Please join us in celebrating and honoring our 2025 Volunteer award recipients Maria Marotti and Tiffini Lopez.
When we serve, we look beyond ourselves and our own challenges, choosing instead to bring value, comfort, and support to others. In 1997, the Breast Cancer Resource Center (BCRC) was founded by a small group of dedicated volunteers who envisioned a unique space where individuals facing breast cancer could find understanding, resources, and community. Volunteers have been the beating heart of BCRC from the beginning. The center would not exist without the remarkable individuals who have given their time, compassion, personal experience, and talents for the benefit of others. Each year, BCRC honors volunteers who have gone above and beyond in supporting our clients and who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to our mission.
The Dorothy Shea Award is the highest honor given by the BCRC, recognizing a volunteer who exemplifies Dorothy’s spirit and lifelong commitment to serving others. Dorothy, one of BCRC’s founding mothers, was among the visionary leaders who in 1997 imagined a place where women could receive practical guidance and emotional support as they faced the realities of a breast cancer diagnosis. She provided BCRC with its first home completely rent-free for seven years, giving us a safe space to offer support and allow hope to take root.
It is this same spirit of generosity, compassion, and service that we honor today as we recognize Maria Marotti, dedicated volunteer and meditation facilitator with the 2025 Dorothy Shea Award. Maria has been a Reiki practitioner for more than 20 years and has led our meditation group for over 18. A retired academic who formerly taught at UCSB and an accomplished author, Maria faithfully guides BCRC clients through meditation every Monday at 12:15 PM.
Maria first came to the BCRC in 2002 as a Reiki practitioner. “I was introduced to the Reiki group by my Reiki teacher, Rama Seltzer,” she recalls. “Later on, I started a guided imagery group. When Rama was diagnosed with brain cancer, I was asked to step-in for her. I asked Rama if it was a good idea and she told me, ‘You’ll be great!’”
In addition to her weekly meditation classes, Maria continues to volunteer as a Reiki practitioner. “Reiki is, for me, one of the most rewarding practices,” she shares. “It is wonderful to see our clients come in with their pain and leave without, or at least without some of it.”
Fellow BCRC volunteer and Reiki practitioner Frederika Welch adds, “Over many years, Maria has offered her healing hands through Reiki. As a fellow practitioner, I have seen her step in at a moment’s notice. Some of her Reiki students have become regular practitioners at BCRC. I also have the privilege of attending Maria’s weekly meditation class. Maria has created a space that allows time for personal check-in, ChiGong, and meditation, offering both renewal and loving group support.”
On behalf of the entire BCRC community, thank you, Maria, for your many years of generous volunteer service for the benefit of those facing breast cancer. It is beautiful to think of how many lives you have touched and hearts you have filled through your teachings. As Silvana Kelly expresses, “We are pleased to have this opportunity to celebrate Maria’s many years of dedicated service and show our appreciation for the significant impact she has had in the lives of those facing breast cancer and our Integrative Care program.”
“Every time I have seen our clients thrive, I’ve felt rewarded,” Maria shares.
The Judy Blanco Volunteer of Year Award was created in honor of BCRC’s very first volunteer. As a peer-support counselor, Judy showed up every to be of support and help clients navigate a breast cancer diagnosis. As a volunteer, she wore many hats at the BCRC: administrative duties, librarian, volunteer coordinator and more, all with a ‘can-do’ attitude.
In 2025, BCRC is proud to present the Judy Blanco Volunteer of the Year Award to Tiffini Lopez. Tiffini is a dedicated community volunteer whose creativity, reliability, and wholehearted commitment to service have made her an invaluable member of the Breast Cancer Resource Center. She is recognized this year for her outstanding contributions and unwavering support.
At the BCRC, Tiffini plays a vital role across fundraising events, outreach activities, and behind-the-scenes operations. Whether assisting with event setup, preparing outreach booths, or stepping in wherever help is needed, she brings enthusiasm, initiative, and a positive, solutions-oriented mindset to every task.
Tiffini’s generosity, warmth, and dependability have made her a cherished part of the BCRC community. Her dedication truly embodies the spirit of volunteerism, and the Center is honored to celebrate her as a Volunteer of the Year.
We are delighted to honor both Maria and Tiffini and to recognize the profound impact each has on the lives of those around them, especially those in our BCRC community facing breast cancer. Our treasured honorees give of themselves in ways that reflect their unique gifts, their compassion, and their deep commitment to care. They embody the circle of support at the heart of BCRC, and we are forever grateful to them.