Caring and sharing in action around the Family Islands

Tue, Dec 6th 2011, 09:59 AM

In keeping with its mission to "serve cancer patients, survivors and their families and persons at risk across The Bahamas", the Cancer Society of The Bahamas (CSOB) established local branch offices on a number of the larger inhabited Family Islands.  The very first such office was established in the central Eleuthera region in the picturesque settlement of Palmetto Point to provide cancer-related services to the residents of that entire island.

This branch has developed, grown and prospered and it now boasts of its own attractive, well-appointed and lien-free headquarters.  The visionary and hard-working president of this historic branch is Juanita Pinder.  By 1990, a total of three local branch offices had been successfully established.  These included: the Eleuthera branch, which was established in 1985; and the Freeport branch, established one year later in 1986.  This branch later became inactive.  It was re-activated on February 28, 2010.  The new president is Patricia Edgecombe.   Third branch was the Abaco branch.  It was established in 1990.  Lillian Cash currently serves as its president.

Between February 2010 and April 2011, a total of six local branch offices were established and presented with their charters.  The San Salvador branch was established on February 20, 2010.  Beverley Laramore serves as the founding president of this branch.  Less than a month later, on March 13, 2010, the Fresh Creek branch was established to serve the central Andros region.  Leslie Duncombe was inducted as the branch's founding president.  Carlton Cleare has subsequently succeeded him as president.

The South Andros branch was established three months later on June 12, 2010 and Bishop Theophilus Neely was inducted as its founding president.  A branch was established on Cat Island on August 20, 2010 and Cindy Moss was inducted as president.  Three months later on November 19, 2010 a branch was established on Exuma and Nevillene Rolle was inducted as its founding president.  The sixth new branch, and the only one to be established in 2011 (the North Andros Branch), received its charter on April 02, 2011, and Barbara Sweeting was inducted as the founding president.
 
Family Island branches play important roles in cancer fight  Each of the Family Island branches provide a range of sustained programs and services for their respective target communities.  A number of the activities hosted by the various branches are common throughout the CSOB's network.  For instance, each branch must hold meetings on a monthly basis.  Each branch selects the most appropriate day and time on which to hold their respective meeting.  These meetings are open to the general public.  The New Providence meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m.  There is usually a featured guest speaker.  The presentations at these monthly meetings are recorded, copied and sent to each Family Island branch to be used at their subsequent meetings/training sessions.

Another common feature is hosting an annual (in some instances bi-annual or even quarterly) walk-a-thon.  Each branch hosts at least one such early morning community-wide activity each year.  These events serve the dual purpose of focusing the respective community's attention on specific and/or general cancer issues.  The other primary objective of each walk-a-thon is to raise needed funds for the ongoing work of each branch.  Interestingly, although Long Island does not (as yet) have a local branch, it nonetheless, organizes and hosts a very successful walk-a-thon each year.  The CSOB (NP), is generally the sole beneficiary of all the proceeds raised from this annual event.

The assistance of the various Family Island branches in identifying and conducting the initial processing of women who participate in the bi-monthly Family Island Mammogram Screening Programme (FIMS) is crucial to the success of this innovative and potentially life-saving program.  The FIMS program is funded by the Ride for Hope Foundation.  Through this program, a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 15 women, travel in to New Providence every two weeks for their very first mammograms.  Eligible program participants must be uninsured women, 35 years and older, who have never had a mammogram.  Younger uninsured women, with a strong family history (mother, grandmother, sister, aunt) of breast cancer and who never had a mammogram, are also considered.

During 2011, a total of 262 Family Island women were screened through this program and 25 women  out of this group required follow-up visits - all of which were funded by the Ride for Hope Foundation.  These women were normally residents of the following Islands: Andros, Cat Island, Eleuthera, Exuma and San Salvador.  Two other Islands, also fully subsidized, as of mid-2011, do their mammograms locally.  They are Abaco and Grand Bahama, where the tests are done at Auskell Medical Centre and the New Sunrise Medical Centre, respectively.  On Abaco, 41 women have been screened thus far  at a cost of $150 each.

Most branches joined the parent branch in hosting special activities in observance of Cancer Awareness Month - which is observed in May each year.  For example, members of the North and South Andros branches attended worship service on Sunday, May 1 and the Eleuthera branch on Sunday, May 15.  At these services, a representative was afforded the opportunity to actively participate in the service, either by reading a scripture lesson, or bringing brief remarks.  The North Andros branch also hosted a one-day health forum and a flea market on Saturday, May 14, as well as facilitating guest speakers at all area schools during the month.

In addition to worshipping together, the Eleuthera branch hosted a few activities to focus the community's attention on the importance of cancer prevention and early detection, and to raise funds to support new and existing programs.  These activities included hosting a very successful dinner party on Saturday, May 14 and a public meeting on May 25.  The Eleuthera branch has also spearheaded two very successful 40-day "Health & Fitness Challenges" during 2011.

A number of seminars, targeting males, were successfully hosted during the year, due in great part to the hard work of the local branches.  For example, a seminar was hosted on Saturday, January 29 in South Eleuthera, attracting over 40 males; and one was held in Knowles, Cat Island on Friday, July 22.

These seminars were the precursors to the eventual establishment of Family Island chapters of the Us TOO Men's Cancer Support Group.  The first such chapter was successfully formed in Freeport during 2010 and the second chapter will be introduced on Friday on Cat Island.  Plans are presently well under way for additional chapters on the islands of Eleuthera and Exuma.

The Abaco and Eleuthera branches operate weekly and monthly "Thrift Shops" on Saturday mornings, respectively.  These ventures are excellent sources of needed revenue for the on-going work of these branches.  Additionally, a number have hosted gala fund-raising balls.  Fresh Creek hosted a Masquerade Ball, December, 2010; San Salvador in 2010; Freeport, October 2011; and Exuma plans to host its first ball during early 2012.
 *The Cancer Society of The Bahamas

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