Funding Priorities

North Central Alabama Affiliate Funding Priorities

Opportunities to improve breast cancer screening rates and decrease the breast cancer mortality rate in Alabama are many. The North Central Alabama Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure plays an important role in the provision of services to the women most in need in Alabama. It is clear that the affiliate must continue taking an active role in the education of the community and must maintain open communication with healthcare providers regarding unmet needs in the community.  Increased work in the public policy arena is also vital to the improvement of services and resources available to Alabama women. While the challenges are vast, the volunteers and supporters of Susan G. Komen for the Cure are committed to eliminating the barriers and obstacles that exist and to improving the breast health of Alabamians.  These are our funding priorities:

I.      Improve access to low-cost or free breast screening programs for all women within every county of the affiliate service area, especially the underserved, under/uninsured, African American, and Hispanic populations.  Priority given to projects that:

1.) Develop innovative programs—that are culturally sensitive and address low-literacy rates— with the goal of increasing breast health knowledge.

2.) Establish collaborative relationships and partnerships with places of worship to positively impact attitudes on breast health, dispelling myths and false information.

3.) Recruit and train natural community leaders to deliver breast health messages to the community.

4.) Increase awareness of screening programs available to the target population.

5.) Collaborate with other organizations to promote overall health through Wellness programs.

III.      Increase the availability and awareness of programs and services that address all aspects of the continuum of care (screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up) for all women throughout the Affiliate service area, with particular attention to survivorship and quality of life issues and concerns for breast cancer survivors and their families.  Priority given to projects that:

1.) Educate underserved and low-income women of available support services in their community.

2.) Collaborate with other cancer-related organizations to identify and maximize resources and support programs for survivors and their families.

3.) Develop innovative programs that address all aspects of the continuum of care .

4.) Focus on survivorship and quality of life issues and incorporate survivorship information and resources into all project activities.