National Spotlight

2012 Grant Awards

Grant Award: $100,000.00

Funding will enable the American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF) to develop and foster the collaborative partnerships necessary to support a sustainable, culturally appropriate system for raising awareness and educating American Indian women about breast health issues and improving access to screening in a way that is culturally-tailored and community based. Addressing all five priorities identified in the 2011 Komen Minnesota Affiliate Statewide Community Profile, this project will seek to form collaborations across several programs: AICAF, Wisdom Steps, White Earth Tribal Health, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Mobile Mammography, Minnesota Department of Health, and American Cancer Society. The program will also employ and utilize an American Indian Community Health Worker to: a) raise awareness about breast health issues in culturally-specific ways within tribal and urban communities through the development and delivery of the Pink Shawl Project and other culturally relevant information and events and b) promote programs that increase access to breast health education and screening through improved coordination and use of available resources.

Project Title: Financial Assistance for Breast Cancer Patients

Grant Award: $100,000.00

Founded to support families when cancer strikes, funding for this program will be used to provide emergency grants (rent/mortgage, groceries, phone/utility payments, gas/bus vouchers to and from treatment) to qualifying breast cancer survivors. In addition, Angel Foundation’s free education and support (Facing Cancer Together – FaCT) program focuses on strengths-based programming for all members of the family. To be eligible for a grant, the applicant must be over 18 years of age and currently living in, or receiving treatment in, the seven-county metro area. Applicants must be referred to the program by their treating physician or social worker. By helping adult cancer patients stay current with basic utilities and mortgage payments, this funding helps to reduce some of their stress and allows them to reserve more of their energy for self care and healing.

Project Title: Hope Fund

Grant Award: $89,000.00

The Hope Fund was established in 2011 to provide emergency financial assistance to qualifying breast cancer patients from the five-county area who are actively receiving care at Cambridge Medical Center (Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs and Pine counties). Financial assistance can be used for rent or mortgage payments, groceries, phone or utility payments, gas cards, car repairs, and similar needs. Applications are reviewed by an eight member panel which currently includes four breast cancer survivors, and decisions are reported to the applicant within 48 hours. Whenever possible, payments are made directly to creditors, but grocery and gas gift cards are also distributed. All administrative costs are covered by Cambridge Medical Center, so 100% of contributions support breast cancer patients. In 2012, funding will be used to expand this same program to breast cancer patients that are served by Owatonna Hospital (Steele, Waseca, and Dodge Counties) and Buffalo Hospital (Wright, Sherburne, Meeker, and McLeod Counties). These hospitals, along with Cambridge Medical Center, are served by the Allina Associated Foundation. While programs similar to the Hope Fund exist around the state, none of them serve patients who receive care in these twelve counties.

Project Title: Cancer Legal Line’s Breast Cancer Legal Project

Grant Award: $100,000.00

Cancer Legal Line’s Breast Cancer Legal Project provides and coordinates pro bono legal services to low-income breast cancer patients and survivors in Minnesota. In-house and volunteer attorneys in the community help clients with legal issues that are barriers to care and affect their ability to focus on treatment and wellness by providing pro bono legal counseling and representation services, and by presenting educational seminars to survivorship groups. These legal issues include employment rights, insurance procurement and coverage denials, disability benefits, family law concerns, and the preparation of wills, powers of attorney and health care directives. By receiving critical legal services at a vulnerable time, low-income clients are able to focus their energy on treatment and living life rather than an endless loop of “what-if” and worry, and report that their quality of life has improved. Cancer Legal Line works closely with oncology providers throughout the Twin Cities and outstate Minnesota, as well as a variety of cancer support groups throughout the state, to provide outreach and information about Cancer Legal Line’s services to patients, survivors, doctors, nurses and social workers. Cancer Legal Line is the only organization in Minnesota providing direct legal services specifically to low-income breast cancer patients and survivors.

