Friday, June 3, 2016

Testimonial from One of Our Families In Need

This is from one of the many families we helped:

Yes we can sir is a wonderful organization.  They help families in their time of need.  They helped our family not only once but twice.  The first time was to help us with travel expenses going back and forth to NYC which became very costly.  My husband and I had to miss a lot of work so their donation to our family was a tremendous help.  The second time was to help us take our Son on a vacation to Florida because all he wanted to do was go swimming because he had the picc line in for over a year and could not.  So we had his picc line removed and took him to Florida to swim and he loved every minute of it.  They are an amazing, caring, organization and we are so very grateful for all of their help.
                              
               - Sincerely, The Loya Family


*** If you have been helped by Yes We Can Sir and would like to submit a testimonial, please fill out our contact form. ***

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Apply Online for a Caregiver Grant

Yes We Can Sir is excited to announce we are accepting applications for "Caregiver Grant" 2016. Caring for a loved one with cancer can be emotionally, physically and financially difficult. Grants given through our YWCS Caregiver Fund will: Provide opportunities to create family memories, help pay for getaway time for the primary caregiver, assist with expense of counseling for children and families or help cover unexpected household expenses.
APPLY ONLINE TODAY! 

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE DECEMBER 1st
Application Requirements:
  • Must be completed in full
  • Must be submitted on behalf of a caregiverInclude a personal reference. This reference must be different from a nominator (if applicable). The personal reference must be someone over 18 that can validate the caregiver's story.
  • The application must be for a US citizen
  • An applicant may not have received a grant from YWCS within the last 12 months
  • Nominators from the medical community (i.e. nurses, hospital social workers, etc.) allowed to nominate one grantee per year. 

The committee reserves the right to call the applicant/nominator (if applicable), and personal reference to discuss the application.
Caregiver aid will be evaluated based on when applications are received, how the funds will be used, purpose of the request, and other information provided in the application. The YWCS board members will review and assess each application on an individual, case by case basis. The board is responsible for the final decision.
Final review of all applications will be held and all awarded nominators and grantees will be notified via email no later than 60 days following the receipt of the application. The grant will be mailed 7-10 business days of notification. If the applicant is denied, the nominator and/or the applicant will notified no later than three weeks following the receipt of the application.
Grants will be awarded once per year (every January), in the amount of $200. Applications must be received no later than December 1, 2015 for consideration.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

What YWCS Means to Me... by Kim Borysewicz


First, I will start off by saying I have never blogged before so bear with me. Maybe I should have chosen an easier topic but I feel strongly that this needs to be the topic I address first. Over the last few months many people have asked what Yes We Can Sir is all about and why I am so passionate about it. So for those of you who don’t already know, here is some background. 

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In February of 2012, my friend and neighbor was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer. I remember the phone call like it was yesterday. It was the day many lives would be forever changed. Although I had lost both my dad and grandfather to cancer this was a whole new experience for me. How could a 34 year old have cancer let alone colon cancer? Needless to say I was very naïve. How could someone so young have cancer, it is supposed to be an elderly person's disease, right?

After the shock of learning of Michelle's condition, her family and friends banded together and started putting plans in motion for a fundraiser to help her. You see, her diagnosis came very shortly after her husband got laid off from his job. I was committed to helping them so I jumped on board. A whirlwind of conversations, and meetings took place in a short period of time followed by commitments with vendors to make this event happen. I was beyond amazed.

During all the craziness of planning the event, Michelle and one of her friends went for a walk. Although I don’t know exactly how their conversation went, I do know Michelle was asked what she heard when she heard the word "cancer". Michelle replied "I will not be afraid of cancer, it simply means Yes I Can Sir!" - The benefit for Michelle now had a name! 

Finally, it was benefit day! The weather did not cooperate at all. It was raining and windy! Did that stop people from attending an outdoor event? NO! I was speechless. I couldn’t even begin to count the amount of people that walked into the event. How could a small group of people from a little town like Scotia pull off such a successful event! Everyone was amazed at what was accomplished and Michelle was beyond grateful!

About a week later Michelle came down and watched me work. As we were sitting in my office (and she was cringing over my lack of organization!) she told me she needed to pay it forward and here is the plan she came up with. She wanted to make an organization that would help cancer families with medical bills, groceries, daycare, or anything else they may need. In essence, to be a support system. She would say, "Do you know how many people out there have to face this illness alone?" Before she could even finish I knew I wanted to be a part of this. I looked at her and said, "Count me in, if you want my help!" She smiled that amazing smile of hers and said, "Why do you think I am here?" So, the "accountant" side of me took over. 

What’s the process? What paper work needs to be filled out? Little did I know the nonprofit charity application is 36 pages long! On top of that bylaws, mission statement and articles of incorporation all needed to be created to go along with this monster application!

Michelle and I put our heads together and met whenever she was feeling up to it. We accomplished it all- even as she was struggling with surgery and treatments. The paper work was finally mailed in August of 2012. Phew! Half way there we thought! A year later, yes a whole year later, we received our letter that Yes We Can Sir was an official 501(c)(3)! 

