Now that your taxes have been submitted, it’s time to acknowledge the start of another important observance, National Minority Cancer Week (April 15 – 21). Over the last few decades our country has witnessed many great strides in cancer prevention, detection and care in the United States, but many ethnic and racial minorities still face significantly higher cancer rates. While the reasons for this unequal cancer burden are not fully understood, we know that barriers in access to cancer screenings and quality health services play a major role. National Minority Cancer Awareness Week aims to acknowledge this health disparity, investigate the complex factors that cause cancer inequalities and encourage health initiatives that work to bridge the gaps for every cancer in every community.
Community Grantee the American Indian Cancer Foundation hosts a Powwow on cancer prevention & early detection.
In recognition of National Minority Cancer Week, the Prevent Cancer Foundation< is spotlighting our 2012 Community Grant Recipients who have made an impact in reducing cancer disparities with their innovative community-level programs. The Foundation’s Community Grants program supports organizations across the U.S. that focus on helping to prevent cancer or detect it early. Over the past six years the program has provided the resources needed to fund several projects that help improve cancer screening access, awareness and prevention education to Hispanics, African Americans, Alaska Natives and American Indians. The Foundation has supported many culturally appropriate activities and education at barbershops, powwows, health fairs, churches, sporting venues and through peer-to-peer outreach in order to reach ethnically, racially and medically underserved populations.
Learn how our Community Grants help address the tremendous cancer inequalities by providing funds and resources that help underserved communities Stop Cancer Before it Starts!:
Women’s Resource Center, a Community Grantee, provides free screenings to low-income women w/ a mammogram mobile unit.
- Powwow for Hope: Dancing for Life, Love & Hope. With support from the Prevent Cancer Foundation, the American Indian Cancer Foundation hosted their annual Powwow for Hope that brought together several tribal nations across the Midwest to honor cancer survivors and increase awareness and education among American Indian families.
- Women’s Resource Center (WRC). Leveraging the Foundation grant along with community volunteers, the WRC was able to eliminate barriers to quality health care for many women of the Fort Collins, CO community. The WRC was able to provide at-risk and low-income women with free mammograms, cancer patient navigators and wellness education.
- Play it Sun Safe, Utah! With this education outreach, the Utah Department of Health’s Cancer Control Program aimed to educate coaches, youth and parents participating in local recreation soccer leagues on the dangers of the sun and the need for sun safety in order to reduce skin cancer risk. This Foundation funded grant project continues to provide skin cancer awareness outreach to many ethnic and low-income families in Utah.
The 2013 Community Grants program is now open and the application deadline is Friday April 19th, 2013. Click here to learn more about the Community Grants and read about previous grantees from across the country and their valuable cancer prevention and early detection projects.
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