MESA, AZ — As Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close, a Valley police department is still people battling this disease.
ABC15 was there as the Mesa Police Department helped assemble care packages for the group My Hope Bag, a non-profit that provides care items to people who were recently diagnosed.
My Hope Bag also connects people to critical resources as they try to navigate their breast cancer journey.
Founder Sarah Ellery is a breast cancer survivor and says when she was going through the disease, it was easy to feel lost and now she's working to make sure no one else goes through that.
"I want them to feel lots of love," she explained. "I'm hoping they feel they're not alone, that they have a friend they can call on the phone no matter what questions they have."
"We both benefited from the kindness of friends and family, even strangers," said Karen McBride, who works for the Mesa Police Department and is also a survivor. "This is very meaningful to people going through treatment, so we are really excited to have My Hope Bag on board and to help them as they're helping cancer patients."
Mesa police also raised $3,000 through an internal fundraiser, selling t-shirts, pink badges, and other types of gear.
You may have seen the Mesa PD breast cancer vehicle, complete with a giant pink ribbon. Officers tell ABC15 it's been a great conversation starter and reminder for women to get their yearly check-ups.
Head to MyHopeBag.org for more information.
