Who We Are

Treasure Love Above All!

Here for the Girls, Inc. (H4TG) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting women under 50 in their unique breast cancer journey. H4TG offers various personalized services crafted specifically for young women in the most active stage of their lives. A cancer diagnosis forces them to hit pause and make difficult decisions that impact their lives and long-term health. H4TG members benefit from access to a sisterhood of shared experience, vital education, and a compassionate community. The H4TG research-proven model delivers trauma-informed and responsive services, clinical-backed education, and peer-based support. The results have a direct and tangible impact on those battling this life-altering disease.

H4TG is a team of compassionate, mission-driven individuals committed to making an outsized, positive impact through breast cancer awareness, resources, and support. They are passionate about believing that no young woman should face this journey alone. 

What We Do

We are dedicated to supporting women facing breast cancer with specialized services tailored to your unique journey. Our exclusive member services are available for women under 50, providing a compassionate community and resources designed just for you.

For our sisters over 50, we offer comprehensive educational services aimed at empowering you with knowledge about your health and treatment options.

Our History

The Here for the Girls story dates back to 2006, when Mary Beth Gibson and René Bowditch met at a retreat for breast cancer survivors. Facing this disease as young women opened their eyes to the gap in services to address their unique challenges and the limited resources for finding peers who “got it”– who understood the concerns, needs, and fears they faced because of their age. Together, Mary Beth and René developed a shared passion to provide support to young women like them.

They began by inviting young women with breast cancer to René’s home in Virginia to share encouragement and information. These monthly meetings blossomed in 2007 into a nonprofit they named “Beyond Boobs!” It was during those first meetings that these two developed their model of providing intimate, peer-led support in a comfortable environment. As the organization evolved, Mary Beth and René helped grow new support systems around Virginia and beyond and added program services.

Today, what started as a small monthly support group is a thriving nonprofit that serves women diagnosed with breast cancer in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. In 2015, after adopting another breast cancer nonprofit, Pink-Link, services expanded to include virtual support. That’s when the organization changed its name to Here for the Girls (H4TG for short).

H4TG offers in-person and virtual support through a variety of services and helps hundreds of young women each year. The vision these co-founders launched is reaching more young women every day with the positivity, compassion, and love they instilled in it from the start because Here for the Girls is built on this foundation of love and shared passion.

Co-Founders
Our Team
Board of Directors

Mary Beth Gibson (Left) & Rene Bowditch (Right)

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one!"

~ C.S. Lewis

Chris Schwab
Executive Director

It is the gentleness and strength of our women, the tenacity and passion of our team, and the love and support from my family that inspire me to be Here for the Girls!

Victoria Riley
Deputy Director

One of my favorite quotes from Brene Brown is "owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we'll ever do." I am inspired by all of the stories our members share which is my 'why' everyday as I work to fulfill the mission of H4TG.

Melissa Weaver
Member Services Manager

As a social worker at H4TG, I will work both diligently and with humble dedication so that no one has to face the journey of breast cancer alone.

Anna Lind
Development Manager

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel“ by Maya Angelou.

Teresa Simms
Partner Lead

“There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It’s why you were born. And how you become most truly alive.” Oprah Winfrey

My calling is to serve those in need.

Sami Meconnahey
Engagement Lead
Nikia Fisher
Operations Lead

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Lisa Marshall
Community Outreach Coordinator

“It’s funny how, in this journey of life, even though we may begin at different times and places, our paths cross with others so that we may share our love, compassion, observations, and hope.”

Taylor Elliott
Office Lead

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." - Mahatma Gandhi

Brian Blanchard
Solutions Architect
Linda McKee, MBA – President
Service Line Administrator for Oncology – Riverside Health System
Newport News, VA
Joyce Ortiz - Vice President
Public Affairs Specialist (Strategic Communications Lead) - NASA
Hampton, VA
Rene Bowditch – Secretary
Co-Founder – Here for the Girls, Inc.
Williamsburg, VA
Chris Smith - Treasurer
Co-Founder + Managing Member - The Virginia Beer Company
Williamsburg, VA
Melissa Frank
RN Radiation Oncology - HCA Healthcare
Richmond, VA
Michael A. Franks
Senior Vice President – Commercial Lender - TowneBank
Williamsburg, VA
Sonia Hepburn, MD
Oncologist - Virginia Oncology Associates
Newport News, VA
Chuck Jarrett
Sr. Vice President - Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Williamsburg, VA
Michelle Lakins-Waller
Quality + Compliance Officer - Colonial Behavioral Health
Williamsburg, VA
Kandace McGuire, MD
Chief of Breast Surgery – VCU Massey Cancer Center
Richmond, VA
Jackie Mierle - Member Representative
Operations - Alpern and Mesenbourg; KW Coastal
Woonsocket, RI
Arnethea Sutton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences - Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA
Cornelius Powell, MD
Vice President and Chief Medical Officer - Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center
Williamsburg, VA
Elizabeth Voeller
Senior Manager in Risk and Financial Advisory - Cyber and Strategic Risk · Deloitte
Yorktown, VA
Rachel Anderson
Chesapeake Legal Group, PLLC
Chesapeake, VA
Mary Beth Gibson - Emeritus
Co-Founder – Here for the Girls, Inc.
Toano, VA
Thomas A. Smith, Jr., CPA – Emeritus
Owner – Masters Accounting and Tax Services, Inc
Newport News, VA

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© 2025 Here for the Girls, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity
EIN 26-0606190
3709 Strawberry Plains Rd., Suite D
Williamsburg, VA 23188
Contact us at info@hereforthegirls.org

Our team is ready to support you, and the best way to get in touch is by emailing support@hereforthegirls.org. While we do not offer crisis services, we are committed to providing a trauma-informed environment and can guide you toward appropriate support. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency or crisis: Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; Call 911 if you or someone else is in immediate danger; Go to your nearest emergency room

For non-emergency support, consider these options: Contact your primary care provider for a referral to mental health services; Use SAMHSA's treatment locator at findtreatment.gov to find local providers; Call SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for treatment referrals
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