The success of any community program, and particularly this one, comes as a result of the people who have committed themselves to it. We stress the importance of making sure that all the "players" are present when developing, planning and implementing the program. In our case there have been four key role players in the Women In Touch program; they include the Volunteers, the Program Champion, the Community and the Hospital. The combination and coordination of each of these groups of people played a significant role in creating a successful program.

The WIT program has been championed by very strong and active African-American women leaders in our community, who volunteered their time and efforts. It's been their commitment to the issues of representation, awareness and advocacy that motivated them to form the WIT program. Their ability to attract other African-American women to the organization has been the cornerstone for developing a strong base of over 200 volunteers from which to carry out the Women In Touch program goals and objectives.

Bettye Green, a breast cancer survivor herself, and WIT Chairperson, has championed this program from early in its developmental stages. A key element to the success of this program has been her personal touch and commitment to addressing the issues of breast cancer among African-American women. With a nursing background to guide her, she began to ask questions and seek out information that would help guide WIT volunteers as they embarked on developing the WIT program. She spent a great deal of time contacting other breast cancer programs and representatives throughout the country. The connections she made during this journey lead her into state and national level breast cancer organizations. Bettye now serves on the Indiana State Health Department Breast and Cervical Task Force; National Breast Cancer Coalition; and, is a member of two committees of the President's National Action Plan on Breast Cancer. She was also just recently appointed to the Department of Defense, US Army Medical Research and Material Command, Breast Cancer Research Program, Integrational Panel, Programmatic Review Board.

The African-American community itself was also essential to the success of the WIT program. What happened after the initial meetings was described by all those involved as a "snow-ball" effect. The energy generated by the African-American community during the initial meetings not only empowered those involved but created a commitment to this effort that has since become the Women In Touch program. The St. Joseph County community also played a significant role in the success of the program. Several other health care providers and related organizations have coordinated with WIT to truly make this a community effort. WIT's success can be attributed to the fact that it is truly a "grassroots" organization. It has evolved from the leadership of several different community entities.

Memorial Hospital created the impetus for the program. Hospital staff recognized the issues and decided that something must be done. These individuals gathered the statistical data, performed a needs analysis and offered financial commitment to the program. They also provided structural and operational assistance to the WIT program without demanding ownership. In August of 1995, Memorial Hospital provided WIT volunteers with office space and supplies to further the process of development and, in April of 1996, hired a full-time paid Program Coordinator.