Tag Archives: Audre Lorde Brunch

The 13th Annual Audre Lorde Brunch

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(Women’s Health Outreach Coordinator Kendra Moore shares her reflections on the 2011 Audre Lorde Cancer Awareness Brunch)

When I started at Fenway Health in July, I was told that one of my first projects would be to plan the Audre Lorde Cancer Awareness Brunch. At the time, the thought of planning such an important annual event really made me nervous. Over the last several months, the event was reborn, as it has been every year for the last 13 years. One of the most exciting aspects of the Brunch is that each year it is a new version of an essential tradition that was conceived of by a group of incredibly important collaborators and advisors.

Some of the volunteers who made the 2011 Audre Lorde Brunch possible

Some of the volunteers who made the 2011 Audre Lorde Cancer Awareness Brunch possible

On October 15, 2011, about 90 people attended the 13th Annual Audre Lorde Cancer Awareness Brunch at Fenway Health. The brunch traditionally has three purposes.

First, the Brunch is meant to be a place where women affected by cancer can connect with each other to spend time with old and new friends. In this spirit, Guests enjoyed a film about the history of the event, an exceptional view of Boston, and a healthy soul food brunch catered by Haley House.

Second, a portion of the Audre Lorde Brunch each year is dedicated to educating women about cancer-related issues. This year, we put together a panel called Self-Care as a Means of Empowerment, featuring four experts: Jackie Harris, cancer survivor, artisan and Facing Cancer Together participant; Sasheen Hazel, psychologist at Facing Cancer Together; Marlene DaCosta, exercise physiologist at the Tanger Be Well Center; and Meghan Ostrander, registered dietician at Community Servings. In addition, each guest received a goody bag of information and giveaways from cancer-related organizations.

Remembering those lost to cancer

Remembering those lost to cancer

The final, and arguably most important, purpose of the Brunch is to provide a space for healing body, mind, and soul. The Brunch program featured an homage to loved ones attendees had lost to cancer; an accomplished gospel performer, Athene Wilson; and an up-and-coming spoken word poet, Ashley Rose Salomon. Additionally, Lula Christopher and Nashira Baril were recognized as exceptional leaders in the field with the Spirit of Fire and Trailblazer Awards, respectively.

Thanks to a remarkable group of advisors, volunteers, and participants, the brunch was a great success. The photos from that day show the joy and celebration that are so essential to the event, along with the tears, memories, and healing that are just as important. 

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From Our President:
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

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Attendees of the 2010 Audre Lorde Cancer Awareness Brunch, which promotes knowledge and community for women who've been affected by cancer

October marks the 25th observance of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The theme, ‘Celebrating 25 years of Awareness, Education and Empowerment,’ is important for all of us to keep in mind when thinking about our health and has special resonance for the women in our lives this month.

Awareness
Awareness of your risk for developing breast cancer can help in making decisions about how best to address this potential health issue. Every three minutes a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women and the chance of developing invasive breast cancer at some time in a woman’s life is about 1 in 8. African-American women are more likely to die from breast cancer than their white counterparts.

Lesbians are at a higher risk of breast, cervical and ovarian cancers because they are less likely to have children by age 30, if at all. Research has also shown that lesbians are also less likely to visit a doctor for routine services such as birth control and pre-natal care visits that can lead to a life-saving early diagnosis of breast cancer.

Breast cancer in men is not as common, but it does happen, affecting about 2,000 American men each year. Family history, and age contribute to a man’s likelihood of developing the disease, and heavy drinking and exposure to radiation are believed to be risk factors, as is obesity.

Education
Educating yourself about screening recommendations based on your risk factors is an important way that you can take control of your health. The purpose of screening is to find breast cancer early, when the growth of abnormal cells is small and the cancer easier to treat.

A number of healthcare agencies have issued breast cancer screening guidelines for women, but their recommendations are not always consistent. This is because none of our currently available tests are perfect. Breast self-exam, clinical breast exam, mammograms and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are all tools that can help detect breast cancer.  You can read more about all of them and cancer screening on Fenway’s informational Breast Cancer Screening web page.

There is not yet enough research to accurately determine the risk of breast cancer in transgender people. Until more is known, we suggest screening based on physical structure and what is known about the risks of taking estrogen (people with breasts and people taking estrogen for at least 5 years should follow the screening recommendations for women). You can read more about transgender people and breast cancer on Fenway’s web site.

Early detection improves the chances that male breast cancer can be treated successfully. There are many similarities between breast cancer in men and women, but some important differences affect early detection. You can read more about this on the American Cancer Society’s web site. 

Empowerment
Personal empowerment often comes through making connections with others going through similar experiences to our own. On October 15, Fenway’s annual Audre Lorde Cancer Awareness Brunch will bring together an amazing group of people affected by cancer to connect, support, empower and raise awareness around cancer risks facing women, especially women who are lesbian, bisexual and transgender. This unique and inspirational gathering provides an opportunity for women to share, network, laugh, cry and rediscover their resilience and strength. To RSVP or volunteer, please email Kendra Moore at kmoore@fenwayhealth.org.

For those who have lost loved ones to cancer, this event and others like it can provide an opportunity to reflect and remember. For those of you battling cancer or who have done so in the past, gathering with others who have had similar experiences can be a source of strength and healing.

In 2010, there were more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States. National Breast Cancer Awarenes Month is an important reminder that talking with your health care provider about your risk and screening tools for early detection can dramatically improve your chances of surviving any potential cancers you may face in your lifetime. 

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