VNA Health Care receives grant from American Cancer Society, NFL to fight breast cancer
The National Football League's A Crucial Catch Initiative has provided another year of funding to support increased access to breast cancer education and screening resources in underserved communities through the American Cancer Society.
As part of its Community Health Advocates implementing Nationwide Grants for Empowerment and Equity (CHANGE) initiative, the American Cancer Society has awarded a $50,000 grant to VNA Health Care to continue efforts to provide education, outreach and navigation, and help individuals access breast cancer screenings in Aurora.
Aurora is one of 32 cities to have a grant recipient now focused on reducing the unequal burden of cancer by educating women on the importance of regular mammograms. VNA Health Care plans to reach out to women to educate them about reducing their risk of breast cancer and guide women to low- or no-cost breast cancer screening resources.
"The CHANGE grant comes at a time when our state funding for breast cancer screening has been significantly reduced," says Laura Barrett, associate vice president of Population Health Services. "The grant along with the opportunity to host the kick-off event will strengthen VNA's reach into the underserved in the Aurora area at this critical time."
The grant also will be used to support "A Crucial Catch Day," a community health event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, at VNA Health Care, 400 N. Highland Ave. in Aurora. Activities will include health presentations, healthy food demonstrations and samples, and free hand massage. For information, call (630) 892-4355.
Disparities predominantly arise from inequities in work, wealth, income, education, housing, and overall standard of living, as well as social barriers to high-quality cancer prevention, early detection and treatment services. The American Cancer Society collaborates with community health system partners to reach individuals in communities with higher burdens of cancer and limited access to cancer screening.
Since 2012, CHANGE grants funded by the NFL have been awarded to community health system partners to provide education, outreach, navigation and access to breast cancer screening within communities experiencing an unequal burden of the disease. These community partners have provided more than 260,000 outreach and education engagements and have contributed to more than 120,000 breast cancer screenings provided at low or no cost. This life-changing work continues in 2016 with the goal to provide breast cancer education and screening resources to more women. The American Cancer Society's vision is a world free from the pain and suffering of breast cancer and all cancers, and prevention and early detection programs such as the CHANGE grant program helps to eliminate breast cancer health disparities.
The NFL's A Crucial Catch initiative is funded by the NFL and its fans and partners, with the majority of the contribution coming from the sale of Breast Cancer Awareness-identified pink merchandise and also via the NFL Auction website. The American Cancer Society is the sole beneficiary of the net proceeds from merchandise sales and auctions. The NFL does not profit from the sale or auction of pink merchandise. For more information, visit nfl.com/pink.