Kara Stephenson, Director
609-497-2100, extension 346

Kara joined the Breast Cancer Resource Center as Director in January 2005. She is responsible for coordination and implementation of BCRC's community education, information and support programs. Since joining the YWCA, Kara has developed several new services including a support group for women with metastatic breast cancer, a support group for family and friends of breast cancer patients/survivors, and a volunteer skills development series. She’s also initiated two new fundraising events as part of BCRC’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month activities; the Pink Ribbon Campaign, and the In the Pink Fashion Show and Silent Auction.

Kara sits on the Office of Cancer Control and Prevention’s Breast Cancer Workgroup, and is a member of the Mercer County Cancer Coalition, and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Central & South Jersey Affiliate Educational Advisory Committee.

Prior to moving to New Jersey, Kara served as Senior Executive for Support and Volunteer Programs at the Singapore Breast Cancer Foundation. There she supervised support and educational programs for Chinese, Malay, Indian and Caucasian breast cancer patients and their families; managed volunteer recruitment, training and recognition activities; and promoted breast cancer awareness in all four ethnic communities through outreach programs. She established and managed Asia’s first dragon boat team for breast cancer survivors, created a support group for Malay speaking breast cancer patients/survivors, and launched a program to train breast cancer survivors as peer counselors.

Kara has also worked in the blood transfusion safety field, first at the National Serology Reference Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia coordinating national and regional blood transfusion quality assurance training programs; then with the Blood Safety Department at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland where she developed training programs and informational materials to improve blood transfusion safety in developing countries.

Kara holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (International Studies major) from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. She lives in Pennington, NJ with her husband Matt.

To email Kara, click here


Laura Martin, Program Coordinator
609-497-2100, extension 349

Laura Martin has proven to be a great addition to the BCRC staff since joining us in November, 2007, especially during Kara’s extended leave. We are pleased to announce a change in her job title to Program Coordinator. Laura came to us from the Hopewell Valley YMCA, where she served as the Membership Director prior to taking some time off to go through her own breast cancer treatment and recovery. A native of Virginia, Laura spent twenty years moving around the country, including nearly fifteen years in glorious southern California , as her husband was transferred with his company. During those years, Laura worked in the fields of hotel and property management, accounting, and staffing. She has volunteered for numerous organizations, including serving as Vice President of the Washington Charter School , Treasurer of the Junior League of the Palm Springs Desert Communities, and the executive boards of multiple PTAs. Laura brings with her a lot of experience in event planning, which will serve us well as we plan the next “In The Pink” Fashion Show.

Laura attended the University of Virginia and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in business from Michigan State University . She is a wife, a mother of two teenagers and a sister of a three-time breast cancer survivor. She is delighted to be a part of the BCRC team, where she can combine her professional skills with her personal experiences as a survivor to continue BCRC’s mission of providing support services to breast cancer survivors and their families.


To email Laura, click here


Debra Raines, Community Outreach Coordinator
609-497-2100, extension 303

BCRC is pleased to announce the addition of Debra Raines to its staff as a Community Outreach Coordinator. Debra comes to us from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway where she worked in the areas of admissions and recruitment for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the Office of Special Academic Programs for over 15 years. As BCRC’s Community Outreach Coordinator, Debra will coordinate our new Women of Wisdom breast cancer education program, as well as other outreach activities including Breast Cancer Awareness Talks for schools, corporations, churches and community organizations; BCRC’s participation in health and community fairs; the monthly Guest Speaker Series and our annual “Surviving & Thriving” Breast Cancer Seminar. She will also work to recruit breast cancer survivors and prepare them to volunteer as Peer Educators through the BCRC’s Volunteer Skills Development program. Debra grew up in Queens, New York where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Queens College, City University of New York. She is looking forward to using her recent breast cancer experience to encourage, inspire and give hope to others. Debra is a living testimony that you can survive and thrive after breast cancer.

To email Debra, click here