Now to be incorporated by NYS. More paperwork. This wasn’t so bad only 4 pages! At this point Michelle had more bad days than good and this paperwork was pushed to the side. We lost Michelle on New Year’s Day of 2014. The paperwork was still incomplete. Shortly after Michelle’s funeral, I knew I needed to get off the couch and do something. So, I started focusing all my energy on continuing to make Michelle's dream a reality. On March 28th 2014 we became incorporated!
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My dream and desire is to make this organization everything Michelle envisioned it could be. Michelle was an amazing woman. Little did I know when I met her that my time with her would be so short. She did, however leave me a whole new set of friends and family that I cherish. In fact, without their love and support YWCS would not be where it is today and for that I am thankful. 

YWCS is not just an organization, for me it’s the laughter, love, sorrow, joy and struggles my friend endured for the last 2 years of her life. There is not a day that goes by that she is not in my thoughts and thoroughly missed. 

Due to Michelle’s influence in my life, I want to make as many cancer patients and their families smile even if it is just for one day. I want them to hear what Michelle said. "Don’t be afraid of cancer… It simply means, "Yes I Can Sir".

Sunday, September 14, 2014

YesWeCanSir/GetYourRearInGear


The Saratoga Get Your Rear In Gear 5 K walk was a success.  We walked in memory of Michelle.




Saturday, August 9, 2014

YesweCANSir Redemption Fundraiser


Creating Change Redemption Center
309 Saratoga Rd Glenville, NY 12303
(518) 265-1420

Creating Change Redemption Center and YesweCANSir are partnering up to make your donations as easy as it can get.......

Starting NOW! You can bring your bottles and cans to Creating Change Redemption Center and they literally do the rest. They sort and count all the bottles and cans. You don't have to touch another messy can!!

Just say YesweCANSir and the refund will go directly to our organization to help those dealing with cancer.

The exciting part is that with every donation you will receive a blue wrist band printed with YesWeCanSir.org and You Are Not Alone..

For those of you that are located outside the Schenectady County area please feel free to email us at info@yeswecansir.org and we can arrange a pickup or send you further information on how you CAN donate.
Thank you. Please share with friends, family, and those who may not be on Facebook.


Thursday, July 31, 2014

Thank You For Your Support


Can we make a difference?  Yes we can sir! With your support we can continue to make a difference in the community and in someone's life.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

YesWeCanSir & The Joan Nicole Prince Home


Left to Right: Kim Borysewicz, Donna Schraa, and Executive Director Susan Tomlinson.


The Yes We Can Sir board of directors:
Kim Borysewicz; President/Treasurer, Jo Landolfo; Vice President, and Donna Schraa; Secretary recently visited the Joan Nicole Prince home and donated an array of much needed supplies thanks to your generous donations. Susan Tomlinson; Executive Director and Gail Macejka; Residential Coordinator, took the time to give us a tour of this magnificent and tranquil home and explain in detail what their organization is all about.  We all were enlightened and in awe with the whole organization and how they serve our community every single day. 

The following is an excerpt from the website, it says it all:
 The home is named after Joan Nicole (Keating) Prince, a Niskayuna, NY native and young mother of four. “Joanie” lost her battle with cancer and, in her honor, her husband gave a notable donation which allowed the Home to originally open in 2006.


Located in the Village of Scotia, The Joan Nicole Prince Home provides 24 hour bedside care for two residents at a time in a homelike environment. It is staffed primarily by volunteers and the care provided consists of laundry, meals, personal care, cleaning and support to our residents and their families.

The Joan Nicole Prince (JNP) Home is not a medical facility and it is run independently by the Schenectady Community Home, Inc. The Home collaborates with Hospice who provides the
medical management for the patients as they do for anyone receiving hospice care in their own home environment. The volunteers and staff of the JNP Home become the “surrogate family” for residents.” 


Please read more about the Joan Nicole (Keating) Prince Home, who is eligible, what is the cost for guests, how the home is staffed, and much more, please click on their website: http://www.joannicoleprincehome.org/

Please join their event. Monday, August 18 2014



  7 am - 3 pm
Annual Golf Tournament

2nd annual golf tournament.  Help us grow this fundraising event.  Being held at the prestigous Mohawk Golf Club. Breakfast and lunch included.

Follow link below for sponsorship info:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5hehPGT4eDCZkRrZExFQVZWWlU/edit?usp=sharing

Follow link below for golfer information:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5hehPGT4eDCejVGYkpnQzB6SU0/edit?usp=sharing

 

The following is their WISH LIST.

• Forever Postage Stamps
• Copy Paper - 20 lb. white & color; 24 lb. white
• 3-Ring Binders 1 1/2"


* Individually wrapped chocolate candy
• Hand Sanitizer
• Pump hand soap
• Dishwasher detergent/action packs
• Fragrance-free laundry detergent
• Clorox wipes
Tall kitchen bags - 13 gallon
• Fragrance-free fabric softener sheets
• Unscented hygiene wipes (thick baby-style wipes)
• Gift cards - OfficeMax, WalMart, Visa, MasterCard
• Dish detergent

·         Bleach
·         Lysol spray
·         Swiffer Sweeper wet mop refills
·         Scrubbing  Bubbles
·         Clorox Clean-up