Current Grant Recipients

These projects have been selected by our independent Grant Review Panel as those that will have the greatest impact in serving uninsured or underinsured women in our service area. Please note that Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is not a direct service provider.

Where the Money Goes    

Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate has raised more than $1.807 million in the fiscal year ending in March 2010 to support the fight against breast cancer. The money will fund 29 grants to a diverse group of not-for-profit health care organizations, public health agencies and community groups in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties that further the Komen mission. More than 7,000 medically under served individuals will be impacted by the grant dollars provided for mammograms and thousands more will be impacted by education and awareness programs. In accordance with Komen’s guidelines, 75 percent of the net dollars raised through local events, including the annual Race for the Cure®, will stay in the local community to fund breast cancer screening, education and treatment initiatives. The remaining 25 percent will be pooled with Komen’s national efforts to fund research programs. 

List of Current Community Grant Recipients

2010 Komen Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Grant Recipients

Grants To Local Organizations
TO SUPPORT THE MISSION, education, screening and treatment:

Baptist Hospital of Miami
Genetic Susceptibility Testing for Hereditary Breast Cancer for the Medically Underserved
$26,250.00
Rae S. Wruble – Coordinator
Genetic Testing
Year 7
This service offers free education and facilitation of genetic susceptibility testing to individuals at high risk to develop hereditary breast cancer, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, or lifestyle choice.

The Beautiful Gate Inc.
$10,000
Pamela Burnett
A Gateway foor African American Women
New Grantee
Will provide monthly support group and counseling sessions for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.  Sessions will be offered at 3 underserved communities in Miami-Dade & Broward counties to help participants cope with psychological, physical and social issues of cancer care.  Will invite guest speakers to educate members about clinical trials & the latest cancer breakthroughs.  Will also provide activities such as aerobic exercise and craft projects.

Broward County Health Department - Breast and Cervical Cancer Initiative
Advanced Breast Diagnostics Services
$29,919.59
Trivel McKire – Program Manager
Screening
Year 5
Help detect breast cancer before it becomes later-stage or life-threatening by providing education and access to timely breast cancer screening as well as complete diagnostic services.  Provide breast cancer screenings and diagnostic services to eligible women (ages 50-64 with household incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, and under- or uninsured for such services).

Broward County Libraries
Breast Health/Cancer Education through Community Relationships & Partnerships
$10,000
Bob Cannon - Division of Libraries Director
Barbara Miller  - Program Manager
Education
Year 6
Broward County Library (BCL) – A Division of Broward County Government – To ensure all people, in particular, underserved residents, African-American, Hispanic and lesbian population are aware of breast cancer resources in their area.  Key activities include distribution of breast cancer materials to 37 branches.  Annual Wellness Fair held in October at Main Library with health professionals speaking about breast cancer awareness, detection and prevention.  Photography and stories exhibit, Stories to Share (Part 3) will be on display.  Separate display being added featuring men & women and health care professionals from the African-American community.

Care Resource
Training & Education Outreach to provide culturally sensitive breast health for women partnering with women.
$10,000
Education
New Grantee
Ausline Paris
Nan Van den Bergh
Offer training and outreach education focused on the provision of culturally sensitive breast health services for women partnering with women in Miami-Dade & Broward counties.  Achieved by: 1) providing a training of trainers in the Removing the Barriers cultural competence; 2) offering Removing the Barriers training to health care & community-based organizations who do not have training of trainers; 3) providing breast health information & referrals to the lesbian and bisexual community through outreach at LGBT community events; 4) sharing information on women partnering with women culturally sensitive breast screening resources.

Community Life Support Inc.
Health Education for Early Detection of Breast Cancer
$30,000
Screening, Education & Treatment
Year 8
Dr. Pierre Blemeur M.D. PA – Executive Director
Program provides breast screening, follow up, and referrals at low or no cost to low income, uninsured women.  Program will increase breast cancer awareness and identify women who need further treatment.  Save lives and empower breast cancer patients through education, increasing awareness, workshops, providing screening mammograms, follow up with diagnostic mammogram, diagnostic breast ultrasound and biopsies

Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami, Inc. (FANM)
Women Hand in Hand
$10,000
Education
Year 8
Aline Francois - Project Dir. & Dir. of Human Services
Marleine Bastien - Exec. Dir.
FANM’s cancer awareness and screening project is aimed primarily at Haitian-American women.  This grant will continue to provide outreach and education programs on breast health; facilitate linkage of women for mammograms and provide case management and other support services, as needed, such as referrals to a health care provider, benefit specialist, daycare, and supportive counseling.

