Archives for November 2023

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Today is Giving Tuesday! Today we are asking out Teal Diva community to help us continue to touch the lives of survivors by donating to our Yes Girl program. This year we have impacted 255 GYN cancer survivors through Yes Girl, and with your help we want to double or even triple that number in 2024. In order to do that though WE NEED YOU

I’m telling you this because your donations matter! Through the end of the year, we are focusing our efforts on our Yes girl program. Yes Girl provides financial assistance by way of mortgage /rent assistance, utilities assistance, gas/grocery, and help with household projects/maintenace.

We have a goal to raise $25,000 by year end for this program. We are just over $8,000. Please consider making a donation and help us reach this goal. You can participate in the raffle through Giving Tuesday and/or make a donation. Both links can be found by clicking below.

We will be in person at NoDa Brewing for a Night of Giving on Tuesday, Nov 28 (Giving Tuesday). We invite you to join us!

Donate to Yes Girl

Get your raffle tickets

These are some of our amazing raffle items! We are currently selling tickets NOW! Don’t wait! Follow the link to get your tickets! https://app.galabid.com/tealdivayggt/items

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As we are a week away from Giving Tuesday 2023, we wanted to share with you some of the testimonials that have been shared with us by recipients of our Yes Girl home projects help. This year for Giving Tuesday we are asking you to support Teal Diva, so we can continue to make a difference in GYN cancer survivors lives.

We at Teal Diva know all too well that cancer is an interruption to your world. Bills still need to be paid and household chores still need to get done. We would like to introduce you to Yes Girl!: a community service project/small grant program offered by Teal Diva in the Carolinas.

When we say yes, she wins! We say yes so, she can fight, so she can rest, so she can release these small burdens and doesn’t have to fight alone.

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to the Yes Girl program ran by Teal Diva volunteers. Part of my deck was redone with the help of some wonderful people. I don’t have a lot of time being a widowed dad of two and I was able to put a few fish in the boat on the weekend this was done for me. -T. Zielinksi

I am immensely grateful to Teal Diva and the “Yes Girl “volunteers for the work that they did in and around my home. My husband and I have been so consumed by my cancer and treatment over the past three years, that many household projects have fallen by the wayside. I looked at my surroundings and felt severe anxiety over all of the work that had to be done, It was overwhelming. By completing these projects, the “Yes Girl “volunteers have given me a sense of serenity. I no longer feel anxious when I look around my home, I only feel joy, gratitude and love. I am truly humbled, I had no idea that so many others cared. I only hope that someday I am well enough to pay it forward and help someone else the way these wonderful people have helped me. Thank you to everyone who worked on the project, raised funds or contributed money. Most of all, thank Shannon for making it happen. – J. Trull

Thank you for the house cleaning. They did such a fantastic job and I can’t tell you how good it made me feel to have my entire house all clean at one time! – S. Spratt

I was so very fortunate to have Teal Diva trim the bushes around my house. They did a phenomenal job. I have already received so many compliments! Teal Diva is truly an exceptional organization! Everyone worked so hard and they were so professional. Also they were such a fun and motivating group. To help those in need and to do so with such grace and willingness is truly a blessing from God. Thank you, Teal Diva! You are truly exceptional! – D. Byrd

I was diagnosed with cancer two years ago. I want to thank Teal Diva for brightening up my life. My house needed a facelift so bad and thanks to Teal Diva, my prayers were answered. God bless you all! – N. Palmer

I love the work you all have done. You all are a blessing from God and I hope all the other people you do work for love the work you do for them. Debra.

We would love to have you at our Giving Tuesday event November 28, 2023 at NoDa Brewing Company! We are taking over the tap, all drinks bought that night will benefit Teal Diva and the Yes Girl program. Also, we have a HUGE raffle going on, you can support Teal Diva by purchasing tickets below!

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We asked some of our Yes Girl volunteers to share why they choose to give their time and energy to Teal Diva’s Yes Girl program.

It has been an absolute privilege to volunteer for Yes Girl, offering not only a sense of purpose but also a unique opportunity to support women and their families battling gynecological cancer. Working closely with survivors and their families has been both humbling and inspiring. Their stories of courage, resilience, faith, and determination in the face of cancer have left an indelible impression on me.

The camaraderie that develops among volunteers not only enhances the overall experience but also underscores the significance of our collective commitment. Saying yes means she can focus on fighting, resting, and serves as a poignant reminder that she never fights alone!

