
with breast cancer, and what Irealized was there were very few resources,
(02:28):
financial resources for low income women withbreast cancer, and I thought, Okay,
well maybe I could do something aboutthat. And so what started out
to be Worcester County a part timething quickly, very quickly turned into the
(02:50):
realization that this could be a fulltime gig and it was a necessary thing
in the state of Massachusetts. Sure, I mean, healthcare costs are not
getting any lower, right, They'rejust getting more and more expensive. Insurance
can be impossible to navigate. Andfrankly, if we're talking about low income
people here, you may not evenhave insurance. We do live in Massachusetts,
(03:12):
where you know, Romney Care quoteunquote is a thing. We do
have the state insurance program. Butstill some people fall through the cracks.
Talk about the economic impact that havingcancer can have not just on the patient
but also the family. Well,you know what, how about if I
give you an example works on that. I mean, I think this just
proves that point on every level.We started working with a woman three years
(03:38):
ago who was diagnosed with metastatic breastcancer. She had a seven percent chance
of survival, and she and herhusband had a very successful of eighteen years
daycare that they ran from their home. So both of them obviously they were
both working for the company, andher doctor said, listen, Batani,
(04:00):
this just you cannot have all ofthese children around you at this job.
It's just too dangerous for you.She stopped her daycare, closed the doors
and there when both she and herhusband annual income immediately went to low income.
They how do you afford your rent, copay's transportation, any of those
(04:25):
things? Food. So we endedup paying Batani's mortgage for three years at
fifteen hundred dollars a month. Wow, Okay, yes, And she has
a phenomenal story. I mean,her metastatic breast cancer went to her pancreas,
had stage four pancreatic cancer, wentto Boston because it's the only place
(04:47):
in the country that has a veryspecific radiation machine for the pancreas. She
did that treatment came out that rediagnosedwith more of breast cancer in the other
borak Is. She just had onething after another after another. Today she
(05:08):
is in remission. And I loveto tell that story. Not because obviously
we did anything in terms of amedical treatment for her, but we certainly
gave her peace of mind that shehad a place to live while she was
going through treatment. Well, yeah, if you're worrying so much about the
basics, about food, about aplace to live, about your children and
(05:31):
your family safety, and all thisother stuff that can really take a toll
on you when you're just trying torecover from a deadly disease, or even
just little stuff if you come downwith the flu and you're sitting there worried,
if you're out of work. Itdoesn't take much to really trigger those
feelings in somebody. Absolutely not.And I say to you know, I
love to say to set off fundraisersbecause it's a really true statement that you
(05:54):
know, we're all two or threepaychecks from being low income. True,
you know, we'd like to havethis. We like to put low income
people into a box and say,oh, they're lazy, they don't work,
there's no motivation. But in fact, the majority of time that statement
simply isn't true. I don't thinka lot of people realize that Worcester County
(06:15):
or Worcester, they're in the toptwenty cities in the country for having the
lowest poverty, oh, at thehighest poverty level. Why do we think
that is? Like, what isit about Worcester and Worcester County that's got
us in that place. I know, it's a really good question, not
what I have an answer for,but it's it's a great right. You
(06:38):
know. We'll have to dig intothat a little bit more because that's concerning
to me. But you know,at least you're there to help and something
that I really appreciate as a doglover myself. You're not just there with
the money, but you've literally gotthe word paw in your name positively from
Pink, and being positive is cool, but when you have dog, it's
that much better. So how didthe dogs get in cooler? Yeah,
(07:00):
so the dogs came into play becausewhen we were thinking of a name,
passion, dogs are my passion.They just I just I couldn't have survived
without them. They've taught me somany lessons in life, just learn how
to love and you know, loyaltyand forgiveness and patience and all of those
(07:20):
wonderful things that we all need towork on. So I knew we had
to have them involved somehow with Positivelyfor Pink, and so I said,
okay, we could do it.Wanted two way. We could do a
therapy dog, although that takes alot of money and a lot of time
to have them trained. So Isaid, well, why not help out
(07:42):
a local rescue, have the dogtrained basic training as an emotional support dog,
and then place it with some ofthe women. Now in theory,
Nicole, that sounds like a reallygood idea. However, what we quickly
came to realize is that, youknow, a I think it's a lot
of responsibility for a woman who's goingthrough breast cancer for sure, even though
(08:07):
the benefits, you know, they'reclearly there for these women. So then,
not that long ago, about threeweeks ago Emily's and Terry's of Shrewsbury,
mass Joseph Cupstas said to me,Michelle, I really want to be
a part of the dog situation.I really I love that aspect of your
company and I really want to bea part of it. So he wants
(08:30):
to have a local trainer in Northborotrain some therapy dogs. Then we would
place them with families who they don'thave to be low income. It can
be a family who has been involvedwith breast cancer. What we would require
of them is that they would takefour hours a month out of their time
(08:54):
and go and visit the women thatwe're working with, go to an oncology,
send and and and do what theydo, give out love as they
should, so sharing them with thecommunity, but not necessarily putting the burden
on the patience to have to takecare of them, but making sure that
the support is there. That's sucha novel idea. I would not have
(09:16):
thought of that. I love itthough. I love it in the way.
