Our Story + Mission

Mondays Mission

 

Mondays at Racine was founded by sisters Cynthia Sansone and Rachel DeMolfetto in honor of their mother, Mildred DeMolfetto. 

 

The foundation provides proven mind-body derived health, beauty and wellness services to women, men and young adults undergoing treatment for any kind of cancer; all 100% free of charge. 

 

With over seventeen oncology specific services aimed at improving overall strength and reducing anxiety, our focus is on the whole person, not just the disease.

The Story of Mondays at Racine

Sisters Cynthia Sansone and Rachel DeMolfetto established Mondays at Racine in honor of their mother, Mildred DeMolfetto, who passed away from breast cancer in 1989 at the age of 58.  Throughout her 5 year battle, Mildred’s self-esteem plummeted as she struggled with baldness, anxiety and other devastating side effects of cancer treatment.

Cynthia and Rachel remembered how much their mother looked forward to her visits to the beauty salon. Utilizing Rachel’s already established and successful shop, Racine Salon & Spa in Islip, NY,  they created an oasis of restoration and healing to ease the cancer journey for others, all in Mildred’s memory.  One Monday a month, the sisters opened their doors to the community to help those with cancer, officially launching Mondays at Racine.

In 2012, HBO released Mondays at Racine, a documentary that showed the struggles and heartache that cancer patients face and the respite they find from this disease at Mondays at Racine.  Nominated for an Academy Award in 2013, the film spurred an outpouring of public support,  leading Cynthia and Rachel to establish Mondays at Racine as an official nonprofit.

As the foundation began to grow, their sister, Karla Waldron, came onboard as the Executive Director and Cynthia’s daughter Rosemary Berger as the Director of Education and Programming.  Currently, all five of Mildred’s daughters play a major role in the organization.

Since 2003, Mondays at Racine has helped more than 10,000 individuals and countless families overcome the physical burden and stressors associated with cancer.

Our Core Values

 

 

Hope & Care:
To raise awareness and instill a sense of hope while our clients undergo treatment and provide outstanding care.

 

 

Responsibility & Integrity:
Making all of our decisions based on the needs of our program and staying true to our vision. Showing responsibility with actions and follow through on promises.

 

 

Honesty & Gratitude:
Acting with transparency, respect and dignity to all. Giving authentic gratitude to all of our donors, sponsors, clients and volunteers for they are the key to this program.

 

 

Teamwork & Community Support:
To effectively work with one another to achieve a high standard of excellence in service. To create a safe haven and resource center for our community to rely on.