It’s the Journey awards $600,000 in grants to 22 breast cancer programs in Georgia

4/01/2014

Thanks to the enormous efforts of more than 1,000 people who participated in the 2013 Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer, It’s The Journey was able to award grants to 22 breast cancer and breast health programs in Georgia. The grantees are diverse in scope, geography and ethnicities served, but they share a common goal of serving, treating, counseling and supporting Georgia’s breast cancer community.

“We work all year for this one night – to present grants to the most deserving breast health and breast cancer programs in the state.” said Kimberly Goff, Executive Director of It’s The Journey, Inc. “We want to ensure that these organizations can continue to provide services from basic clinical breast exams to hereditary screening and wellness programs. We are proud that our funds remain focused on local needs that make a difference in Georgia communities.”

Georgia CORE was among the 22 organizations that received grants. Collaborating with the Center for Black Women’s Wellness (CBWW), Georgia CORE will use the funding to provide breast cancer genomics education, genetic counseling and testing to underserved women in metro Atlanta.

“In addition to enhancing knowledge on breast cancer genomics, the project will improve screening and management of potential cancers by collecting surveillance data on women screened for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer using an online screening tool,” said Monique Martin, MPH, CHES, Georgia CORE’s Health Education and Communications Specialist. “We will then educate and counsel women who receive a positive screening result and provide genetic testing by a qualified genetics professional for those women recommended for it.”

The project begins this month and will continue through March 2015. For a complete listing of grant recipients and descriptions of their programs, visit the organization’s site.