Project Title: Care Partners Financial Assistance Project

Grant Award: $75,000.00

The purpose of this program is to provide financial relief to female and male individuals/families living on the Iron Range who are faced with a breast cancer diagnosis. This project will use Care Partners’ current system of tracking and disbursement of funds, along with educational information and other support services. Each applicant will be eligible for up to $1,200 during an enrollment year (enrollment year is determined by the date they formally enrolled in the program). Once their enrollment year ends, the individual/family becomes a new applicant, and can re-enroll if needed. The initial $400 grant will be awarded by the Care Partners Coordinator. If the applicant needs additional assistance, they are eligible for 2 additional $400 grants. The additional grants are voted on by Care Partners’ Board of Directors via email within 48 hours. Grants usage is directed by the applicant – we only pay an applicant directly if we are reimbursing them for an out of pocket expense (receipts must be sent in). Most disbursements of funding are made directly to a vendor by Care Partners or where they have established a direct billing account (used often for applicants who use the funds for gas). The impact of this program will be the increase of breast cancer applicants they are able to help – while also providing peace of mind, alleviating some stress, feeling supported, and cared for by the Care Partners community.

Project Title: Breast Cancer Prevention Program

Grant Award: $100,000.00

This program provides culturally competent, linguistically appropriate education on breast health and mammograms and mammogram referrals to urban and rural, Minnesota Latina women and their families. Latino community health workers implement the program activities, including: home visits to at-risk Latina women and information and education in community events, women’s groups, and high school and college student wellness programs. All activities provide education on the importance of mammograms and breast health, including healthy living and nutrition, physical activity, health screenings, reducing alcohol consumption, preventing tobacco use, and eliminating exposure to second hand smoke, tobacco cessation, and mammogram referrals. Increasing the number of mammograms, participants served, healthy behaviors, knowledge of breast health and early and regular mammograms, CLUES expects to reduce the mortality of breast cancer among Latina women and contribute to the elimination of significant health disparities experienced by Minnesota Latina women.

Project Title: Bringing Pink to the Fields

Grant Award: $92,536.00

Bringing Pink to the Fields is an innovative program that addresses priorities identified in the 2011 Komen Minnesota Affiliate Community Profile. The purpose of this program is to develop and foster collaborative partnerships, with focus on the agricultural community, to help women in rural areas increase their education, awareness and usage of breast cancer prevention screening, treatment and support services. Key activities focus on raising awareness of breast cancer issues among “farm wives,” and rural women in general. Essentia will cast a wide net over rural Minnesota, to not only serve the Komen-identified twelve county priority areas, but beyond. This regional approach is better suited to a regional continuum of care due to the large rural geographic area. The program consists of presentations and providing educational materials to women in agriculture on breast cancer prevention and the Sage Screening Program, increasing outreach services from specialist Breast Cancer Nurse Navigators, providing garments and travel assistance to women who need assistance, and other ancillary support. Bringing Pink to the Fields focuses on serving women in Crow Wing, Cass, Morrison, Wadena, Mille Lacs, Todd, Aitkin, Kittson, Roseau, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Beltrami, Polk, Pennington, Clearwater, Red Lake, Norman, Mahnomen, and Hubbard Counties. The impact of the program will be that more women in rural areas will have greater access to resources and information on breast cancer prevention, screening and treatment, and greater utilization of the Minnesota Department of Health’s Sage Screening Program.

Project Title: Breast Cancer Patient Financial Assistance Grants

Grant Award: $16,500.00

A breast cancer diagnosis is never easy, but can be even more stressful when one is struggling to pay for costly treatments and medications while keeping up with basic living expenses such as utilities and mortgage payments. Funding from this program will allow breast cancer patients to access grants to help cover bills they are otherwise unable to pay. Success is evaluated in terms of meeting the need of patients, with the goal being to never have to wait list or deny patients who need assistance. The impact of this funding is simple: patients whose financial stress is lightened can focus on the imperative issue at hand, restoring their health. 

Project Title: Pay it Forward Fund

Grant Award: $100,000.00

Pay It Forward Fund (PIFF) helps patients and families overcome temporary financial crises during breast cancer treatment, when many are unable to work or have new, unforeseen expenses. Five collaborating cancer centers (North Memorial, Unity, Mercy, New River, and Ridgeview Medical Centers) refer eligible patients who are undergoing breast cancer treatment. PIFF pays up to $1,500 per patient in essential living expenses, such as housing, food, utilities, telephone, transportation, or out-of-pocket medical expenses. Bills are paid directly to the creditor, with copies to patients. In the past six years, PIFF has grown from one hospital and 30 patients (2006) to five cancer centers and 187 patients (2011), assisting a total of over 600 patients since inception. The “Pay It Forward” name reflects the belief that patients who are inspired to help fellow patients in the future can maintain their dignity and recover emotional resilience. Many PIFF recipients return to volunteer, donate, or share their stories, but in 2012, two follow-up surveys will formally assess the impact of the PIFF grant on their treatment experience. Thus, PIFF bridges two core objectives: relieving current patients of short- term financial threats and broadening treatment support for future breast cancer patients. Pay it Forward Fund program goals are to increase the number of patients served, create new collaborations with local cancer centers, and improve their ability to measure the influence of the “pay it forward” model.

