2004 Community Investment Grant Recipients

Each year, Speaking of Women’s Health® (SWH) raises funds to invest directly into the community. These community investment awards are granted to non-profit organizations whose programs and services educate women to make more informed decisions about their health, well-being and personal safety.

Six Twin Cities organizations whose work supports the goals of Speaking of Women’s Health received grants in 2004. They are: Ascension Place, the Boys & Girls Club of the Twin Cities, Chrysalis, Kinship of Greater Minneapolis, the Minnesota Colon and Rectal Foundation(MCRF), and the Women’s Cancer Resource Center (WCRC).

Ascension Place in North Minneapolis provides transitional housing for women. Its mission is to support women in crisis or transition by providing a stable environment and the opportunity to explore options for the future with the help of on-site therapy, support groups and case management geared toward emotional, physical and intellectual growth. Some 32 women challenged by mental illness, chemical dependency, homelessness and abuse live in the residence. The Speaking of Women’s Health community funds will support a women’s health group focused on health education and facilitated by a registered nurse. Twice monthly, women in the program will meet for health education and/or speakers on topics including cancer prevention, heart disease, nutrition, fitness, smoking cessation, sexually transmitted diseases and other relevant health topics. Participants can also explore individual questions and access counseling on topics of importance to them. This work changes lives: A 33-year-old woman came to Ascension Place after receiving treatment for chronic drug addiction and being diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. She worked with the staff to plan and work toward a different future. Today, she has completed an education in the medical field, has a job, lives in her own apartment and has reunited with her children. For more information, visit ascensionplaceinc.org.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities provides a safe place to learn and grow for more than 13,000 young people, ages 6-18, at seven locations throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul. The Clubs offer youth in the community access to life-enhancing programs under the guidance of caring, adult professionals who specialize in youth development. The Speaking of Women’s Health community funds will be used to offer a “Gang Prevention Through Targeted Outreach” program at the West Side Boys & Girls Club in St. Paul. This program is a unique approach to gang prevention that employs proven and effective techniques to direct youth toward positive choices and alternatives. Through a referral network that links local Clubs with courts, police, juvenile justice agencies, schools, social service agencies and community organizations, young people who are considered “at risk” for joining gangs are recruited and mainstreamed into Club programs as a diversion from gang activity. Because girls at risk for joining a gang have unique needs, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities offers gender-specific programming to address health and social issues of special importance to young women. For more information, visit www.boysandgirls.org.

Chrysalis is a woman-centered, multi-service agency in Minneapolis that serves the Twin Cities and surrounding areas.. Its mission is to empower women and their families to initiate personal and/or social change. Since 1974, Chrysalis has provided effective health and human service programs to women, children and families who need support and resources to build strong, healthy lives. Programs and services include resources and referrals, chemical health services, a mental health clinic, legal assistance for women, divorce education, community and professional education, support groups and the Kids’ Cocoon Child Care Center. Chrysalis takes in over 8,000 calls each year for information, referrals and assistance and serves over 16,000 women, children and families on an annual basis. The Speaking of Women’s Health community funds will be used to deliver a “Co-Occurring Disorders Program,” designed to treat women suffering from both chemical dependency and mental illness. This unique program will provide integrated treatment that addresses both issues simultaneously to give clients the best chance for long-term sobriety and stability. The program aims to: increase and promote sobriety, reduce symptoms associated with mental illness, increase awareness and access to community resources and support, and decrease visits to the crisis unit and/or hospital. For more information, visit www.chrysaliswomen.org.

Kinship of Greater Minneapolis is a non-profit mentoring program that matches at-risk children in need of support, ages 5-15, with caring adult individuals, couples and families. Children are voluntarily enrolled by a parent or guardian and may live in Minneapolis or the surrounding suburbs. The majority come from single-parent, female-headed homes and are racially and economically diverse. Kinship promotes long-term friendships with mentors who volunteer to spend time with a child once a week for at least one year. Volunteers range from young adults to seniors. Kinship will use the Speaking of Women’s Health community funds to match five girls, between the ages of 13 and 15, with a mentor to guide them through adolescence. The program’s goal is to help them learn how to gain a stronger sense of responsibility, increased respect toward others, improved social skills and increased optimism.

This year, Kinship launched a new initiative called “Hope Builders,” to address unique challenges faced by the children of prisoners, immigrants and refugees. In Minnesota, 7,500 children of prisoners need stability, encouragement and support from caring adults. Without intervention, 70% of them are at risk to enter the correctional system. Minnesota has received almost 68,000 immigrants and refugees since 1980. Another 6,000 relocated to the state in 2004, including more than 3,000 children. These new residents often feel overwhelmed and isolated by culture and language differences. Kinship connects them to volunteers who can help them better understand the American culture and school system, give them encouragement and support, and find opportunities they would not otherwise know existed. For more information, visit www.kinship.org.

The Minneapolis Colon and Rectal Foundation (MCRF) is dedicated to improving colorectal health through education, outreach, research and specialized physician training. Since 1991, MCRF has worked with physicians, health care workers, health care providers, patients and the community as a vital and dedicated link and advocate for those working in the field of colorectal cancer and other colorectal disorders. Community outreach projects included bringing a traveling 40-foot exhibit called the “Colossal Colon” to the Twin Cities. Visitors could crawl through it to learn about various disease states. MCRF also developed a traveling puppet show that teaches people of all ages about colorectal disease. The foundation focuses on making this “unmentionable” part of the body something people can talk about, with the goal of improving colorectal health through awareness and education. MCRF recently helped establish the Twin Cities’ first colorectal cancer support group at North Memorial Hospital. The Speaking of Women’s Health community funds will be used for a “Pelvic Health and Incontinence Support” program to assist women with fecal and urinary incontinence by providing information and support for those seeking medical treatment. The year-long program will provide monthly education for women on treatment options, present information on the condition, offer referrals and establish a support network for women who have incontinence. For more information, visit www.mcrfmn.org.

The Women’s Cancer Resource Center (WCRC) offers women with all types of cancer the information, support and community resources they need to take charge of their health as they begin their cancer journey. WCRC’s mission is “to support women in taking charge of their cancer experience.” The center provides a wide range of services to help women advocate for themselves and make informed decisions about their health care, treatment options and lifestyle choices. It empowers women find the courage to push for answers and not to see themselves as “victims” of their disease. Services are free of charge for all women with cancer and their caregivers. Because it is not affiliated with any hospital or clinic, WCRC has the freedom to provide information on conventional, complementary, and alternative treatment options; question why women of color have poorer cancer survival rates and why cancer rates continue to rise; and to explore the link between environmental toxins and certain cancers.

The Speaking of Women’s Health community funds will be used for the “Woman to Woman” program. This program serves African American women, who have poorer survival rates than do white women with the same cancer diagnosis. Its goal is to reduce the barriers that prevent African American women from seeking and completing treatment for breast or cervical cancer. The program will offer cancer education and resources to 4,000 individuals through deepened outreach in traditionally underserved communities, provide intensive one-to-one support and health navigation services for up to 15 women diagnosed with cancer, and maintain a small emergency fund to assist women who experience a short-term financial crisis as they go through cancer treatment. By providing support, information, access to and assistance in navigating the health system, this program seeks to improve survival rates and the quality of life for the women it serves. For more information, visit www.givingvoice.org.