The Kraft family has shown their dedication to the New England community time and time again over the years, and that commitment was only strengthened on July 12.
In partnership with the American Cancer Society and the NFL, Josh Kraft presented a $100,000 check to Codman Square Health Center in Boston to use to provide access to breast cancer screenings and specialty care, particularly underrepresented populations . The money was raised through the sale of pink NFL merchandise over the course of a two-year period through its Crucial Catch initiative..
The grant is part of the American Cancer Society's Community Health Advocates implementing Nationwide Grants for Empowerment and Equity program, "which provides funding opportunities as part of the Society's commitment to reduce disparities in cancer mortality," according to a press release.
This grant will help remove the barrier to access many women face when seeking treatment, according to CEO of Codman Sq Health Center Sandra Cotterell. In the past, the center has been able to screen 76 percent of the patients seeking treatment, and it hopes to bring that number up to 100 percent.
"I think at a local level grants like this help us get staff to provide the extra resources we need around women who are high risk and who meed the extra support to get the care that they need. Without these funds we would not have the staff and the resources to do it. So it really provides a way that we can really have the team to go out in the community to do outreach, to do the education, to get women in for care," she said. "This is phenomenal for us and we're excited to have the extra support because it really does take a village and a lot of resources around women who just don't really think about the importance of these things and that you really have to think about all kinds of strategies and ways to connect them to services."
Josh said he hopes this grant will open up doors for those who need treatment, education and support that may have been previously unattainable.
"That's the name of the game. It's how we build community, how we keep society strong is by providing access to so many people who don't have it to crucial things, be it health screenings.... education around cancer, screening around cancer," he said. "Providing that access will make a difference every day in the lives of hundreds of people."