The Florida Breast Health Initiative, Inc.
2010 Targeted Neighborhood Outreach-Door to Door
$13,410
Education & Screening
Year 3
Loretta Erickson – Outreach Development Chairperson
Andrea Ivory – Executive Director
The Florida Breast Health Initiative provides grassroots to door-to-door outreach campaigns in targeted working poor neighborhoods.  The grant for this campaign will target 2,610 homes in unincorporated northern Miami-Dade county in a neighborhood that is primarily African American.  A total of 40-46 free screening mammograms will be provided to.

Gilda's Club of South Florida
Raising Awareness if the African American Community
$25,000
Education
New Grantee
Sue Cleveland – Outreach Development Chairperson
Educational and social support program.  Project will reach out to the African-American community.  Will contact churches, community centers, civic and professional groups to make Community Presentations.  Approach involves working with their membership base to reach out to their family and friends, and with their help, to the extended community through their social, civil & professional networks.  Nutrition and fitness workshops also available.  Ongoing seminars will be added to address prevention.  Provide knowledge about risk factors and the need for early detection.

Human Services Coalition of Dade County, Inc.
Prosperity Campaign 
$11,000
Education
Year 3
Frances Penha
The Prosperity Campaign is an initiative of the Human Service Coalition (HSC) conducted in collaboration with the United Way of Miami Dade, IRS, multiple banks and other partners, which features ten Prosperity Centers and three affiliates in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, as well as linkages to hundreds of area businesses and over 80 free “VITA” tax preparation sites.  The Breast Health & Cancer Education (BHCE) component will help uninsured and uneducated residents of Miami-Dade county (those already the target of Prosperity Campaign outreach efforts) become better educated on the prevention and early detection of breast cancer as well as the promotion of breast screening services such as breast self examinations and regular mammograms.

La Liga Contra el Cancer, Inc.
Liga Contra el Cancer’s Arimidex ® Treatment Service
$40,000
Treatment
Year 4
Adriana Cora – Executive Vice President
Cesar Scheker – Administrator
Provide cancer care service to the uninsured and/or low-income breast cancer women in South Florida.  Help at least 56 uninsured and/or low-income diagnosed breast cancer patients with the funds from the grant.  Fifty (50) breast cancer patients will receive the preliminary 300 MCG’s of Neupogen to support the chemo treatment. Six (6) other breast cancer survivors will continue to benefit by receiving Arimidex for one year post treatment.

The Links, Inc., Greater Miami Chapter
Educate a Community, Save a Women’s Life
$5,000
Education
Year 1
Robbie Bell – Nat’l. Committee
Educate our communities black women of African descent to breast cancer facts, threats and successes.  Elevate breast cancer education among black African women to a new height.  This will be accomplished by hosting bi-monthly, or quarterly educational programs throughout the community.  

Lymphedema Foundation of South Florida
Education and Treatment of Lymphedema Therapy for the Uninsured and Underinsured Women and Men of Miami-Dade and Broward County
$26,250
Treatment
Year 4
Ana Maria Mendieta – Director
Lymphedema Foundation of South Florida’s objective is to provide underprivileged, uninsured or underinsured individuals with hands-on, proven treatments, utilizing compression bandages, and custom fitting garments, to physically reduce and control the impactful signs/symptoms of Lymphedema

Memorial Foundation for Memorial Regional Hospital’s Women’s Imaging Center
Breast Cancer Genetic Testing for Underserved/Uninsured Persons
$26,250
Maxine Chang, MSN, ARNP, OCN
Cancer Risk Assessment Counselor
Kevin R. Janser – Vice President & Executive Director
Screening 
Year 5 – Miami-Dade
The Memorial Cancer Institute at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida will provide breast cancer risk assessment screening and counseling services to low income individuals with a strong family history of breast cancer.  Individuals found to be at high risk for carrying a BRCA mutation (Breast Cancer Gene) will be offered counseling and testing at the Memorial Cancer Institute.