And you know what, there havebeen times when we have two dogs
ourselves, their sheep of doodles,and we have brought them to events and
when we do, it's it justchanged the whole dynamic of an event.
It really does. It just bringsout the best in people, and dogs
bring out the best in people.They do. Look not everybody's a dog
(09:37):
person, but as a dog person, I can tell you that my whole
day changes when I get to pedadoog. And it is just the their
their energy and their smiles and okay, maybe not so much the drool,
but you know, it's just theyare just the kindest and most affirming and
(09:58):
loving creatures. Once you build thatbond with them, I mean, they
will be with you by your sidefor life for sure. And it's typically
a pretty fast bond. I meanit happens pretty instantaneously, which you get
a love about them. Treats help, they really love their Paul what is
it the Papperoni's and their bones andall that stuff. So I can tell
(10:18):
you my dog does, so sheis really obsessed with that stuff. So
let's talk then about your connection withResonate. How did Resonate come into the
picture. Resonate came into the picturebecause we were at a fundraiser, the
Sheriff's coke drive fundraiser, and Ihappened to be talking to one of Pete
(10:39):
Dacaro, who is the owner ofResonate, one of his employees, and
he said, Oh, my bossjust happens to be sitting right over here.
Maybe you should talk to him.So he and I started to talk,
and at the end of that conversation, I think we both had some
respect for what one another does,especially since we are holistic in part and
(11:01):
so is he. So he said, listen, why don't we set up
a time to meet and talk about, you know, collaborating and maybe partnering
and see what might work. Infact, that's what we did. We
met with him for several hours andthrough that collaboration we came up with a
pretty good initiative, I think,and it's called support your Breasty, which
(11:26):
it is. It made me gigglethe first time I read it, and
I thought it was so cute.So when somebody goes to those dispensaries and
they purchase this pre role, howdoes it help you? So it helps
us because well, first of all, let's just say, you know,
like one of the things that makesPositively for Pink different is that we will
(11:48):
help a woman regardless of whether shechooses holistic or traditional therapy, and we
will help them up to six monthsout of therapy and there are very few
with any other organizations that do that. So having said that, if a
woman goes purchases anybody purchases a prerole, we get fifty percent of any
(12:15):
of the dispensaries who are doing thiswith Peter, and Peter is matching that
fifty cents, so we get adollar per pre role. And we just
we talked about how long this mightlast, and it seems like we're going
to continue it until it seems tofade off a little and then and reintroduce
(12:37):
some other aspect of it. That'sso cool, And look, you don't
have to be in central mass tobuy this either they're going to be putting
this out in other dispensaries from whatI can tell, in places like Uxbridge
and Littleton and bill Ricka. Soyou don't have to come all the way
to Worcester or even go out toNorthampton if you're in say parts of eastern
Massachusetts and you want to take partas well, exactly exactly. And along
(12:58):
with this support of rest Day campaign, I mean that came out of I
really felt like we need something positive, some kind of movement to happen in
the world, and so I cameup with a human connection initiative called support
your Breastate because we all have someonethat we count on for something, you
(13:18):
know, our ride and die are, you know, like they'll do anything
for us, And why not honorthose people, especially those people who are
helping the women with breast cancer.Many many of the women that we work
with suffer tremendously from pain from thea chemo, from radiation, the nausea,
(13:39):
and using cannabis as a way ofminimizing those symptoms is tremendous for them.
