Giving Circle continues eight year tradition of providing mammograms to women in need
By Chelsey Barrell
There’s no better way to honor National Breast Cancer Awareness Month than to raise voices and make a difference. The Community Foundation’s Giving Circle for Women’s Health are doing just that! The organization has announced that for the eighth consecutive year, certificates for free mammograms are available to Whitley County women who do not have insurance and would not otherwise be able to afford the vital screenings. To request a certificate, contact the Foundation at 244-5224.
According to the Susan G. Koman Foundation, in the United States, the rate of new cases of breast cancer has been increasing by a little over one percent a year since the 1940’s. In the 1980’s, the rate of new cases rose markedly (likely due to increased screening) and has since begun to level off. An estimated 254,650 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in American women in 2009 alone.
Look for the hard-to-miss pink ribbon on the front lawn of the Community Foundation where it serves as a reminder for women over 40, about the importance of scheduling a yearly mammogram.
In addition to the Free Mammogram Program, the Giving Circle also partners with the American Cancer Society to offer a program called Look Good . . . Feel Better, for Whitley County women who are battling cancer. Look Good…Feel Better® is dedicated to teaching female cancer patients beauty techniques to help restore their appearance and self-image during cancer treatments. The program provides participants with a variety of cosmetic products as well as educational materials. The next session is scheduled for the evening of Monday, November 7, 2011, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Whitley County Community Foundation, 400 N. Whitley Street, Columbia City (next to CCHS). Participants are encouraged to bring a friend. To sign up for Look Good Feel Better, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800 ACS-2345.