Meet Trailblazer Andrea Schwartz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Schwartz.

Andrea, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began my career in the finance industry directly out of college. While the experience was extremely informative and gave me a skill set that transcends to my role today, I was missing the purpose. After transitioning to the non-profit sector and working in marketing, development and event management for local and national youth and outdoor centric organizations in Denver and Portland, a move from Oregon back to Colorado shifted my focus to the private sector. In early 2015, I was approached by the founder of the Dear Jack Foundation, Andrew McMahon (Orange County-based musician of bands Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin, and now under his own moniker Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness). Dear Jack works daily to improve the quality of life and long-term health outcomes for adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer. Andrew offered me the opportunity to run his foundation out of Denver and not only run it, but bring to life a new focus and growth strategy. The decision to go for it was a leap of faith as I would be the first full time, a compensated employee in the 9-year history of the organization. And, the only employee at the time. In my last hand full of years, I have made it a priority to say ‘yes’ more often than not. So, with that, I took a leap of faith. I accepted Andrew’s offer and have never looked back.

Has it been a smooth road?
With change and with growth, there will always be obstacles and challenges. In the last five years, at the Dear Jack Foundation, we have been fortunate to exceed our growth goals allowing the organization to bring to life a long-time vision; programs that close the gap in care for young adult cancer patients and survivors to improve what it means to be a 15-39-year-old diagnosed with cancer. In the last three years, we have turned our focus inward moving away from 100% funding like-minded charities to creating and activating our own two programs. With this shift, my personal challenge has been creating an organizational structure that perfectly balances the capacity to support our funding and programmatic goals. Leading into the fiscal year 2020, I feel that we have found balance.

As a woman leader, who leads a team of all females (who are bada$$), I think it is important to remain true to who you are. Listen and be empathetic but simultaneously voice your opinion and stand your ground when you believe it is necessary. As much as I like saying ‘yes’ to opportunities, it is just as important to learn the skill of saying ‘no’. I think as women we naturally want to be everything to everyone, sometimes in order to ‘prove’ we can handle it. But, there are times when saying ‘no’ is just as important. One last thing, own your mistakes. We are all human and we are not perfect. Owning your mistakes will increase your respect among your colleagues and also allow for personal growth opportunities.

We’d love to hear more about Dear Jack Foundation.
When I look back over the last five years, I am most proud of growing the organization from a staff of one to 4, establishing new funding streams that support our two new programs: Breathe Now and LIfeList, and increasing our program presence from Colorado to 23 states. I am incredibly proud of our team. Every day, they use their knowledge and skillsets to responsibility close the gap in AYA cancer care.

With 75% of AYA cancer survivors reporting the need for group support and the opportunity to connect with others who have experienced a similar journey, the need for programs like Dear Jack’s LifeList and Breathe Now has never been more critical.

Dear Jack is known for providing opportunities to young adult cancer patients and survivors that bring hope, guidance and improved quality of life during treatment and throughout survivorship.

Our Breathe Now retreat program welcomes young adult cancer survivors between the ages of 21-39 and their partners. Unique to the YA cancer space, we focus on the couple as a whole, using the tools of yoga, psychosocial therapy and nutrition to help couples renew and grow together post-cancer.

In September, Dear Jack hosted our fourth and final Breathe Now retreat of the year in Tabernash, CO. We welcomed 6 couples at the final 2019 retreat, totaling 23 survivor couples served this year through the program.

“This retreat was a true blessing in my healing process and relationship with my husband. The intentional time together was so special and meeting other young couples in similar situations who “got it” was amazing. We’re all keeping in touch and friends after the experience! I truly cannot thank everyone enough for the incredible opportunity to dedicate time to our healing together as a couple.” – Breathe Now participant

As we close out the 2019 Breathe Now retreat year, 100% of retreat participants reported that they felt like connecting with like-minded cancer survivors and their partners was important in the context of the Breathe Now program setting. We look forward to program expansion to include the implementation of important long-term follow-up touchpoints with program alumni.

LifeList is a wish-granting program for young adults between the ages of 18-39 who are currently undergoing cancer treatment. Dear Jack not only works to fulfill LifeList wishes for our program participants but we also match patients with volunteer advocates to ensure they are not alone during their cancer journey.

Hope is probably the single most important element in the lives of patients and family members struggling with a diagnosis of cancer. So far in 2019, Dear Jack has welcomed over 65 new LifeList program participants, providing program participants the opportunity to enable and maintain a sense of hope which is essential for assisting them during what can often be one of the most difficult times of their lives.

“We had the most amazing time at Glacier. We looked forward to it for so long and it was so good for our souls. We had been stuck at home and at hospitals for so many months that getting out into incredibly beautiful nature was just what we needed. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” – Alyssa, Wife of Warrior Sean

Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
I was an athlete growing up. I think playing team sports taught me how to effectively work with my peers to achieve a goal, redirect with things are not going as they should, as well as the ability to be coachable.

Contact Info:

• Address: 3858 Walnut Street
  Denver, CO 80205
• Website: www.dearjackfoundation.org
• Phone: 720-249-2184
• Email: andrea@dearjackfoundation.org
• Instagram: dearjackhq
• Facebook: dearjackfoundation
• Twitter: dearjackhq

 

Image Credit:
Left to right: Andrew McMahon (founder), Susan Wandishin (LifeList Coordinator), Brett Gnadt (Communications Manager), Kayla Fulginiti (Director of Programs), Andrea Schwartz (Executive Director)

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