Health Equity

Community Organization

Building partnerships and leveraging strategic relationships to address barriers by pooling resources, sharing best practices, reducing redundancies in services, and uniting partners around the project’s goals and objectives.

Direct Education

Komen-supported community educators provide direct outreach and aid women in scheduling a mammogram appointment. These educators also provide continuous follow-up to support women through the process and increase the rate of completed mammograms.

Screening and Navigation Services

Komen’s community organizing practices help identify available services, ensure that services meet the standard 60-day quality care benchmarks and provide supplementary grants to fill any gaps in screening. Additionally, Komen uses a grant-funded patient navigator to coordinate follow-up.

Heroes Among Us

Debra Denise Hampton

Read her story and learn why she is involved with Komen San Diego’s Circle of Promise. Click here to read →

Sheri Hendrix

Learn why Sheri is an advocate for prioritizing your health. Click here to read →

Lilian Vanvieldt-Gray

Lilian is a Stage III Patient and BRCA II carrier to empower who wants to help educate San Diegans and African Americans about the importance of early detection. Continue reading →

#KnowYourGirls

Today, black women in the U.S. are about 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women. We can change that fact. Take action—get educated and empower yourself to know your girls.

Know Your Girls is a national public service communications effort to educate and inspire black women to understand their risk for breast cancer and to take charge of their breast health by engaging with information and tools that can ultimately promote early detection – and, when combined with effective treatment, save lives.

Take Charge of Your Breast Health

No one can control whether or not they get breast cancer–but there’s a lot we can control to keep ourselves, and our breasts, as healthy as possible. Here are five ways to get on top of your breast health and live your healthiest life.

Know Your Risk of Breast Cancer

The truth is that everyone is at risk of breast cancer–but some of us are at a higher risk than others. Understanding our risk helps us take better care of our breast health. The best way to do this is to talk to our doctors about our family health history and other personal risk factors. This Know Your Risk tool can help you prepare for the conversation

Know What's Normal for Your Breasts

The signs of breast cancer are not the same for all women. Our bodies are unique, and so is what’s normal for our breasts. It’s important for each of us to be aware of how our breasts normally look and feel and take action if something seems off. By seeing a doctor if we ever notice a change in our breasts, we can take charge of our breast health.

Get Screened for Breast Cancer

Here’s one thing we know about breast cancer: The earlier you find it and get effective treatment, the more likely you are to survive. Screening tests are the only way to find breast cancer even before it causes early signs or symptoms. The best way to figure out when and how often to get screened is to talk to a doctor about your personal risk factors.

Make Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Your Breast Cancer Risk

There are so many reasons to make your health a priority. You’ll feel better. You’ll be better able to take care of all the things–and people–that need your attention. And you’ll decrease your risk of different types of cancer and other health conditions. When it comes to breast cancer specifically, there are a few things everyone can do to reduce their risk.

Be Your Own Best Advocate

Let’s be real–not all of us feel comfortable going to the doctor. But if we want to live our best lives and stay on top of our health–including our breast health–it’s necessary. Fortunately, there are ways to feel more comfortable and be your own best advocate. Try these tips with your doctor to make sure you get the care you deserve.

There are so many things in this life we can’t control. We owe it to ourselves, and the people who love us, to take charge of the things we can.

How You Can Join the Circle

Join us: make your promise to take care of yourself first and then become an ambassador to your community! We’ll provide you with all of the resources and tools you need to make changes in your own life and to share lifesaving messages with others.

Spread the word: invite your girlfriends, mothers, sisters, daughters, and co-workers to join the Circle of Promise. Tell them you want them to join you in the fight against breast cancer’s attack on the African American community before it’s too late.

Be active in your commitment: continue to fight with us by supporting public policy efforts, helping us to raise funds for research, and by making sure that the Circle of Promise is alive in your community!

If you’d like to get involved or learn more about the Circle of Promise, please email info@sdkomen.org or call (858) 573-2760.

Support for the Susan G. Komen® Circle of Promise California Initiative is made possible in part by a grant from the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation, LLC.

Circle of Promise® San Diego Sponsors:

Torrey Pines Bank