HERC Recognized With Support From Avon Foundation

Avon Grant for HERC

February 20, 2008– The Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund has awarded a $35,000 one-year grant to HERC to increase awareness of the life-saving benefits of early detection of breast cancer. This is the second year that the Breast Cancer Outreach Program has received Avon Foundation funding to support its work on this important health issue.

Since 1993, the Avon Foundation has awarded more than 1,000 grants to community-based breast health programs across the United States, including WHIPP at HERC. These programs are dedicated to educating underserved women about breast cancer and linking them to early detection screening services.

The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade

The Avon Foundation, an accredited 501(c)(3) public charity, was founded in 1955 to improve the lives of women and their families.

Now past the half century milestone, the Foundation brings this mission to life through the Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program and the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, which raises funds and awareness to advance access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer, with a focus on the medically underserved.

Since 1992 the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade has raised and awarded more than $450 million worldwide for medical research; access to care; support services; screening and diagnostics; and education and awareness.

The largest fundraising program in the U.S. is the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer series.

read the Avon Grant

Most common form of women's cancer

...in the U.S. and the leading single cause of death overall in women between the ages of 40 and 55 is breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, 19,790 new cases of breast cancer will be detected in California this year and 4,130 lives will be lost.

Nationwide, there is a new diagnosis every three minutes and a death from breast cancer every fourteen minutes. While advances have been made in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure, early detection still affords the best opportunity for successful treatment.

Programs such as WHIPP help ensure that all women have access to early detection information & options, even poor & medically underserved women.

Dr. Betty McGee postulates

that women living in the southeast sector of San Francisco stands a much greater chance of getting breast cancer and dying than other neighborhoods.

Dr. McGee, Executive Director for HERC, contends that the odds of women being more susceptible to breast cancer maybe due to years of exposure to the power plant, emission from the Hunters Point Shipyard, as well as large trucks and buses running through our neighborhoods.

Now with added resource provided by the AVON Foundation, women at high risk for breast cancer will be armed with current breast cancer information. Better access to treatment is a major component with the AVON Grant.

The Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund

... is administered by Cicatelli Associates Inc. to support community-based, non-profit breast health programs across the country.

The Fund's National Advisory Board selected HERC as one of over 100 new grant recipients nationwide in the 2008 cycle of Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund grants.

These organizations were chosen based on their ability to effectively reach women, particularly minority, low-income, & older women, who are often medically underserved.

We are proud that the Avon Foundation shares our mission and has chosen to support our program.
With these funds we will be able to enhance our outreach breast cancer awareness efforts, as well as breast cancer education.

Partnership with Southeast Health Center allows HERC the capability of reaching more at-risk women and increase access to breast health with the use of our clinic.

Mark Ghaly, Medical Director of Southeast Health Center