Project Title: Breast Cancer Education/Outreach/Support to Women of Color in North Minneapolis

Grant Award: $100,000.00

NorthPoint’s Breast Health Education Project aims to reduce the health disparities in breast cancer incidence and death among women of color in North Minneapolis by providing culturally specific outreach, education and access to screening services. Activities will include hosting four culturally specific “See, Test and Treat” events; providing breast health education presentations at various community locations, including houses of worship, community centers and health fairs;  and using Community Health Worker’s to provide specific educational sessions as a means to impact the health behaviors and practices of the targeted populations. In 2012, NorthPoint will expand its outreach to the Somali community as well as its care coordination activities for women with abnormal breast findings, including providing on-going support to women experiencing positive diagnoses of breast cancer. True success for the project would be the elimination of health disparities in breast cancer incidence and death among women of color in North Minneapolis; a more immediate impact of the program will be an increase in the number of mammography screenings completed at the clinic.

Project Title: Healthy, Organic, and Sustainably Sourced Meals for People with Breast Cancer

Grant Award: $86,245.45

The purpose of this program is to provide meals to individuals at a time when grocery shopping and food preparation is especially challenging in the course of breast cancer and its treatment. Komen funding will enable Open Arms to prepare and deliver 62,775 free and nutritious meals to 343 people with breast cancer and their families during the grant year. Key activities of the program include sourcing organic ingredients for meals and growing their own produce through the Open Farms Garden. Open Arms’ registered dietitian (R.D) will consult with each client on their unique dietary needs and concerns and work closely with their professional chefs to ensure that meals are meeting the highest of standards. Open Arms of Minnesota seeks to serve underserved populations, specifically African Americans, who represent only 11% of the seven-country metro area but are 27% of the client-base served by this program. As they have for the last six years of serving people with breast cancer, Open Arms aims for the overall impact to be an improvement in the health of their clients as they are undergoing or recovering from breast cancer treatment or surgery. Meals served by this program are an important component of each patient’s overall care plan. The end goal will continue to be that no one facing breast cancer in the Twin Cities will have to go hungry or undernourished.

Project Title: Hope Chest for Breast Cancer Special Needs Fund

Grant Award: $5,000.00

This fund helps breast cancer patients at Regions Hospital pay for rent, food, utilities and other basic needs when treatment has made it impossible for patients to pay for such expenses themselves. As the safety-net hospital in the East Metro, Regions sees some of the most financially vulnerable populations in the area. By providing temporary financial support to the poorest of the poor receiving breast cancer treatment, we reduce the emotional and financial stress caused by their illnesses and treatments and help them retain their dignity and quality of life. Eligible breast cancer patients will receive assistance of up to $1,500 per individual. Care providers and social workers will follow up with assisted patients to evaluate the direct results of the gifts.

Project Title: Cuyuna-Riverwood Breast Health Alliance

Grant Award: $80,000.00

St. Joseph’s Foundation, Brainerd, MN 

Project Title: Pink Ribbon Cupboard

Grant Award: $30,000.00

The Pink Ribbon Cupboard provides emergency financial assistance for women undergoing breast cancer treatment in the hopes of eliminating or reducing some of the stress from financial burdens encountered by families as a result of a breast cancer diagnosis. Financial assistance is provided for non-medical needs, such as gas vouchers for travel expenses; mortgage/rent payments; groceries; telephone bills; utility bills; etc. Pink Ribbon Cupboard primarily serves Aitkin, Crow Wing, and Cass Counties, but also other counties as funds allow. These counties are characterized by lower than median income levels, high unemployment, and high levels of poverty. A three person Board will review the needs, as identified by medical personnel, and determine the amount of assistance to be provided to each applicant. This program hopes to make an impact by assisting 50 to 75 women and their families.

