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local area spotlight Spotlight on the Lakeshore Area Service Center: Reaching out to migrant workers The American Cancer Society, Great Lakes Division, has 21 area service centers to reach out to all communities throughout Michigan and Indiana. Each month, we will spotlight one to introduce you to the work that the Society is doing in different communities. This month's spotlight is on the Lakeshore Area Service Center, which works in Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, and Ottawa counties. This includes Holland, Michigan, where many Hispanic migrant workers come for the summer to work on the area's farms. It is important that the Society strives to help low income groups who have inadequate health care, like the migrant workers, because they have a higher risk of dying from cancer. They often don't get the screenings they need to catch their cancer early and survive.  Kim Wernstrom, quality of life director at the Lakeshore Area Service Center, knew that the migrant women had no access to health care. "Every free moment that they have is spent working and it's very hard," Kim explains.
She worked with staff from the Lakeshore Alliance Against Domestic and Sexual Violence's DELTA project in 2004 to think of ways to reach these women. They organized The Women's Health Fair to treat the women to manicures, pedicures, facials, and child care services, as well as important health care information. The Society provided transportation to the fair and asked the women individually if they would like to come. At the fair, the women talked with representatives from hospitals and community organizations. Among the organizations was the Society, armed with bilingual handouts and Spanish-speaking volunteers. The key objective of our presence was to ask women to sign up for a free mammogram through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program, or BCCCP. Of the 120 women who attended the 2004 health fair, 38 took advantage of this resource and enrolled. Out of these 38 women, 2 were diagnosed. The Society followed up by scheduling meetings for them to speak with encouraging bilingual cancer survivors, found resources to help pay for surgery, gave a temporary prosthesis after the surgery, and worked with them to overcome challenges of not having U.S. citizenship. The Society continues to gain the migrant workers' trust by returning each year. In 2005, another health fair took place and the 2006 event is being planned for July, Migrant Workers Appreciation Month. This year, Kim is teaming up with the West Michigan Migrant Council to educate the entire migrant family about cancer risks. The Great Lakes Division is excited that the Lakeshore Area Service Center is meeting the needs of the local community. Watch for an office near you to be highlighted in an upcoming VOICES issue! Other articles in VOICES this month community focus: volunteers help drive patients |
community focus: local networking supports Relay For Life |
survivorship and patient services: survivor recommends Society resources |
education: deaths from cancer decline in U.S. |
research: celebrating 60 years of progress |
advocacy: statewide efforts have impact |
advocacy: investigating Medicare Part D |
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