Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Awards Community Health Grants to Regional Nonprofits

SEATTLE — March 19, 2019 — The awards reflect the work of organizations in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties that support cancer-related community health activities through health promotion, education, health services or cancer screenings.

Funding criteria for SCCA’s community benefit grant recipients include activities supporting underserved or vulnerable populations that may face barriers to accessing health services. The grantees responded to a request for proposal and were chosen from a wide range of community health organizations by an SCCA steering committee to represent all three counties in the community benefit service area.

“We’re proud to partner with these organizations to help people access essential health services,” said Terry McDonnell, vice president of clinical operations and chief nurse executive for SCCA. “We are gratified by the work that teams at these organizations do and the beneficial results their care delivery provides to people living in this region.”

• Stilly Valley Health Connections/Public Hospital District 3 (PHD3) has served Snohomish County residents for 50 years. It provides healthcare services in Arlington, Darrington and Granite Falls. The goal of PHD3 is to be the front-runner in bringing nicotine cessation options and support to their community. Their grant will support local tobacco cessation activities and e-cigarette awareness training. “Stilly Valley Health Connections is honored to receive support from SCCA to bring nicotine cessation and e-cigarette/vaping programs to our hospital district, as our research found a lack of smoking cessation programs available to our residents,” said Ardis Schmiege, superintendent of PHD3. “We also want to address the alarming rise of nicotine use by teens, primarily due to e-cigarettes, by focusing on education. We are excited to partner with the American Lung Association of Washington to bring these programs to our community."

• Cierra Sisters is a King County breast cancer education and support organization whose mission is to break the cycle of fear and empower African-American and underserved communities with evidence-based knowledge to detect, treat and overcome breast cancer. Cierra Sisters engages low-to-no-income women and families of color living in the Rainier Valley, south King County and north Pierce County. Their grant will support breast cancer peer education, breast cancer screening and wellness festivals in Skyway and Lakewood. “We are so thankful to receive the SCCA grant to expand our outreach efforts beyond King County while adding to lifesaving efforts in Pierce County,” said Bridgette Hempstead of Cierra Sisters. “We are truly better together.”

• The Korean Women’s Association (KWA), located in Pierce County, was launched 45 years ago by volunteers helping fellow immigrant women access community services. Through home care, domestic violence shelter, affordable housing, care coordination for high-risk women, senior centers, benefits enrollment, immigration assistance, prevention programs and other services, KWA serves as a lifeline for vulnerable women who have nowhere else to turn. KWA’s grant will support breast and colorectal cancer education, cancer screening navigation and mobile mammogram events in Pierce, King and Snohomish counties.

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