Through Yes Girl, I’ve forged personal connections with survivors, and the impact of volunteering with Teal Diva is palpable. It serves as a reminder that every effort, regardless of size, contributes to bringing a smile and hope to those affected by this formidable disease. The work we do with Yes Girl transcends individual contributions, forming a mosaic of support and compassion that resonates with the shared goal of connecting and assisting those facing gynecological cancer. -B. McClellan, Yes Girl Volunteer

For me Yes Girl helped me with a project that I just had no time to get to as being a single widow of two. A 4.5-year battle with Ovarian cancer drained me physically emotionally, and well initially financially. The Teal Diva team and volunteers took the burden off of something that I could have hired someone to do but it was a huge help. Having young children when she was diagnosed was difficult and then the emotional scars that are left behind when she passed. As far as giving back, I wanted to pay it forward to the other survivors and Teal Diva. I wanted to teach my kids how rewarding it is to give back and a little manual labor never hurt anyone. It was a pleasure helping a local CM school teacher originally from Ohio. She was so grateful and the smiles on her face that day were priceless. I know many of these stories don’t end well as the nature of this disease is not kind. However that day she had one less thing to worry about and could relax. I encourage anyone who is willing to help with simple projects or who has a specialized skill or handy to give a Saturday up and come help. Or it could be as simple as lending tools or giving off supplies to complete one of these projects. Financial donations will be put to good use, this is such a great organization and program. T. Zielinski, Yes Girl Volunteer and Recipient

The good feeling you get when you help someone who truly needs it. The hope that maybe one day I may need help and someone will step up and help. Hanging out with a good group of friends for a good cause. Seeing the before and after pictures, knowing you had a hand in making it better. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the ones you are helping.

If you’re interested in our Yes Girl program please visit www.tealdiva.org for more info! We would love to have you at our Giving Tuesday event November 28, 2023 at NoDa Brewing Company! We are taking over the tap, all drinks bought that night will benefit Teal Diva and the Yes Girl program. Also, we have a HUGE raffle going on, you can support Teal Diva by purchasing tickets below!

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Yes Girl is one way that Teal Diva supports women who have been diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer. When someone hears of their cancer diagnosis their world stops, but the responsibilities of life don’t. This is where Teal Diva and our Yes Girl program step in. Yes Girl!: a community service project/small grant program offered by Teal Diva in the Carolinas. We can’t take all the stress away, but we can lighten the load. Yes Girl has two options for our survivor recipients: household projects, lawn care, and small repairs or assistance with mortgages, utilities, or groceries. We also have the option to help with transportation to and from treatment.

How to apply :

This is currently available in Charlotte, North Carolina, and surrounding areas as well as Summerville, South Carolina, and surrounding areas.

Please contact your nurse navigator or social worker for an application. The approval process for a Yes Girl application may take 30-60 days.

How to help :

Donate to Yes Girl

When we say yes, she wins! We say yes so, she can fight, so she can rest, so she can release these small burdens and doesn’t have to fight alone.

Donate to Yes Girl

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Today, we hear from small business owner Brenda. She co-owns, with her daughter, an online shop called Generations by MB. They reached out to Teal Diva wanting to help our Yes Girl program.

It’s not only the sponsorships from large companies that help a non-profit like Teal Diva make a difference. It’s also the small, locally owned shops that make a difference. Generations by MB design and create unique Bucket Has and Beanie Hats, both with protective lining along with coordinating Bucket Bags and Drawstring Bags. A portion of all sales will go back to Teal Diva and the Yes Girl program.

Shop Generations by MB

Teal Diva : Can you tell me why you want to donate to Teal Diva’s Yes Girl program?

Generations by MB : We wanted to donate to this cause because the funds are used in a way that has a direct and immediate impact on those locally who are in need. Oftentimes, we forget that cancer treatment can cause other hardships in the lives of not only the patient but their families as well, we found that Yes Girl addressed those other hardships. We don’t have thousands to donate but hopefully, we can help this initiative by not only making monetary contributions but also helping bring awareness. I was surprised to learn that there are a variety of cancer colors associated with the various cancers (ie..Blue-Prostate; Green-Liver; Gray-Brain; Purple-GYN & Pancreatic; and many more). Most people are very familiar with the pink ribbon being associated with Breast Cancer, but few are aware of the other ribbons with the associated colors, so “Yes Girl” will have our support for the Teal color items.

TD : How did you hear out about Teal Diva and our Yes Girl program?

GMB : I heard about Teal Diva and your “Yes Girl” program by just doing some internet research. We were searching for cancer awareness initiatives, as previously mentioned, most people are aware of pink and Breast Cancer in October but we wanted to see what other initiatives we could support.

TD : How long have you been making things?

GMB : I’ve been sewing for a long time(let’s say, way back when people used a phone book to look up a number). My mother and I would use sewing as our time together when we would bond, laugh, and share. Unfortunately, she passed from metastatic colon cancer, but I have carried that legacy on with my daughter. We use sewing as our time to bond, laugh, and share. In our sewing hats and bags people would ask how much we sold them for, and the business was born.

TD : How long have Generations by MB been in business?

GMB : The business was officially established in July of this year.

TD : How did you come up with the name Generations MB?

GMB : Myself and my daughter are directly involved in the business. We currently have four categories in our online store, my adult grandchild and teen grandchild are involved in those categories. So we have three generations all working together.

TD : Anything else you’d like to share with our Teal Diva community?

GMB : We are excited to see how your community receives our items and we hope that our support will make a difference and serve as an example for other small businesses. As a small business, we do not have huge contributions but we try to do good in our work so that we may have something to share with someone in need.

Thank you Brenda and the entire Generations by MB team for reaching out to Teal Diva and your support! You can shop the entire Generations collection by clicking the link below!

Shop Generations by MB