Making an Impact
WITH Lindsay Bridges
My name is Lindsay Bridges, and I am the Executive Director at the Tennessee Breast Cancer Coalition. I am so proud to be the leader of this local nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of Tennesseans undergoing breast cancer treatment. As an oncology social worker, I have spent many years of my career providing counseling, leading support and bereavement groups, and providing resource linkage to cancer patients. During my social work internship, I was placed in an oncology clinic as a student social worker, and I felt an instant connection with the patients. My passion for caring for cancer patients began early in life. I lost my father to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma when I was two, and then lost my grandmother to metastatic breast cancer when I was in my twenties. These were two substantial losses in my life to cancer, and I knew I wanted to be a part of the healing process for those living with this disease.
I worked for two years in outpatient oncology at Ascension St. Thomas Midtown as a social worker. From this job, I learned firsthand the importance of the Tennessee Breast Cancer Coalition. Each woman diagnosed with breast cancer was just living her life working, raising a family or looking forward to retirement. Most of these women would then have to go on unpaid leave or short-term disability, thus losing their income or a large portion of it. As treatment expenses mounted, many of my patients had to choose between their copay or paying for groceries. TBCC stepped in each time and provided support to these women by paying a month’s worth of household expenses, decreasing anxiety and stress in many women’s lives.
As a social worker, this organization is so dear to my heart. I pray that we can continue to provide hope, support and stability to each individual undergoing this life-altering event. Our emergency access fund provides a one-time financial grant of $1,500 to applicants who meet our criteria. Our criteria include residents of Tennessee, in active breast cancer treatment, and income at or below 250% of the poverty level. In 2022, TBCC assisted ninety-four individuals with a total payout of $88,000. Because of generous donors, sponsors, and grants last year, TBCC has been able to increase our emergency access fund budget for 2023 and increase our grant amount.
TBCC hosts two annual fundraisers for our emergency access fund. Our largest event is our Celebration of Life Golf Classic, to be held at Bluegrass Yacht & Country Club on August 7th. This will be our twenty-seventh year hosting this beloved charity golf event! Our other major event is our Whiskey, Wine, & Cider night which kicks off breast cancer awareness month. This year it will be held on October 5th at The Bedford in Nashville. If you are interested in sponsoring or attending one of our events, becoming a donor, becoming a volunteer, or need assistance, please contact Lindsay Bridges at lindsay@tbcc.org
