About Pink Warriors
Pink Warriors supports children when a parent battles breast cancer — through books, community events, and mental health resources.
When a parent is diagnosed with breast cancer, the treatment plan is built for the patient. The children in that house are living through it too, usually without anything written for them. Pink Warriors exists to close that gap.
Our Story
Pink Warriors was founded by Julia Penan, a high school student in Westchester, New York. Julia was nine years old when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she lived the whole of it — the appointments, the uncertainty, and the strange job of being a kid in a house organized around someone else’s illness.
She wrote a book about it. Ring the Bell! is a children’s book for kids whose parent is going through breast cancer treatment, written by someone who had been that kid. What began as one girl’s book became an organization.
Who We Serve
Children and families in the middle of a breast cancer diagnosis — and the social workers, hospitals, and cancer charities who reach them first.
What We Do
- Books. Ring the Bell! goes directly to families in treatment, and we work with social workers, hospitals, and cancer charities to reach the families we can’t reach ourselves. It is also published in Spanish, Italian, Japanese, and Chinese, because the need for it is not limited to English-speaking families.
- Community events. Local fundraisers and awareness nights in Westchester County, New York that raise money for the mission and bring the conversation into the open.
- Mental health resources. Writing for families on how to talk to a child about a parent’s diagnosis — the questions that are hardest to answer and easiest to avoid.
How We’re Funded
Pink Warriors is funded by individual donations, community fundraising events, and grants. In March 2026, Pink Warriors was awarded a 2026–27 grant from Pink Aid to fund distribution of Ring the Bell! to families across Connecticut.
Donations are made through our donate page and are processed securely by Stripe.
Our Team
Pink Warriors is run by the Penan family, with the partners and supporters who make the events and the book distribution possible. You can meet the team here, and see the businesses and organizations that support the work on our partners page.
Our Nonprofit Status
Pink Warriors Inc is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service, EIN 99-3801048. Contributions to Pink Warriors are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Sister Organization
Pink Warriors works alongside Outnumbered, a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Zachary Penan that helps children stand up to bullying. The two organizations are independently registered and separately funded.
Get Involved
- Read Ring the Bell! — and share it with a family, hospital, or library that needs it
- Make a donation to fund books and programs
- Partner with us — host an event or sponsor the mission
- Contact us to talk about any of the above