Breast Health for Strong Families provides education and resources with
“A Womens Day”event at Celilo Village.
Breast Health for Strong Families (BHSF) put on “A Womens Day”
in July to provide breast health education and community resources to
the Native American population in the counties BHSF serves.
The volunteer team, who was comprised of community partners and health
workers, started the day at around 8 a.m. by gathering women door-to-door
to bring to the Celilo Village long house. Participants were provided
with free shirts, sunscreen, and water to stay cool throughout the village
walk-and-talk, allowing for one-on-one time with participants.
As the group grew throughout the morning, the event continued with a breast
education lesson consisting of a basic introduction of the BHSF program
and other free community resources. The lesson included mammogram information,
breast anatomy, and a guide and demonstration on how to perform a breast
self-exam. Participants were also provided with guides describing factors
which reduce the risk of breast cancer and other educational materials.
The event ended with a raffle basket drawing.
Blanca Flores from BHSF said, “It was such a wonderful opportunity
to work with this community and to hear and understand barriers which
prevent them from getting their mammograms. These women were incredibly
grateful to us for coming out to them and providing them with so much
great information, empowering them to get their mammograms and to feel
more comfortable asking their providers questions.”
As a result of this event, BHSF was able to provide education to nearly
20 women, with several enrolling in voucher programs or taking action
directly after the event.
Flores commented on the success of the event saying, “We didn’t
realize the impact we would make in their community by coming to them
and spending a little more time getting to know more about them. Our program
also learned a lot and plans on creating many more events with them in
the future.”