Empowering Black Pastors to Amplify Colorectal Cancer Prevention Messages in Underserved Communities

In 2021, the Genesis Health Project Network and its Pastor’s Health Council of Central New York announced a new community grant award titled, “Empowering Black Pastors to Amplify Colorectal Cancer Prevention Messages in Underserved Communities.” 

Please review information about colorectal cancers, risk factors and warning signs, prevention, and the importance of routine colerectal screenings here.

The Prevent Cancer Foundation was the grantor of this one (1) year award.  Only 2 grants were awarded within New York State.  We are honored and very excited about this opportunity to further educate our pastoral leadership as we strive to reduce health disparities among African Americans in faith-based communities.

To implement this grant, we partnered with the following community and faith-based agencies:

• Inter-denominational Ministerial Alliance of Syracuse and Vicinity Inc.
• Onondaga County Health Department

Participating pastors were invited to attend five (5) colorectal/colon cancer seminars.  These seminars were held during the fall of 2021 at the Sheraton Hotel on the Syracuse University campus.  Pastors were given a pastoral toolkit of materials to be shared with their congregations, to educate congregants about the services available through the Cancer Screening program at the Onondaga County Health Department, and to promote the use of routine colorectal/colon cancer screenings beginning at age 45.

Further information about colorectal/colon cancer and the importance of routine colorectal/colon cancer screenings, please visit the CDC website on colorectal/colon cancer.