So I just want people to realizethat it is really a helpful erb
because I think a lot of people, again like low income, they think
like, oh, are you promotinga drug. Well, yes, but
(14:03):
it's medicinal drug and doctors give prescriptionsfor it. And so I think that's
a really important point to stress stigmaon both sides, right, stigma against
cannabis use and stigma against low incomepeople. You're out there trying to break
that stigma, and honestly a goodpoint when it comes to that. I
know of a few people who aregoing through chemotherapy and they say that using
(14:26):
cannabis can actually help them with theside effects, right, the chemotherapy.
So even if you're not just goingthrough cancer and using cannabis as your main
treatment plan, which some people do, do you know those side effects from
the chemotherapy can be debilitating and ifa little bit of cannabis can help,
I mean, why not very much. So you know, I fortunately have
(14:50):
never had cancer, but I knowthat Peter has, so he certainly has
a personal experience and journey with that. And certainly many of the women that
we've worked with suffer, like yousaid, with the side effects of chemo
and radiation, and it's painful.And if we can do anything alternatively or
(15:11):
traditionally or a combination of both,all should be acceptable. Yeah, sounds
like it's a pretty good partnership thoughwith Resonates. Sounds like you guys have
a really good path ahead for thefuture. I'm extremely excited about it.
It's our first major partnership in termsof long term what this could be and
the financial success of this will helpus certainly provide to many, many more
(15:37):
women in Massachusetts. And that's reallythe hope, that's the whole point of
the you know, the partnership.We don't want to forget about that.
These women absolutely need our help.We're one of the few organizations that can
help them. And one other littleknown or unknown fact for a lot of
people is four out of five ofthe New England states have the highest diagnosis
(15:58):
rate in the country in the country. Wow. You know, my goal
really is to scale geographically positively forPINK to all of the New England states
and at some point nationally, butcertainly for New England since there's such a
high diagnosis rate. Yeah, andhopefully you can find a way to maybe
(16:21):
as well team up with some ofour healthcare facilities because Boston has some of
the best healthcare facilities in the world. I mean, we are world renowned
for our healthcare industry. So clearlymore work needs to be done. And
I know places like Dana Farber aredoing like incredible cancer research, U Mass
Memorials doing it as well, Butthis is clearly something that we have a
long way to go on and gratefullyyou're there to help these women as they
(16:42):
navigate that. Yeah, it's sucha complicated thing. You know, we
do have the arm where people dothe research. We do have an arm
where people you know, do theprevention, but we interestingly don't have an
arm to do the financial aspect tohelp these directly. And let me just
say, we don't pay. Wedon't hand them fifteen hundred dollars a month
(17:06):
and say pay your mortgage. Sojust so people know indirectly we are paying
you know, their utilities, wepay their mortgage company, so we're not
just handing money over it. Andso just to be transparent about that,
I think that's important as well.No, that is important. People like
to know where they're donating, soand let's talk about how they can do
that. Other than of course goingto resonate buying a pre role, getting
(17:27):
the pre role from some of theother dispensaries and places that are carrying this
collective Premium Cannabis and bill Ricka andLyttleton's CNA and Haverol and Amesbury Caroline's Cannabis
and Uxbridge in Hopedale, Canavana inRockland and Liberty Market in Lanesboro. So
if you're in any of those areas, you don't have to drive to Worcester,
(17:47):
you don't have to drive to Northampton. You can go to those places
get this pre role to help positivelyfor pink. If you don't maybe in
Bibing Cannabis though, and they stillwant to donate to you, how can
they help out? Sure they cando in a couple of ways. We
have several fundraises throughout the year.So anybody wants to take a hop on
(18:07):
our website, we always have ourevents posted, so that's one way they
can do it. Also, ifyou go to our website and you go
to Facebook, you go to Instagram, you go to TikTok, you go
to any of the above any socialmedia, there's always a donate button there.
Yeah, So that's those are thethree ways that you can you can
participate and donate and help these women. All right, well, Michelle,
(18:30):
thank you for your efforts to helpthese women through truly one of the worst
times of their lives, and thankyou for all your help for them and
just good luck with this campaign.I think it's really great. Oh,
thank you, Thank you very much, Nicole. I think to be I
think it's going to be phenomenal andI really appreciate you taking the time to
talk with me today. Have asafe and healthy weekend, enjoy the mild
weather, and please join me againnext week for another edition of the show.
(18:53):
I'm Nicole Davis from WBZ News Radioon iHeartRadio.
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