Susan G. Komen for the Cure awarded Ami Peacock, vice chair of the education committee for Komen’s Northeast Ohio Affiliate, its prestigious Community Service Award. The award was presented at the breast cancer organization’s annual Affiliate Leadership Conference, Feb. 8-9 in Dallas. Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest and most progressive network of breast cancer advocates.
The Komen Community Service Award is presented annually to a company and an individual for assisting Komen for the Cure in reaching the community at large. Recipients are recognized for their support of the Komen promise through innovation, collaboration, leadership, community impact and fulfillment of community breast health needs. Criteria include increasing public awareness of breast cancer issues, carrying the messages of breast health awareness and the importance of early detection into the community and involvement in local programs that provide breast cancer education and screening, especially in underserved populations.
Peacock not only volunteers her time at Komen’s Northeast Ohio Affiliate for events such as the Komen Race for the Cure, but also she has gone the extra mile in creating an advisory council and education committee at the Affiliate in order to reach everyone in the local community, especially Latina communities where economic, cultural and language barriers can often be roadblocks to receiving the proper information, education and health care to treat breast cancer.
In addition to establishing the Affiliate’s education committee, Peacock improved resources for breast cancer awareness by consolidating eighty pages of local cancer-related resources into a simple two-page grid. This document is now a simple reference for breast cancer patients, survivors and family members to locate education, screening and treatment facilities in Northeastern Ohio.
In order to meet the breast health needs of underserved populations within the Northeast Ohio community, Peacock developed a bilingual (English/Spanish) resource guide to help uninsured women find free mammogram services throughout Cuyahoga County. She regularly attends community events and makes appearances on local media channels to promote breast health events and local services.
With funding from Komen, Peacock launched Amigas Latinas, an initiative specifically designed to train and certify Hispanic women to provide education and guidance to members of their own community. Additionally, she helped develop a service to uninsured, low-income, minority women called B.R.E.A.S.T. (Bringing Education, Advocacy, and Support Together), which takes mobile mammovans, surgeons, doctors, nurses and social workers into the community to perform clinical breast exams, mammograms and self-breast exam education in churches, homeless shelters and schools. Not only does Peacock do her best to make these services available, she also strives to make them as pleasant as possible for attendees. Breakfast and lunch are provided for participants in addition to children’s entertainment. Peacock also arranges for bilingual volunteer translators for all involved.
Peacock is passionate about the chance to build relationships with other people and organizations who share the goal of serving breast health needs. She says it “is a waste of money and resources to duplicate services simply because of the lack of awareness of other programs.”
“Ami is one of the Northeast Ohio Affiliate’s most active volunteers, and her work on behalf of Komen has had a substantial impact on the Northeast Ohio community,” said Carrie Clark, Community Outreach Manager at the Affiliate. “We are very proud of Ami’s accomplishments, and we are eager to see what else is to come from this inspirational and hard-working volunteer.”
About the Northeast Ohio Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure
The Northeast Ohio Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure—along with those who generously support us with their talent, time and resources—is working to better the lives of those facing breast cancer in our community. We join more than 100,000 breast cancer survivors and activists around the globe as part of the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network fighting breast cancer. Through events like the Komen Northeast Ohio Race for the Cure, we have invested $10 million in local breast health and breast cancer awareness projects throughout our 15 counties. Up to 75 percent of all funds generated by the Affiliate stay in the local community while the remaining income goes to Komen for the Cure’s Grants Program supporting research, awards and educational and scientific programs around the world. Join us by calling 216.292.2873 or visiting us online at www.komenneohio.org.
About Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure, we have invested nearly $1 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN