On Nov. 14, the community support group Square Circles will hold its first breast cancer survivors meeting at Sistas’ Place in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.
The afternoon is for women who have survived breast cancer or are presently going through the battle.
The ladies will be encouraged to share their stories, as fellow fighters and survivors offer support, network and share resources.
Square Circles was founded by Amsterdam News Editor Nayaba Arinde, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. She went through many operations and chemotherapy and was told that the cancer has been in remission since 2008. Now, she is grateful that she is able to tell her story and inspire other women to continue the battle with cancer and survive this too-common disease. Recent reports have said that Black women are the group with the greatest increase in cancer diagnoses.
Arinde created this organization as a support group for other breast cancer survivors and women who are currently experiencing breast cancer. “Even though we are greatly impacted by this and other cancers—increasingly so—our stories are not often shown. We are not as visible as our numbers would deem, and women of color don’t talk about it in family or community circles perhaps in the way we should to let sufferers know there is support. So I have created a support group that will inspire other women that we can fight through the battle as well as help each other.”
Speaking at the event will be Bishop Michel White Haynes from the Cathedral at Greater Faith and Dr. Dawn Aldrich, co-founder of Solutions Cancer Resource Center.
The goal of this support group is to hold events and meetings at which breast cancer survivors and fighters and their families, friends and supporters will share stories, commune and be educated about women’s health. It will be a comforting and relaxed atmosphere with a lot of love and sharing.
The mission of Square Circles is to have a positive impact of the victims of breast cancer. Co-sponsors of the event include the New York Amsterdam News, State Sen. Kevin Parker, the December 12th Movement and Mosque No. 7, Harlem.
“Breast cancer is a growing epidemic in our community,” Parker told the Amsterdam News, “but women are surviving and need support.”
This meeting is free and will take place from 2 p.m to 6 p.m. Refreshments will be served.
Sistas’ Place is at 456 Nostrand Ave., corner of Jefferson Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y. For more information, call 718-398-1766 or log on to www.facebook.com/Squarecircles1 or squarecircles.org or email Nayabaalu@gmail.com.
