Dear Editor: I want to take this opportunity to thank St. Mary Hospital for allowing me to work with women in various communities in the effort to educate them regarding the risk factors that breast cancer presents to them. My managerial role with the Healthy Neighbor program has allowed me to network with various agencies such as The American Cancer Society, The National Cancer Institute and The Susan G. Komen Foundation. These wonderful resources focus on the well being of women regarding the many different cancers that are effecting our health and lifestyle. Grants have been instrumental in allowing me to work with women of color which are now showing higher rates of fatal breast cancer statistics.This has been an educational, emotional, as well as a rewarding project. This journey has convinced me that this is what I want to dedicate the rest of my life to. The women that I have worked with that are the important links in these agencies have been nurturing, caring and willing to share with me all the information necessary that has allowed me to assist women in need of health care education. Evelyn Gonzalez who works with The Cancer Information Services in P.A. They are a program which is part of the National Cancer Institute. She has helped me in more ways than she can ever imagine. She has educated me with the history of the N.C.I. and gives me all the material necessary for me in turn to share with women in the community. They in turn are able to share these resources with women friends and family members. Evelyn has shared videos in Spanish with me, which make the message easier for me to convey. I thank you for this Evelyn. Stacy Lewis, who works for the American Cancer Society has always responded to my calls of distress with helpful hints and names of others working in their community that have come upon the same road blocks as me. Her presence at The American Cancer Society Task Force meetings always brings with it new information on the research being done in the fight against all types of cancers. This information I then use as a tool with my colleagues and my community. Barbara Waters and Mary Hess of the Susan G. Komen Foundation have been instrumental in making grant monies available for various projects that have allowed women without insurance to participate in educational health care projects that will lower their breast cancer risks. For all of these helping agents I am forever grateful. I hope to continue to work with you on other health care related projects. Because of the health care issues I am presently involved with and because of the high statistics regarding the Hispanic women’s mortality rate I find it necessary to say thank you now. At a time when cancer appears to be a factor in almost everyone’s life, we all need to appreciate and say thank you to everyone who does anything positive to enhance our lives. Ladies, for your sisterhood I am forever grateful. Carmen Rodriguez, Manager Healthy Neighbor Program