In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Bread for the City is Going Pink on October 25th. We encourage everyone in our community to wear pink in honor of the survivors and remember loved ones who have fought breast cancer.

Also on October 25th, Bread for the City will be hosting its first ever Breast Cancer Awareness Brunch!

According to current studies, breast cancer affects 200,000 new women, claiming 40,000 lives each year. An estimated 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

It is an extremely serious disease, but early detection saves thousands of lives. The average 5-year survival rate for the most common (and earliest) stage of breast cancer detected is 98.6%, while the overall survival rate is 89.1%.

Within these numbers, there is some demographic disparity in the risks of breast cancer. In D.C., the breast cancer incidence rate is almost 20% higher than the national average. The mortality rate is 16% higher. And while Caucasian women are more likely to develop breast cancer, African American women with breast cancer have a higher mortality rate. Especially in low-income communities, patients with cancer often grapple with fear and a lack of awareness of the resources that are available to them.

So we are lucky to have Etta-Cheri Washington as a part of our team here at Bread for the City.  She is the patient navigator at BFTC through Capital City Area Health Education Center and the DC Cancer Consortium. Etta-Cheri works with cancer patients and their caregivers; she helps to explain treatments, eliminate barriers, answers questions and provides support. She serves as a reassuring voice to help clients cope with their disease.

“The treatment of cancer is a complicated process — one of the hardest things to do in our healthcare system. That difficulty is even more severe for people with low literacy levels, other health complications, dealing with a system that historically lacks cultural competence,” says Etta-Cheri. “So my job as a navigator is to guide patients through the continuum of care. I help them get educated on the health care system and into a culturally appropriate medical home.”

Here at Bread for the City, Etta-Cheri works within a medical home, so she has resources to work with. “We have access to a whole range of services and resources that are essential to the health of a cancer patient. Anything from access to healthy foods and nutritional advice to legal assistance that helps people keep their housing. With those resources, we can pave a path to recovery,” says Etta-Cheri.

“For instance, I had one patient from Africa who simply could not have found her way around without guidance. Together, we found an oncologist, a culturally competent surgeon, and a facility where she would be welcomed.”

To raise awareness, the Health Resource Room and its volunteers have brought together local organizations to offer a Breast Cancer Awareness Brunch to Bread for the City. Special guests will include Cassandra Miller from the George Washington University Breast Care Center, who as a Breast Cancer Navigator will discuss the array of services available through GWU and the importance of regular mammograms and screening. Also joining us will be Toroitich Cherono from the Smith Center for Healing and the Arts. She will be talking about the different programs available through the Smith Center that are geared towards empowering individuals affected by cancer through the healing process.

Finally, a big thank you to Whole Foods Market for catering this event!

Please save the date: Join us on October 25th from 11:30am to 1:00pm for a morning of sharing and support!