Drexel Hill Org Gets Grant from Komen for the Cure

THE PHILADELPHIA AFFILIATE OF SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE^® DISTRIBUTES GRANT TO DREXEL HILL ORGANIZATION TO EMPOWER THE LOCAL FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER

Komen Philadelphia Affiliate infuses more than $2 million into the local breast cancer movement to support the outreach, service and treatment programs of 44 organizations.

The Philadelphia Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure^® recently announced the names of 44 organizations who will be receiving grants for breast cancer outreach initiatives in 2012-2013.  Drexel Hill, Pa.-based Delaware County Regional Cancer Center will receive a grant from the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate. This grantee, as well as the rest of the grantee group represents some of the finest healthcare, community and family service organizations from throughout the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate's 15 county service area, and offers broad outreach in terms of ethnicity, income level, age and lifestyle. For the 2012-2013 grant period, The Affiliate distributed $2,006,709 in grants – a direct result of Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure fundraising – to support breast health education, awareness, screening, treatment and support projects specifically targeting low-income, uninsured women. 

“Our community grants program is about exactly that… OUR community and OUR cures, being delivered ever day right here at home,” said Elaine I. Grobman, CEO of the Philadelphia Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

"So many think of ‘the cures’ as that ultimate scientific discovery that will make breast cancer obsolete – but there is much more to the cures in our mind.  Yes, while we also contribute significant money for research, the majority of our funding is used for the things we can do in our local communities right now … like free mammograms and treatment for uninsured women, education in dozens of languages, daycare for mothers while they go to treatment, transportation to a screening appointment, a supportive friend who helps to overcome the generations-old belief that ‘we don’t talk about breast cancer.’

"The Delaware County Regional Cancer Center – as well as our other grantees – is hard at work every day in our neighborhoods breaking down barriers, making critical connections to women and the loved ones who support them, and building bridges to the cures," Grobman continued. "Their dedicated teams are out there helping fulfill the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate promise to not quit until we’ve led ALL women in our 15 counties out of the darkness of this disease and instead filled their journey with hope and life-enriching, life-saving services regardless of race, financial ability, education or background." 

Grobman went on to say they are relying on fundraising for the upcoming Susan G. Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure (May 13) to assure the continuation and growth of the community grants program. The Komen Philadelphia Affiliate distributes grants to organizations that work with the medically underserved, including uninsured and underinsured individuals and those individuals who may not receive adequate care because of barriers such as language, cultural differences and fear.

The outreach spans the Komen Philadelphia service area of:  Adams, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Philadelphia and York counties, Pa.; Camden County, N.J.; and Kent, New Castle and Sussex counties, Del. 

The Affiliate awarded grants for the following programs:

• Delaware County Regional Cancer Center: Delco Cares (grant type: screening & treatment)

A summary of the above program follows.

The Affiliate’s rigorous grantee selection process assures funded programs uphold the integrity of the Komen name and meet the needs of diverse communities throughout its service area. In total, the programs funded by 2012-2013 Komen Philadelphia Affiliate grants are expected to accomplish the following:

• Referral mammograms: 6,315
• Mammograms performed: 3,996
• Clinical breast exams:  3,930
• Outreach contacts: 45,916
• Education/counseling contacts: 11,266

The 44 new Komen Philadelphia Affiliate Grantees were honored at the annual Komen Philadelphia Grantee Luncheon on Fri., March 9 at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel. A list of all 2012-2013 grantees, grant type and funded program is available at KomenPhiladelphia.org.

The grant money is a result of Komen Philadelphia Affiliate fund-raising efforts throughout 2011, the biggest contributor being the 21st annual Susan G. Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure.^®

About the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate

The Komen Philadelphia Affiliate is part of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Serving 15 counties including Philadelphia and surrounding counties in Pennsylvania, all three counties of Delaware and Camden County, N.J., in the past 21 years, since the first Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure, the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate has distributed more than $49 million in grants to local organizations, funded approximately 110,000 mammograms for women in need in its service area, and contributed approximately $17 million to breast cancer research. More information at KomenPhiladelphia.org.

Grantee: Delaware County Regional Cancer Center

Grant Type: Screening & Treatment

Funded Project: Delco Cares

This program will reach more than 1,000 women with breast health information and education, encourage referrals from multiple local referral sources, and provide continuity of services to women requiring follow up diagnostic procedures and treatment. At least 300 women will receive screening mammograms and/or clinical breast exams with appropriate follow-up and connection to a medical home. DELCO Regional Cancer Center endeavors to engage the diverse immigrant populations who experience multiple cultural, language and socio-economic barriers. It will continue offering evening and/or weekend group education, mammogram screening and CBE. It will continue to use the evidence based “maximizing mammography participation” program for reminder screenings which has proved to be 85-95 percent successful according to a data tracking system. Results to date indicate that while Delaware County remains nearly first in incidence of breast cancer in Pennsylvania, DELCO has dropped to 14th in mortality.