 |
|
|
|
|
Speak Out
The Cancer Society is working for prevention
In response to Judy Jones' Aug. 22 letter, I have to say she is right: "prevention is cheap" compared to the cost of diagnosing, treating and surviving cancer. And she is wrong: The American Cancer Society is aggressively addressing prevention.
Cancer is a tragic reality of life today--I too am a cancer survivor. And, as Jones knows all too personally, it is a disease that reaches well beyond mere preventive measures. This makes it equally important to cure the person and the disease by offering treatment, support and services for survivors during their struggle for a cure.
State-of-the-art treatments come about as a result of research, studies, and trail and error. And we all know this is not cheap. Which of us would ask that this research stop? Which of us, as our lives and the lives of our family members and friends become affected by this disease, would forgo the advancements and treatments available? It is costly, and so fundraising is essential. I believe that the American Cancer Society admirably achieves the difficult task of balancing prevention, service and cure through its programs of education, outreach and funding of research.
In her letter, Jones states that nonprofit organizations--and she lists the American Cancer Society by name--need to "start working on the cause instead of the cure of cancer" and that "prevention" is the answer. When I read these comments from Jones, I knew that she must be unaware of the stated purpose and dedication of the American Cancer Society. The society mission statement says, "The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service." That mission is now being advanced by their commitment to their three goals by 2015: a 50 percent reduction in cancer mortality, a 25 percent reduction in cancer incidence and a measurable improvement in the quality of life--physical, psychological, social and spiritual--from the time of diagnosis and for the balance of life for all cancer survivors.
Early detection and advances in screening for cancer as well as improvement and advances in treatment will produce the 50 percent reduction in mortality. In this past fiscal year, the society reached 73,735 adults through its early detection and prevention programs. The 25 percent reduction in cancer incidence can only be achieved through prevention. The American Cancer Society is out front, campaigning against tobacco use in adults and youth; encouraging use of sunscreen and other protective coverings; promoting the health benefits of increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, grains and fiber in our diets; encouraging and suggesting exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle; and educating about the genetic, environmental and other risk factors of cancer. The local chapter is accomplishing this goal through its educational activities--in this past year alone it reached 90,773 youth through its prevention programs primarily focused on discouraging tobacco use while encouraging good nutrition and increased physical activity.
Improving quality of life is addressed by the informational services, support groups and outreach programs such as Reach to Recovery, Look Good Feel Better, Tell-A-Friend, Patient Navigator, I Can Cope and transportation to and from treatments. These programs served 6,372 cancer patients and their families in the past fiscal year.
Relay For Life is one way the American Cancer Society offers a community the opportunity to simultaneously support their cancer survivors, learn about cancer prevention and services, and participate in a fundraiser in a fun, festive atmosphere. Willow Glen held its first Relay For Life last May, and with the support of 500 community youth, adults and organizations, we raised $92,000 for the American Cancer Society. Willow Glen will again host another Relay For Life next May, and I invite Jones, other cancer survivors and the entire Willow Glen community to come and join us in this fight against cancer.
Georgia Ladd
Lupton Avenue
SJ garbage collection needs to be better
Drive along the streets in Willow Glen after the Green Team has made its weekly yard-waste pickup, and what do you see in front of each home?--litter, lots of litter. Drive along later and what do you see? Willow Glen homeowners out with their brooms sweeping up the mess. My wife usually does the chore, but I have done it a few times, and I don't appreciate it.
Is it really necessary for homeowners to sweep the street free of litter left by the Green Team? I think not. The citizens offended by the litter should write letters to San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales. If he receives a sufficient number of letters, maybe he would direct the city bureaucrats to make an operational analysis of the yard-waste operation so it reduces or eliminates the litter problem.
If the city bureaucrats drive along the streets before the yard-waste pickup, they will see small piles of yard waste, usually grass clippings, in front of nine out of 10 homes. These piles will fit easily in one or two trash cans. One home out of 10 will have a large pile of trimmings from bushes or trees, which do not fit into a trashcan.
The current yard-waste pick-up is geared to picking up the 10th pile. The machines used to pick up the large piles cannot handle the fine material that is the principal component of the small piles. It leaves them behind as litter in the streets. To add to homeowners' problems, the machine operator combines several small piles in loading up his scoop and, in the process, drops litter from one home in front of another.
One solution to the litter problem is to run the mechanical street sweeper immediately behind the Green Team every pickup day. This would cost money and would be furnished by raising the fee paid by all homeowners.
A better solution would be to return to the system used previously in which yard waste created by nine out of 10 homeowners is put into trashcans, which can be picked up similarly to garbage. This would eliminate the litter problem. The one in 10 homeowner who generates more yard waste than could be handled in trashcans would have to call for a special pickup and be charged for it.
This letter is a plea to citizens to tell their elected representatives that it should not be up to individual citizens to sweep up after the Green Team.
F.A. Brandt
Janis Way
|
|
|
|
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