Memorial Foundation for the Memorial Cancer Institute (MCI) at Memorial Regional Hospital
Screening & Diagnostic Testing for Unisured and Underinsured Women
$150,000
Gail Bedell – Manager  Women's Imaging Center
Kevin R. Janser – Vice President & Executive Director
Screening
Year 11 – Broward
Year 6 - Miami-Dade
Breast Screening and Diagnostic Treatment is a comprehensive breast health outreach program targeting uninsured and underinsured women in Broward and northern Miami-Dade Counties.  Goal is to decrease the risk of breast cancer and premature death for these women by educating participants about cancer risk factors and providing routine screening to detect cancer early.  Provides access to full field digital screening mammograms for women who cannot afford them.  Diagnostic procedures that begin to rule out or diagnose breast cancer will be supported by the grant.  Procedure include extra view and diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasounds, MRIs and biopsies.

Miami-Dade Area Health Education Center (AHEC), Inc.
Miami-Dade AHEC: “Hands on Health” Youth Breast Cancer Education Program
$45,000
Education
Year 8
Theresa Schilthorn – Assistant Director
Martha Sanchez – Chief Exec. Off.
Latasha Moore - Special Projects Coordinator
Miami-Dade AHEC will continue to utilize the high school curriculum “Hands on Health: Teens & Breast Cancer” to educate adolescent women and men on the importance of practicing good breast health and life-long breast self examination.  Miami-Dade AHEC will educate youth in both Miami-Dade and Broward County public and private schools, as well as adolescents in alternative youth sites such as church youth groups, Juvenile Justice Centers, and other community locations where young women and men may be found.

North Broward Hospital District d/b/a Broward Health
Every Woman Matters
$80,000
Education, Screening & Treatment
Year 6
Pia Delvaille  
The goal of Every Woman Matters is to decrease the risk of breast cancer and premature death in medically underserved women, ages 40-49, residing in the northern two-thirds of Broward County.  Every Woman Matters will provide breast care and breast cancer education, clinical breast exams, mammograms, diagnostics, and follow-up treatment for breast cancer, and; genetic testing and counseling, for women who are diagnosed at an early age and have a strong family history of cancer.

North Broward Hospital District d/b/a Broward Health
Know Your Genes
$26,250
Education, Screening
Pia Delvaille 
Provide genetic counseling and testing to 12 medically underserved women with a focus on Black and Hispanic women, as well as one Multisite 3 test on a woman of Ashkenazi ancestry.  Program will target women residing in the northern two-thirds of Broward County who have had an early onset of and a strong family history of breast cancer.  Will provide education on: genetics; information on hereditary susceptibility; reasons for genetic testing; treatment options; explanation of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations and implications of the mutations.

Open Door Health Center
Women’s Health Program
$40,000
Screening & Education
Year 5
Dr. Nilda Soto - Medical Director
The goal of the Open Door Health Center Woman’s Health Program is to increase access to breast cancer services particularly screening and breast cancer awareness education to 400+ predominantly African American, Haitian and Hispanic/Latino women twenty years of age and older who reside in Homestead and Florida City. 

Project Access Foundation
Breast Cancer Education Outreach, Screening and Treatment Program for Uninsured and Underinsured Women of Dade and Broward Counties
$90,000
Screening, Education & Treatment
Year 10
Dr. Jack Michel M. D. – Medical Director 
Project Access Foundation is committed to providing primary care to the uninsured and underinsured residents of South Florida.  Provides low cost mammography and breast health education to women in South Florida.  Project Access has also partnered with other community based organizations to receive women in need of mammograms.  Some of these agencies include AHEC, YWCA of Greater Miami, and St. John Bosco among others.  

Public Health Trust of Miami-Dade County d/b/a Jackson Health System
IMANI at Taylor Breast Health Center (Increasing Minority Access to Needed Interventions)
$35,125
Screening, Education & Treatment
New Grantee
Nicole Perez 
Goals are to: 1) encourage screening for breast cancer for minority women in Central, North and East Miami-Dade County; and 2) reduce the incidence of advance stage breast cancer developing in Central, East and North Miami-Dade County minority women through screening and early diagnosis.  They will provide free breast cancer screenings to 100 un/under insured African-American and Hispanic women, who are not eligible for Project Screen.  Will provide diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds, and ultrasound guided vacuum assisted breast biopsies as medically indicated to 25 minority women.