Project Title: Southside Breast Health and Breast Cancer Prevention Program

Grant Award: $97,669.00

The purpose of this program is to meet with all women, especially women of color and lesbian women, during clinic visits and outreach activities to increase their education and awareness about breast health/breast cancer and to teach them and reinforce the need for breast self-examination and getting mammograms. Key activities include: 1) Meet with female patients 19 and older at each annual exam to discuss breast health/breast cancer issues, to answer questions and concerns, and teach new patients how to do a self-breast exam, while for existing patients reinforce the need to continue with this activity and the importance of regular mammograms. 2) To reach communities of color through outreach, reinforce breast health/breast cancer awareness and support the need to find a regular medical home. Using Southside’s outreach van, staff regularly attends health fairs and are involved with meeting women at places they frequent such as beauty shops, and offer them breast cancer awareness educational materials, teach them breast self exams and referral to Sage/Piper Breast Center for mammograms. 3) To provide an appointment within 48 hours for any patient findings. The intended impact of this program is to expect a more proactive and educated and aware female patient-base with respect to breast health and breast cancer.

Project Title: Support Resources for Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer

Grant Award: $26,157.00

Despite advances in early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, as many as 650 Minnesota women die each year from the disease.  Estimates show thousands living with metastatic disease for years, though theirs are not “pink ribbon” stories of cure, recovery and survivorship. Metastatic breast cancer can be treated, but not cured, and women coping with the devastating diagnosis of late stage disease report tremendous unmet needs for education and support during months and years of living scan to scan with grueling treatment regimes. During 2010, the Piper Breast Center completed a study of support resources available in the Twin Cities area for women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.  During provider interviews and patient focus groups, they came to understand the silent suffering of so many who are coping with this devastating, fatal disease. Consistent with recent media, the women reported a lack of information about living with the disease, including how to talk to family and friends, and how to work and live well through years of treatments.  Komen funding will allow Piper Breast Center to address a large unmet need to provide Support Resources for Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer, including support groups, a resource manual and education programs, while also reaching out to hospitals and organizations working with this population.

West Side Community Health Services, St. Paul, MN 

Project Title: Breast Health Services for Medically Underserved Women in St. Paul

Grant Award: $88,159.00

This program will address the need for breast health education, screening, and support services among medically underserved, hard-to-reach women in St. Paul. The goals of the program are to 1) increase the number of medically underserved individuals screened for breast cancer; and 2) provide timely and culturally appropriate support services to patients requiring follow-up care. This will be achieved by continuing and strengthening West Side’s successful prevention, outreach, education, and screening activities and providing patients with high-quality, culturally/linguistically competent health care services, particularly within the Latino, Hmong and other immigrant/refugee communities served by West Side's La Clinica, East Side Family Clinic, McDonough Homes Clinic and Health Care for the Homeless sites. Funding will enable West Side to serve an estimated 1,500 with breast health education, inreach and outreach services, and an additional 600 women with screening assistance and essential support services through these clinic sites. West Side will also further develop its Peer Education Program piloted in 2011 and increase group support services for Latina women diagnosed with breast cancer.

YWCA of Duluth, Duluth, MN 

Project Title: Breast Cancer Awareness Program

Grant Award: $30,000.00

The YWCA of Duluth Breast Cancer Awareness Program provides community outreach and advocacy to bring breast health services to medically underserved women, including women of color, lesbian and bi-sexual identified women, and women who are under insured or have no insurance. The program conducts community outreach to support regular mammography, clinical breast exams, monthly self breast examination, and yearly reminders. The program works to strengthen partnerships with local medical providers and organizations that already provide services to underserved women to reduce barriers that keep women from getting breast cancer screenings. Periodic “Dismantling Barriers” events and/or meetings are held in collaboration with the Fond Du Lac Reservation (FDL) and leaders from communities of color and lesbian/bi-sexual identified organizations to address barriers in accessing regular breast health care with local providers. Advocacy and patient navigation is also provided to women in accessing breast health care, follow up services, cultural barriers and transportation issues. Other services and support are provided to women diagnosed with abnormal results or breast cancer diagnoses. The impact is that underserved women are reached with breast health services.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, National Headquarters: Annual payment for funding of breast cancer research only: $428,905.17

TOTAL AWARDED $2,382,414.62