Our History

The BY Foundation was incorporated in February 2017, and has been dedicated to the legacies of two phenomenal physical educators, Velma Benjamin, Ph.D., and Elmira Jacqueline Bridges Yancy, B.S., M.S.. These two educators taught in the Orleans Public School System for a combined 70 years, touching countless youth with their specialized curriculum focused on the dynamics of maintaining healthy lifestyles through Health, Physical Education, and Dance. Both Benjamin and Yancy lost their battles to breast cancer, but their educational contributions and community-based platforms are the core visions of the BY Foundation—empowering people to advocate for their own quality of life and health, as well as for others’.   The co-founders of the BY Foundation are the daughter and sister of these two extraordinary women. Jean Benjamin Vappie, B.S., M.A., +30 and Elizabeth Bridges, Ph.D., who came together six years ago for a breast cancer walk.  At that event, the co-founders experienced an outpouring of community support. Thus, leading them to recognize the need to increase local grass-root efforts to link cancer patients to valuable resources within their immediate communities, while also promoting early detection. The loss of their own loved ones was a key factor which propelled them to join together to create the Benjamin & Yancy Foundation, Incorporated.   

The ultimate mission of the BY Foundation is not only to provide various educational resources, transportation assistance, therapeutic services and screening information resources to individuals with cancer and their caregivers, but to also encourage New Orleanians to educate themselves on the cancer history of their families. This knowledge will assist New Orleanians with being more equipped to better advocate for themselves, and make informed decisions on treatment options when facing breast or prostate cancer.  The BY Foundation is committed to being a catalyst for tangible change in how cancer patients in our community approach their fight against these diseases. The Benjamin & Yancy Foundation’s prime goal is to provide more knowledge and support, and to assist with funneling resources to the search for a cure for breast and prostate cancer.