When life handed Tamekia Hunter Ross, Faith Strong founder, some of its hardest battles, she chose to respond with love. After facing breast cancer for a second time, she felt called to create Faith Strong—a safe place where women could lean on one another to find comfort in faith and friendship. From her own journey came a vision that would lift countless others.
Faith Strong was created with a simple, yet profound mission: show up with love and practical help. Each month, The BREASTies Group gathers to exhale and heal together. Between meetings, encouragement flows through handwritten cards, the anonymous Secret BREASTies $25 gifts, and a Birthday Program that celebrates every survivor’s life. Once a year, the women step away for the BREASTies Survivors Retreat—a few days of rest, renewal, and laughter that sounds like recovery.
Tamekia often called herself a “Meta-Survivor”—a reminder that her purpose was not only to endure but to serve. What started as her personal response to hardship blossomed into a community of compassion. Though Tamekia passed away on August 29, 2025, her spirit of faith, grit, and grace continues to shape Faith Strong.
Thanks to Tamekia’s vision, women who arrive burdened leave with resources, sisterhood, and renewed strength. Faith Strong’s programs remain simple: connection, celebration, and practical support when life feels heaviest. It is proof that pain can be repurposed. Just this year, Faith Strong served its first “Male BREAStie” this year. One of Tamekia’s visions was to ensure that all are welcome. The organization now stands as a lighthouse for others—a living tribute to Tamekia’s conviction that no one should walk through cancer alone.
Royal Neighbors of America® has honored Tamekia’s leadership and legacy with a Nation of Neighbors award and $20,000 grant. The funding will sustain the BREASTies’ third-Saturday support gatherings and help expand special outings beyond the usual meetings—days to mark milestones, breathe deeper, and remember joy. It’s a grant with major impact: more rides to treatment, more care on hard days, more moments when a woman hears, “We’ve got you.”
As Royal Neighbors celebrates women who change communities from the inside out, Tamekia Hunter Ross reminds us how transformation begins: one card, one circle, one hug at a time. Her story is a legacy of resilience, service, and the power of showing up.
Learn more at wearefaithstrong.com.
