Grant Recipients
Susan G. Komen for the Cure North Central Alabama recently awarded 2007-2008 community grants totaling more than $300,000 dollars to support North Central Alabama area breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment programs.
Our local fundraising efforts, such as the Komen Birmingham Race for the Cure®, have enabled it to fund the following projects:
2007-2008 Community Grants ($301,565 granted)
- Breast Diagnostic Project – Alabama Department of Public Health - $98,565
(North Central Alabama)
The goal of the Breast Diagnostic Project is to increase early state breast cancer diagnosis in women age 40 – 49 residing in the North Central Alabama Affiliate 38 county designated service area, through the timely provision of specific breast diagnostic services. The specific diagnostic services are: unilateral mammograms, bilateral mammograms and ultrasounds. The project seeks to provide these services for up to 400 women.
- Mammography Early Detection Program – Alabama Department of Public Health - $155,000
(North Central Alabama)
The early detection program project will seek to increase the early state diagnosis of breast cancer in women age 40 – 49 who qualify for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection program who reside in the North Central Alabama Affiliate 38 county designated service area, through the provision of screening mammograms. The project will seek to provide mammograms to an estimated 2,000 women and will increase the number of women re-screened from an average of 325 to an average of 500 during the 2007-2008 grant period.
- Aquatic Wellness Program for Breast Cancer Survivors – Memorial Park Natatorium/City of Jasper - $10,000
(Jasper Area)
The Breast Cancer Survivors Aquatic Wellness Program promotes breast cancer awareness, educates survivors, and acts as a supportive network for survivors through the introduction of concepts of exercise, promoting long-term goals in physical and social areas. The program will consist of four, twelve week sessions, with the focus of providing free aquatic exercise to Breast Cancer survivors in which they will gain flexibility and range of motion in the areas affected by cancer treatment. Using a pre and post class assessment, participants will be able to measure advancements in these areas, as well as gain a support network of other survivors.
- Preventive Cancer Information (PCI) – Pine Cone, Inc. - $10,000
(Huntsville)
The PCI Program will conduct quarterly one day retreats offering tools to underserved women to increase internal and external focus of control. The program will also conduct three workshops each month designed to deliver primary prevention information complete with nutritional and psychological assessments that address the following objectives: to improve access to breast health education and empower the target population with dietary and cognitive information that will encourage a sense of autonomy over their outcome.
- V.I.R.T.U.E Release – V.I.R.T.U.E. Inc. - $10,000
(Birmingham)
V.I.R.T.U.E. (Vessels Imparting and Restoring Temples to Uncontestable Excellence) This program will provide education and information to empower the community to take charge of their health, while also raising awareness about relevant health issues, especially breast cancer. Through events such as Virtue Release, Spring Cut, Victory Walk-A-Thon, Drops of Virtue Radio Broadcast, Drops of Virtue TV Broadcast, and Honorable Women Corporate Outreach, the program will combine education, entertainment and fellowship with the message of awareness.
- 2007 Adventure Programming for Survivorship – For the Cause, Inc. - $10,000
(North Central Alabama)
The goal of the 2007 Adventure Programming for Survivorship is to host a total of ten adventures that fall into one or a combination of the following categories: Social and Emotional Healing, Edu-ventures (professionals will provide instruction on a variety of health and wellness topics), and Exercise/Fitness. This program will target breast cancer survivors and their support systems to include spouses, children, family members, loved ones, and friends. Objectives are to provide the wellness adventures to approximately 45 survivors and their family members and to reach out to individuals diagnosed with breast cancer and their family members, specifically targeting newly diagnosed breast cancer patients thus providing them hope for a healthy, productive future despite the illness.
- Latina Lunches for Health – St. Vincent’s Foundation - $8,000
(Birmingham and Rural North Alabama)
The goal of Latina Lunches for Health is to bring breast health education and awareness to the Hispanic population in metro Birmingham and rural North Alabama. Hispanic immigrants often turn to their churches for guidance, both in spiritual and physical matters. Because of this relationship, the church is a perfect avenue to reach these underserved communities. Trained church health promoters will invite female members of their congregations to attend breast cancer awareness lunches. These hour-long events will include a meal, an educational lecture on breast health, testimonials from breast cancer survivors, and distribution of Komen’s Spanish language educational materials. Women attending the lunches that are 35 and over will be given transportation vouchers to St.Vincent’s Mammography Center for a free mammogram. Latina Lunch and Learns target women without insurance in order to assist them with obtaining public assistance via Medicaid or, if eligible, Medicare. Health promoters will assist the women with enrolling in free or low cost health clinics. Interpretation services will be provided to all Hispanic women who need language assistance.