Mary Beth Gibson is known in the community as a pink force of nature, helping to create a safe place for young women with breast cancer where she didn’t see one.
After 12 years she has decided to step down from her role as CEO of Here for the Girls, a nonprofit born in Williamsburg with the mission of providing resources and support to women diagnosed with breast cancer younger than 51.
“What I’ll take away is that love really is the most powerful force,” she said. “And being with people who are going through it all makes all the difference in the world. It all comes back to community.”
In June, Gibson will move from her position and Chris Schwab, current managing director, will be taking her place. Gibson will still be a part of the organization as a member of the board, which is a volunteer position. She said she needed something new but still wanted to be involved in the nonprofit.
“I’ve done a lot to get us where we are today,” she said. “And we now have a team in place that can carry the vision and the organization to the next level without me needing to be here.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do yet, but I feel like I have to contribute to making the world a better place,” Gibson added.
Gibson started the organization when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 at age 41. She said after going to a retreat for women with breast cancer, she only saw a couple of women younger than 60.
She said she craved a connection with younger women going through the same experiences because the stages of their lives created a different array of problems.
“It’s something as simple as figuring out how to tell your kids that you’re going to be bald,” she said. “I mean, I didn’t know how to explain that to a young kid. It’s hard enough being a mom, but being a mom with breast cancer is something entirely different.”
Gibson found Renee Bowditch during the retreat and the pair were able to start meeting regularly, eventually finding others around their age to connect with. In 2007, Gibson and Bowditch decided to start the nonprofit, Beyond Boobs, as a resource for women in Williamsburg.
Later in 2016 Beyond Boobs became Here for the Girls after it formed with Pink Link, a 24/7 online support line.
The organization provides a place where women can find support in both living with breast cancer and the aftermath of it.
“I’ve learned a lot about living from this organization and I’ve learned about a lot about dying,” Gibson said.
The organization has spread to locations in North Carolina, Texas and Florida. In the beginning, Gibson said she was doing multiple jobs to get the organization on its feet, from meeting with congresswomen in Washington, D.C. to cleaning the bathrooms.
For Gibson, the journey has been more than just running an organization— it’s been about the women along the way.
“I’ve loved every single one of the women we’ve ever served,” she said. “They’ve been such a part of my life, they’re part of my identity now.”
There are eight full- and part-time employees with the organization and a large number of volunteers, she said. Everyday for the past 10 years she has worked closely with them to create something larger than she ever expected.
And they’re ready to keep it growing with her in mind.
“It’s going to be hard losing someone I’ve worked so closely with, but there will be touches of her everywhere,” said Desiree Parker, communications manager for Here for the Girls. “There won’t be anything that doesn’t have [her] beautiful shadow on it.”
