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Rock Island, Ill. (Oct. 4, 2025) – Royal Neighbors of America, one of the nation’s fastest-growing fraternal life insurance organizations, is honored to announce that the late Tamekia Hunter Ross, Founder of Faith Strong in Sumter, South Carolina, has been named a 2025 Nation of Neighbors℠ empowerment award recipient. In her honor, Faith Strong will receive $20,000 grant to continue expanding services for women navigating breast cancer.

Hunter Ross, who passed away on August 29, 2025, was a two-time breast cancer survivor and tireless advocate for women living with the disease. She established Faith Strong as a faith-rooted nonprofit that wraps survivors in practical care and a sisterhood of support. Through her vision and leadership, Faith Strong continues to deliver Care Bags to women in oncology centers, host The BREASTies Group monthly support gatherings, send encouragement cards, coordinate the Secret BREASTies gift exchange, celebrate survivors with a Birthday Program, and host an Annual BREASTies Survivors Retreat for rest and renewal. This year, Faith Strong served its first “Male BREAStie.”

“Tamekia embodied courage, compassion, and community,” said Zarifa Reynolds, President and CEO of Royal Neighbors of America. “Her legacy is one of unwavering faith, unselfishness, endurance, humility, and courage. She beautifully reflected the Royal Neighbors values and mission to Insure Lives, Support Women, and Serve Communities℠. This Nation of Neighbors grant aims help sustain and grow the programs she so passionately built.”

Hunter Ross is one of eight community leaders across the country recognized this year through Royal Neighbors’ Nation of Neighbors℠ program, which honors leaders who empower other women and girls through a nonprofit, business, or grassroots effort. Since its launch in 2007, the program has awarded more than $1 million in grants to amplify social impact.

How the $20,000 Grant Will Be Used

• Fund Faith Strong’s monthly BREASTies support gatherings throughout the year
• Underwrite a special group outing to deepen connection, celebration, and healing
• Sustain outreach that keeps women supported between meetings (cards, small gifts, and care items)
  
  

About Faith Strong

Faith Strong is a nonprofit founded by two-time breast cancer survivor Tamekia Hunter Ross to ensure no woman fights alone. Grounded in faith and practical care, Faith Strong provides hospital Care Bags, the monthly BREASTies support group, encouragement mailings, the Secret BREASTies $25 gift exchange, a Birthday Program, and an Annual Survivors Retreat. From treatment through survivorship, Faith Strong offers community, resources, and hope—one brave sister at a time. To learn more, visit: Faith Strong.

More About Royal Neighbors of America

In 1895, nine founding women created a membership community. They were one of the first to make life insurance accessible to women. Now, 130 years later, Royal Neighbors remains committed to its mission of Insuring Lives, Supporting Women, and Serving Communities℠. The organization’s 280,000+ members, chapters, employees, and appointed agents across the country drive the mission through localized volunteerism and philanthropy programs making social impact the cornerstone of their work.

Royal Neighbors members experience Insurance with a Difference℠ through their tailored life insurance and annuity products, opportunities to make an impact in their communities, savings on prescriptions, health screenings, grief support, and more.

In 2020, Royal Neighbors was upgraded to “A Excellent” (3rd highest out of 13) by the AM Best Company for overall financial strength and ability to meet ongoing obligations to certificate holders. The rating was affirmed in December 2024. In 2024, Royal Neighbors delivered $43.85 million in Social Good impact and record revenue. In 2024, Royal Neighbors received its eighth Great Place to Work® certification and was rated as a 2025 Best Insurance Company by Forbes.

For more information about Royal Neighbors of America, go to royalneighbors.org. To read inspiring member stories, visit theroyalneighbor.org.

* American National’s Exit, Benefit Ratio Shifts, Avoidable Mortality & PRT Rulings. Life Annuity Specialist News Brief; April 3, 2025