HERC Recognized by Susan Komen for the Cure
April 12, 2008 – The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Fund has awarded a $57,615 one-year grant to HERC to enhance existing services. (Read the Grant -->)
During its 2007 fiscal year, HERC’s breast health project provided services to 2,542 women at risk for breast cancer.
An anticipated 3,000 women will receive breast cancer services in the form of outreach & education during this fiscal year.
Outreach to “hard-to-reach women” (HTRW), the homeless, and substance abusing women will increase, addressing the problem of the vast number of women who neglect breast health services. Additional participants will be recruited from public housing & Section 8 rental properties in Bayview Hunters Point.
Since Susan G. Komen’s grant award, HERC has participated in partnerships with United Council of Human Services, Alice Griffith Community of Opportunity Center, and Jelani Inc.
These alliances help HERC reach more women to increase their awareness to prevent cancer.
Breast cancer is
...the most common form of cancer in women in the U.S., and the leading single cause of death overall in women between the ages of 40 and 55. 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 HERC help ensure that all women have access to early detection information and options, even poor and 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.
This grant has assisted HERC in conducting the followings:
- Support group every month for women with breast cancer & women at risk for breast cancer
- Alternative treatment every month
- Passion Pink Day on November 13, 2008
- Workshops on topics such as medication, nutrition, self-help, & prevention