The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, Inc. has been on the front line raising awareness of breast cancer issues in the First State for the past 25 years. On Tuesday, November 22, the agency received a gift to help further its mission in the form of a $10,000 grant from Perdue, through the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation.

The grant was presented during a midday ceremony at Perdue’s processing plant in Milford amid the backdrop of the Women’s Mobile Health Screening (WMHS) Van and Perdue’s onsite Wellness Center, where associates have access to quality, affordable health care. The unit was there to provide screening mammograms to Perdue associates.

The $10,000 Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation grant will go towards funding the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition’s ¡VIDA!™ Bilingual Health and Wellness Program.  ¡VIDA!™ is a multicultural event focused on breast cancer screening, treatment, and survivorship. It began in 2011 as a bilingual (Spanish/English) educational event that has grown to include all backgrounds and ethnicities, and offers programs to women, men, and children at various sites throughout the year. 

Perdue has partnered with the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition throughout the years to provide health and wellness programs to benefit Perdue associates, their families and the community. The Women’s Mobile Health Screening Van regularly comes to Perdue sites in Milford and Georgetown to provide free and low-cost mammograms, along with bilingual support to employees. The van is a collaborative effort between the State of Delaware and Women’s Mobile Health Screening (WMHS), a subsidiary of DBCC. The van is owned by Delaware Public Health and the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition holds the operating contract. 

“Perdue and the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition have had a long-standing and wonderful relationship,” said Dean Walston, director of Perdue Milford operations. “The programs that they facilitate save lives and we are honored to partner with them again to make sure all of our neighbors have access to these tools and screenings.”

The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, was established in 1957 by company founder Arthur W. Perdue and is funded through the estates of Arthur W. Perdue and Frank Perdue. As part of our belief in supporting the communities where and with whom we do business, the Foundation provides grants on behalf of Perdue Farms in communities where large numbers of our associates live and work. At Perdue Farms, we believe in responsible food and agriculture.® 

We’re a third-generation, family owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers and farmers through trusted choices in products and services.?We focus on continuously improving everything we do, constantly learning, and sharing those insights across different production methods. That innovative approach is driving change throughout the company and onto farms. This continuous advancement is leading us toward our vision of becoming the most trusted name in food and agricultural products. 

The PERDUE® brand is the number-one brand of fresh chicken in the U.S., and Perdue AgriBusiness is an international agricultural products and services company. As we approach our 100th anniversary in 2020, our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger. We never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever chicken, turkey and pork, and in USDA-certified organic chicken. We’ve increased our support for the family farm by creating new markets, including specialty crops. Through agricultural services, we give farmers more options for the acre, including conversion to organic production and products and services that increase the sustainability of conventional agriculture. Learn more at www.perduefarms.com. 

The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition is a 501(c)(3) organization offering statewide programs and services of education, outreach, and early detection and treatment of breast cancer. Its mission is to create a community where every person diagnosed with breast cancer is a survivor, and fear and doubt are replaced with knowledge and hope.

Headquartered in Wilmington with offices in Sussex and Kent Counties, DBCC’s programs reach diverse communities to deliver messages that address their unique concerns about breast cancer and early detection. Recognizing the barriers of language, culture, and economics, DBCC trains community advocates to educate and encourage women to take responsibility for breast health. DBCC helps women with low incomes and those with little or no insurance to receive free or reduced-cost care.  

DBCC also supports the National Breast Cancer Coalition and their research efforts by helping to facilitate participation in local clinical trials. All funds raised for DBCC support programs in Delaware and the neighboring areas in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey.

For more information about the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, call 866-312-DBCC (3222) or visit the website at www.debreastcancer.org.