Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center Awarded Funding from the American Cancer Society

Miami, FL, August 28, 2013 - Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center is proud to announce it is a recipient of the American Cancer Society, Inc., Florida Division’s Community Education Grant Program to Address Cancer Disparities, 2013-2014. This award will be used to support the implementation of Koukouwouj Dèyè Maladi Kansè!
This grant funded partnership with the American Cancer Society will support the health and cancer needs of our community by providing awareness to breast and colorectal health, an initiative Sant La hopes will aid in eliminating cancer disparities in the Black community.

How breast & colorectal cancers affect Haitian men and women:
1. 44% of Haitian women over the age of 18 in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood have had a pap smear test, compared to 84% of black women and 84% of white women
2. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death for Haitians in Miami-Dade County
3. 33 Haitian women died of breast cancer in 2011, a highly treatable form of cancer with early detection

The Koukouwouj Dèyè Maladi Kansè! will promote breast and colorectal cancer awareness, as well as good health habits and healthy lifestyles in the Haitian community of Miami-Dade County through education, outreach and coordination of referrals to specialized providers for appropriate screenings. For more information about this project, call Director Gepsie M. Metellus at (305) 573-4871.

This award was made possible through a competitive statewide grant program offered by the Florida Division of the American Cancer Society, Inc. For more information about the American Cancer Society, call 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

Contact: Carla St. Louis, Special Projects Administrator
Carlal@santla.org
305-573-4871 (office)

Established in 2000, Sant La is a neighborhood resource center whose mission statement is to empower, strengthen and stabilize South Florida’s Haitian community by promoting self-sufficiency and integration. It provides free access to information and existing services to ensure the community’s success. In keeping with its vision, Sant La contributes to improved outcomes in the Haitian community through collaboration, service, coordination, accountability, cultural competency and excellence service. It serves as a central point of entry to access countywide services by the Haitian community. The Executive Director of Sant La, Gepsie M. Metellus, is available for on-air, online, or transcript interviews on the high prevalence of breast and colorectal cancer diagnoses in Miami-Dade County’s Haitian community.

5000 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 110
Miami, FL 33137

This release was published on openPR.