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Houston Leader Wins Prestigious Harold P. Freeman Award |
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Houstonian, Grace Butler, Founder of Hope Through Grace, Inc. works in a home offi ce that she laughingly calls the International Headquarters of her organization. Butler graciously accepted the Harold P. Freeman Award at the American Cancer Society’s Texas Division Annual Meeting in Austin this fall. The nationally recommended award is designated for individuals, groups and organizations that demonstrate exemplary achievement in bringing the American Cancer Society’s mission to underserved and at-risk communities.
Hope Through Grace (HTG) strategically offers cancer awareness workshops on prevention, screening, and treatment options. Programs have covered general cancer awareness as well as site-specific topics including colon cancer and breast cancer. The Harold P. Freeman Award was based upon HTG’s breast health series offered in 2004 and 2005.
This program consisted of a series of breast health awareness workshops sponsored by Windsor Village United Methodist Church and Total Man
Christian Center as well as The University of Houston-Downtown. According to Butler, both congregations are predominantly African American with
a substantial membership of working poor and underserved. The University of Houston-Downtown is an open enrollment institution, and many of the students are from working class communities that often are considered medically underserved. In this setting, the programs were successful in getting young adults to focus on their health.
HTG’s workshops consisted of fi ve educational forums focusing on breast cancer prevention and early detection. Some of the workshops consisted of one three-hour program, while others were more comprehensive, offering fi ve three-hour programs.
“We chose education as the vehicle for change,” says Butler, “because we believe it is vitally important that women learn how to decrease their risks for getting breast cancer, learn the importance of screening and early detection, and learn ways to gain access to treatment if cancer is found. Further, we wanted women to know they can take charge of their health and become more proactive in ensuring wellness for themselves and their families.”
Although a few of the participants had previously received printed literature and other information about cancer, they had not been exposed to such an intensive, comprehensive, and sustained focus on breast health.
In follow up studies, Butler noted that participants reportedly:
● Increased self-esteem and self-respect
● Challenged themselves and each other
● Reduced the fear of getting a mammogram
● Began to lose weight
● Realized they can make a difference
in their lives
● Became comfortable with speaking
before an audience
● Were motivated to live healthy lives.
The program has been conducted for two consecutive years, and developed into a module that may be replicated in other communities.
Texas Cancer News
Houston Edition
Winter 2006
www.cancer.org
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