Public Health Trust of Miami-Dade County d/b/a Jackson Health System
IMANI at Jackson South Comprehensive Breast Center (Increasing Minority Access to Needed Interventions)
$35,125
Screening, Education & Treatment
New Grantee
Dora Escobedo 
Goals are to: 1) encourage screening for breast cancer for minority women in South Miami-Dade County; and 2) reduce the incidence of advance stage breast cancer developing in South Miami-Dade County minority women through screening and early diagnosis.  They will provide free breast cancer screenings to 100 un/under insured African-American and Hispanic women, who are not eligible for Project Screen.  Will provide diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds, and ultrasound guided vacuum assisted breast biopsies as medically indicated to 25 minority women.

St. John Bosco Clinic
Women’s Cancer Program
$30,000
Screening
Year 8
Betty Leguisamon – Supervisor
Josie Romano Brown – President, Mercy Foundation
For over 16 years, the St. John Bosco Clinic has been providing free primary and gynecological services to the undocumented and low-income residents of the Little Havana and Allapattah communities.

Save Our Sisters DBT, Inc. 
Dragon Boat Team
$4,155
New Grantee
K. Kim Bonomo 
Save our Sisters is a Breast Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat team whose mission is to enhance breast health awareness through their sport and community service projects.  They train weekly, compete in international races, participate in festivals, fairs and parades and visit schools to ensure that women of all ages focus on breast health awareness, and to share the benefits of exercise to survivors.  The grant will allow 3 low-income African American and/or Hispanic women to participate in their activities.

Cancer Support Community - formerly The Wellness Community of Greater Miami
TWC-GM Breast Cancer Support Outreach (BCSO) Program
$37,500
Education
Year 8
Peggy Rios, Ph.D. – Project Director
The Wellness Community- Greater Miami will provide comprehensive professional support programs for underserved Hispanic and African American breast cancer survivors in Miami-Dade County.

UM Center for Cancer Prevention and Genetics
Genetic Counseling and Testing for Undeserved Patients at High Risk for Breast Cancer
$45,000
Education & Screening
Year 7
Joseph A. Lucci, III, M.D. – Project Dir. & Professor & Dir., Gynecologic Oncology
Tom Gill – Dir. Research Admin.
Talia Donenberg - Board Certified Genetic Counselor
The Center for Cancer Prevention and Genetics services a large uninsured minority population at Jackson Health System and provides a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to identify, educate and manage those with inherited cancer risk.

WellCome Center
Individual Therapy for Uninsured and Underinsured Women Who Have Breast Cancer
$5,000
Treatment
Year 3
Maxine Hart Weinstein, Ph.D. - Program Director
The WellCome Center will focus on providing support groups at no charge for uninsured and underinsured women who do not have access to one-on-one individual counseling.  The goal of this project will be to provide individual psychological counseling to those women.

WomanKind, Inc.
Keys to Breast Health
$25,000
Treatment
New Grantee
Betsy Langan
Offers services regarding breast health outreach and education, clinical breast exams and mammogram referrals in the Lower Florida Keys.  They want to improve the access to regular breast cancer screening, and diagnostic and treatment by poor, minority and/or medically underserved women experiencing barriers to breast health care.

YWCA of Greater Miami
Family Wellness Breast Cancer Screening & Education Program
$45,000
Screening & Education
Year 14
Eileen Maloney-Simons - YWCA Executive Director & CEO
Patricia Joassin – Project Director 
Help underserved minorities in dire need of access to breast cancer services and education in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.  They provide access to clinical breast exams, screening and diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasounds and biopsies to low-income uninsured minority women ages 20 to 49 in Miami Dade and Broward Counties at low or no cost.  Program focuses on increasing the social support network of minority women by expanding its outreach efforts to include family, spouses, and partners of those individuals seeking preventive breast cancer health services.  They have also successfully targeted incarcerated women by visiting and facilitating breast health educational sessions at Miami Dade and Broward prisons for over 5 years.