Business Spotlight 9/28/20 Unity Outreach St. Augustine

This week, We are honored to be able to introduce an organization to you that is dear to the heart of
Leigh Insurance Agency. Unity Outreach of St. Augustine is a non profit organization that supports woman and men being treated for breast cancer in St. Johns County. As I read the bio on their website, it broke my heart to imagine the pain and loss that this family felt loosing their loved one to breast cancer at only 31 years of age. Imagine is all I can do because I have been blessed that this is a disease that I have not had to face or have been confronted with in my family but the simple thought of it was painful to me. My experience with breast cancer is limited to (2) friends of mine. I had a co-worker/friend back in 1997 that was diagnosed and battled it for over a year and won her fight.....But, that victory was short lived as she was told only a year later that the cancer had returned. Sadly, she succumbed to her second battle. I witnessed the pain that her husband, small child and parents experienced as bystanders to this enemy that was ravaging their loved one. I witnessed her strength and will to fight, her dignity and poise as she gave in. In just last year, I lost a very dear friend that I referred to as sister to breast cancer that moved rapidly into other parts of her body. It is painful for me to think about much less write about. The grace and love that she exhibited in those last months is something that I will never forget.  As a witness to this, I completely understand the importance of support. Support such as financial aid, having someone there that can help with medication costs, services and equipment costs. Support such as having the peace of mind that you are not in this alone, you have a community of people, friends, that are there to lean on, that are there to give you hope. 

WENDY JUDEEN OWENS battled breast cancer, her family battled this awful disease by her side and on January 26, 2004 at the young age of 31 years old, she lost her battle. Broken and devastated by this loss, her family founded The Judeen Memorial Foundation for breast cancer medical services/supplies, which are not covered by insurance. If you visit their Facebook page you will see that they are always busy bringing awareness to the community and being a beacon of light and hope for so many that are in this battle. They cannot do this alone. as my mother used to say, "It takes a village"..... It takes everyone, and there is no donation of time or money that is too small when you are fighting something so much bigger than you! It moves me that WENDY JUDEEN OWENS lived a life that has led to unfathomable hope for so many others that are fighting the same fight as she. It was the celebration of the woman she was, the daughter she was, the niece, granddaughter, the friend and all around spirit of who she was that so inspired her family to carry on her memory through the founding of such a powerhouse of support for breast cancer patients and their families! It was through their own grief that they decided to be a help to those that would go through this very valley that they had found themselves in. It was through their grief that WENDY JUDEEN would live on to offer comfort, relief and hope to countless others! This is a cause worthy of fighting. This my friends, is an organization worthy of being involved in.  As I close this blog, I want to encourage each one of you that has taken the time to read this to visit the Unity Outreach website and Facebook page. I am going to provide the links below. I understand that charities come and go but I really hope that I have successfully given you a glimpse today of a disease that reeks havoc on woman AND men, and their families... A glimpse into the battle of a beautiful, vivacious young woman and the family that loved her so dearly and a glimpse into a memorial foundation that because of her life, is bringing hope to the hopeless in our community. 

https://unityoutreachstaug.org/
https://www.facebook.com/UnityOutreachStAug/​