“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Every year in October, health advocates, survivors, women and their loved ones mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month with events, like the Sista Strut in Forest Park; by getting annual mammograms; and by celebrating treatment advances and efforts toward a cure. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>For The Breakfast Club, based out of Centennial Christian Church in St. Louis, every month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“Our program centers around providing education, awareness, resources and support,” said Sherrill Jackson, breast cancer survivor and founder and president of The Breakfast Club. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>That support includes providing newly diagnosed women with comfort kits and a Buddy that will walk through the journey with them. Buddies are breast cancer survivors who have been trained in the Friend to Friend program who Jackson describes as being able to navigate a lot of the systems and barriers. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We try to match them up according to the age,” Jackson said. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“I was diagnosed in December of 2008. I had surgery the day that Obama was inaugurated president, so when I came out of surgery, I had a new president,” said Lynn Silver of St. Louis. “I was at a health fair at Mt. Beulah [MB Church] and one of the ladies that works with my mother and another lady from The Breakfast Club was there.”
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>It was a while before Silver made it to a meeting, but she’s been active ever since.
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“It’s a great way for women to share what they are going through – all age ranges – everybody’s different, and that’s what makes it nice,” Silver said. “We have breakfast, a period of sharing when new people come in so they can say how far along they are and they get to hear how far along the other people are. And to know that God is good and you can overcome it.”
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Silver’s buddy is named Blondell Lucas.
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Buddies offer crucial support, which is sometimes best provided by someone who has been through it as well. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“A woman walks her through her appointments or whatever she needs,” Silver explained. “If she needs to talk to somebody at 2 o’clock in the morning, somebody is there for her to talk to.” “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“If we get funded, we are going to actually have the breast health buddies at the low energy assistance facilities, so they can be right onsite and have the van onsite,” Jackson said. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Silver describes her breast cancer as “being a gift.” “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”> “I don’t look at is as something that, ‘Oh Lord, you got cancer,” Silver said. “My mother was real worried but I told her ‘The same God that healed you and brought you through is going to bring me through.’”
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>After breast cancer surgery, The Breakfast Club can provide women with breast forms and bras.
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We work with Medical West in Clayton, and we can send women there if they don’t have insurance,” Jackson said. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We visit women in prison,” Jackson added. “We visit at the St. Louis correctional facility and we go in and talk about breast health.” “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The October 1 Sista Strut, held by Clear Channel radio stations Majic 104.9 FM and sister station Hallelujah 1600 KATZ-AM, brought thousands of women, men and their families together to promote breast cancer awareness, while using some of the proceeds to help three breast cancer efforts –The Breakfast Club, The Black Women Breast Cancer Survivors Project at the University of Missouri St. Louis and Siteman Cancer Center. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We’re donating a total of $9,000 to these organizations to be split equally among all three,” said Aricka Parr, community affairs director for Clear Channel and promotions director for the two radio stations. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The Breakfast Club uses its portion of proceeds from the St. Louis Sista Strut to put together an annual seminar for breast cancer survivors. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We bring in speakers and provide education in an environment that they’re comfortable and they can ask questions,” Jackson said. “We had that in June had more than 130 in attendance.” “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Since its founding in 1997, the Breakfast Club has targeted African American women while provide support for all women with breast cancer.
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We try to do everything we can to keep that awareness out there for women, especially African American women, to do their breast exams; to get their clinical breast exams, and to get their mammograms,” Jackson explained, “Because that’s the tools we have.” “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Their breast cancer awareness message is a tool within itself – and the club continually looks for ways to extend its reach. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We bring a van to churches. We work with Barnes-Jewish mobile mammography department and we can bring a van to churches so that women can get mammograms,” Jackson said. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Thus far, they are working with 22 churches in North St. Louis City and County.
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The organization receives funding support from Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Avon; Lance Armstrong Foundation, Missouri Foundation for Health; through direct appeals and through an annual gospel event at New Northside MB Church.
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The Breakfast Club is increasing access to breast cancer information and screening resources by placing materials in places where women with families in need may frequent. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We have a program also that we’re working with Washington University, and we are using kiosk machines. The first year, we put a kiosk machine – that looks like an ATM machine – and so women who were coming in for the food stamps – they could interact with the machines and if they said that they needed a mammogram, then they would enter some data and information would be shared with a breast health Buddy,” Jackson said. “And they could pick the Buddy.”
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The Club includes activities for The Breakfast Club Brothers, who support their ladies, and for The Breakfast Club Kids. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“At Christmas time, we try to have a celebration of life, because when you are here from year to year – from day to day – you’re thankful,” Jackson said. “Because you realize, when you’ve had breast cancer, you’re at a higher risk sometimes for getting it again.” “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>For Jackson and so many breast cancer survivors like her, there is no month that’s not breast cancer awareness month. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“Once you come into The Breakfast Club, you’re in there for life,” Jackson said. “We try to use our stories to encourage women to really take care of themselves.”
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The Breakfast Club meets on the third Saturdays of the month from 9 a.m. until Noon at Centennial Christian Church at 4950 Fountain in St. Louis, 63113. For more information, call 314-972-8883 or visit http://www.breakfastclub-stl.org.
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