MGOSC hosts Domestic Violence, Breast Cancer awareness pink, purple luncheon

At top, guest speakers for the “Pink and Purple” luncheon included (from left) April Jones, Family Advocacy Program outreach manager; Beverly Lesyea, Family Advocacy Program officer; and Mary Vanderman, Family Advocacy Program domestic violence victim advocate. (U.S. Air Force photo/Roger Curry)

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MGOSC hosts Domestic Violence, Breast Cancer awareness pink, purple luncheon

Published Oct. 23, 2009
By Senior Airman Melissa Copeland
Air University Public Affairs

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- More than 55 members of the Maxwell-Gunter Officer's Spouses Club attended a pink and purple luncheon Oct. 15 to raise awareness of Domestic Violence and Breast Cancer.

The signature colors of each observance - purple representing National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and pink for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, both recognized in October, made for a vibrant mix with some spouses also dressed in accordance with the theme.

In addition to guest speakers from Maxwell's Family Advocacy Program and the 42nd Medical Group, informational booths and base agencies also provided educational resources to the spouses in attendance.

According to the MGOSC president, Ms. Joan Cordero, the Officer's Spouses Club donated $1,000 to the Family Promise of Montgomery in support of their programs for homeless families. The family promise organization works with local churches to connect local families to available resources.

The spouses also donated various toiletry items and used cell phones to be given to a Montgomery women's shelter for victims of domestic violence.

According to the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence, there were 30,717 domestic assaults and an average of four rapes per day reported in 2007.

With Domestic Violence awareness on the forefront this month, the Maxwell-Gunter Family Advocacy Program aims to provide educational awareness to help prevent violence and provide treatment to victims of domestic assaults.

Class offerings such as: "Fighting Fair: He Said, She Said," scheduled for Oct. 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Airman and Family Readiness Center and "Relationship Smarts for Teens and Parents," held Oct. 23 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Maxwell Youth Center are examples of ways the FAP is working to promote healthier relationships.

Also in the spotlight this month is the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in women of all ages, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although Alabama diagnosed fewer individuals with breast cancer in 2005 than two-thirds of the U.S., the state ranked in the highest percentile for breast-cancer related deaths in the same year, the CDC reports.

The CDC also found that African-American women are more likely to die from breast cancer, with Caucasian women ranked second. As of Oct. 5, 19.5 percent of the Air Force's active duty population is women.

TRICARE advises women to receive a mammography exam every one to two years. These exams have been proven to detect any irregularities up to two years prior to hand-detection of lumps. Appointments at the 42nd Medical Group clinic can be scheduled at 953-3368.

For more information on the MGOSC, visit their Web site at www.mgosc.org, or for more information on the Maxwell Family Advocacy Program call 953-5055.