The Women’s Breast Health Initiative is Awarded $20,000 Miami Foundation Grant

June 22, 2011 - PRLog -- The Women’s Breast Health Initiative (WBHI) is pleased to accept a $20,000 grant from The Miami Foundation through its 2011 Community Grants Program. WBHI’s mission is to reduce the incidence of undetected, untreated breast cancer by providing women in underserved neighborhoods with the appropriate awareness, education and screening.

One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Even more disturbing, approximately 40,000 women will die of breast cancer this year alone. With so many women at risk, it is crucial to promote early detection in any way possible.

WBHI will use the $20,000 grant award to support its operations Because there is no cure for breast cancer, WBHI’s mission is to reduce the incidence of undetected, untreated breast cancer among the some of the most vulnerable in the community: uninsured, underserved women. Groups of volunteers go door to door in neighborhoods most likely to have the highest concentration of this targeted audience providing breast health awareness, free mammograms for women that qualify, referrals for low or cost screening, and assistance to those participants requiring additional screening and treatment.

The organization has knocked on more than 36,000 doors since its inception in 2006. This year, WBHI will knock on a record 10,000 doors in South Florida to educate women and ensure that all women benefit from the early detection of breast cancer, regardless of their ability to pay.

Andrea Ivory, internationally recognized 2009 Top Ten CNN Hero, breast cancer survivor, and founder of WBHI knows that early detection saves lives, because it saved hers. She founded WBHI, the premiere source of free door to door breast health awareness, education and screening to the uninsured and underserved in South Florida. “Breast cancer kills our grandmothers, mothers, sisters, daughters, family and friends. ALL women are at risk for breast cancer. Although early detection saves lives, not all women have access and awareness;” states Andrea, “That’s what we’re out there to do.”

WBHI believes that all women have the right to benefit from the early detection of breast cancer regardless of their ability to pay, and fights breast cancer as a life threatening disease, one household at a time. Foundation support, like this grant from The Miami Foundation, ensures that WBHI is able to continue its life-saving work.

About WBHI
WBHI's mission is to reduce undetected, untreated breast cancer by providing free breast health educational kits and free screenings on mobile mammography vans from our hospital partners. Hundreds of trained multilingual volunteers distribute the kits door-to-door in communities with high rates of late-stage diagnoses of breast cancer. Requested funds will pay a portion of the salaries of the Volunteer Coordinator who recruits and manages hundreds of volunteers who conduct our door-to-door outreach campaigns, and the Patient Navigator assists women in navigating the health care system.

About Andrea Ivory
The Founder of WBHI, Andrea Ivory has received international recognition as a 2011 American Red Cross Spectrum Award Honoree, 2010 Keep Going Energizer Hall of Fame Finalist, 2009 Top 10 CNN Hero, 2008 L’Oreal Paris Women of Worth Honoree, and 2007 Yoplait Champion.

About The Miami Foundation
Established in 1967, The Miami Foundation, has helped hundreds of people create personal, permanent and powerful legacies by establishing custom, charitable Funds. With our expertise, Fundholders have fostered the arts, awarded scholarships, championed diversity, taught kids to read, provided food and shelter for the hungry and homeless, and more.

More than $150 million in grants and scholarships has been awarded in our rich 44 year history. Today, we carefully steward more than $150 million in charitable assets.

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