The YWCA of Lake County recently received a $135,000 grant for its Women and Teen Health Initiative from the United Way of Lake County.
The grant will be given over a three-year period to help the YWCA promote physical and mental health and expand the awareness of healthy lifestyles for Lake County women and girls through its ENCOREplus Program.
“The ENCOREplus Program is designed to reach women in the community, to get them mammograms and to teach them about breast cancer and what they need to do on an annual basis. It targets women who are under-served in the area of breast and cervical cancer,” said Debra Trude-Suter, program director for the YWCA.
“The program helps provide medical exams and also helps to provide our ability to target middle school and high school girls to educate them with regard to breast and cervical cancer, STDs and how to stay healthy.
“Our plan is to increase the odds of reducing breast and cervical cancer mortality for the medically under-served women of Lake County,” Trude-Suter said. “We will arrange for at least 600 low-cost or free screening procedures to be available at area medical facilities. Through one-to-one case support, 600 education participants will be given the individual attention and encouragement needed to connect them with breast and cervical cancer screening services.”
In the past year, the program has educated 450 girls and teens.
