Farmers of Salem is proud to support employee involvement in charitable activities that improve the quality of life in those communities where our employees live. Today, we spotlight Loraine Lester, AVP, Product & Underwriting Development, who is celebrating her 10-year career with Farmers.
Back in 2016, Loraine was new to Delaware and struggling to find the right oncologist after her 1st diagnosis. At her doctor’s office she was handed a pamphlet about the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition (DBCC). “This organization has been there in my good times, when my cancer went into remission, and in the bad times, when I was diagnosed with a reoccurrence that progressed to Stage IV. I have developed a network of survivors who have been through the same process as me. We share our war stories and compare notes.”
Loraine is a committee member of DBCC’s Lights of Life Gala, held annually, while also serving as a peer mentor for the Peer Mentor Program. For the Gala, Loraine helps backstage with the Survivor Showcase – organizing doctors and/or industry escorts with survivors, in a backstage manager role. Loraine also, chips in where needed with the Gala event setup, organizing meetings, decorations, etc. Next year’s Gala will be on March 7, 2026, held at Bally’s in Dover, DE.
The mission of DBCC is to empower the community by raising awareness of breast health issues and increasing access to care through outreach, education and support services, and to facilitate early detection and treatment of breast cancer. Their vision is to create a caring community where barriers to breast cancer screenings are removed and all persons at risk, served by DBCC, have access to quality care and treatment. DBCC will ensure each individual diagnosed receives resources to become a thriving survivor, armed with the knowledge and support needed to conquer this disease.
Commenting on her volunteer work as a Peer Mentor, Loraine said, “I’ve been fortunate to meet and help many mentees over the years. Once we are trained, we are matched with newly diagnosed breast cancer patients that have a similar diagnosis to ours. We are, basically, an outlet for support, a shoulder to cry on, and a resource for the individual to fully understand all that DBCC can provide the survivor on their cancer journey.”
Not only does Loraine volunteer for the organization, but she continues to use their services. Loraine says, “The Nurture with Nature service is one of my favorites. This program allows cancer survivors to come together to be nurtured and healed by experiencing the power, beauty, and serenity of nature. I also actively participate in their support groups for metastatic thrivers and young survivors, to name a few.”
Regarding Loraine’s long career at Farmers, she stated: “I really enjoy my job, it offers lots of variety. I also appreciate and enjoy working with my colleagues. They are an extension of my family.”
For more information about Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, visit www.debreastcancer.org.
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