The root cause of the increase is unknown, however Dr. Paulo Pinheiro, one of the study’s leading researchers, claims that an important contributing factor is the adoption of unhealthy diet habits, such as frequent fast-food and red meat consumption.

Hispanic heritage can be an advantage, Dr. Pinheiro says, “if they are able to maintain the protective lifestyle that protects them from cancer.”

The study took data from the Florida cancer registry, U.S. Census, and the World Health Organization. Many of those studied were first-generation immigrants who identified themselves as belonging to one of several Latino subgroups.

Interestingly, the study noted that cancer risks differ greatly among U.S. Hispanic subgroups.  Puerto Ricans had the highest overall rates of cancer, while Mexicans had the lowest rates. The most common types of cancer among all Hispanic subgroups are cervical, stomach and liver cancers.

While the study found significant variations in each Hispanic subgroup’s cancer risk, the risk of contracting cancer was on average 40% lower for Hispanics living in their countries of origin. The study also highlighted that cancer outcomes for Hispanics in the US tend to be worse due to late stage diagnosis and limited access to healthcare services.

What Can Hispanics Do to Lower their Cancer Risk?

One simple way is to prepare more meals at home, Pinheiro says. Other important things to consider are adopting healthy lifestyle habits, such as regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, quitting smoking and reducing alcohol consumption.   Regular check-ups that include cancer screening are also crucial to detecting and preventing the disease.  The study also recommends that patients provide detailed information about their heritage, lifestyle habits and family medical history in order to ensure the most appropriate healthcare treatment and services.

For the original article, click here.

If so, please take 5 minutes to add your organization to our searchable online service provider directory.

Who you help:

Breast cancer and colorectal cancer are two of the three leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States. These cancers pose a particular risk for Hispanics. The Hispanic Access Foundation seeks to improve the lives of Hispanics by linking cancer service providers like you to people looking for screening, treatment, and support.

What you can do:

As a service provider, you have the power to help Hispanics in your community find cancer resources. By placing your listing in our online directory today, you can make your services available to a large network of people in your community.

Adding your business information is easy:

• Go to https://recursos.hispanicaccess.org
• Click on the “Add a Listing” tab
• Choose the “Service Providers” category
• Fill out information fields
• Submit

It’s as simple as that to add your services to our online directory, at which point your business will be accessible to thousands of people in the Hispanic community.

Why it’s important:

Access to information saves lives. The 5-year survival rate when detected early is 90% for colorectal cancer and 96% for breast cancer. Make the difference for someone in your community-become a resource by placing a listing in our comprehensive directory. It’s simple, fast, free, and reaches out to Hispanics across the nation looking for your services.

Thank you!

Why Take the Income Tax Course from H&R Block?

Choose a class time that’s convenient for you: days or nights, weekdays or weekends
Learn from the industry’s leaders
Receive hands-on training with everyday life case studies
You may be given the opportunity to interview for a successful, exciting career with H&R Block.
The H&R Block Income Tax Course is recognized for 4 hours of credit with The University of Phoenix®²

Total Time: 84 hours*
What You’ll Learn

Tax theory
Easy step-by-step skills for preparing tax returns
Learn the latest tax laws and filing practices
How to talk tax clients through the filing process
Techniques to advise clients on their tax objectives
How to review the accuracy of past tax returns with H&R Block’s Second Look® review
Course Topics:
Filing requirements / filing status
Exemptions
Income and wages
Interest and dividends
Tax credits (EIC and Child Tax Credit)
Tax deductions (itemized and standard)
Capital gains
Self-employment income and deductions
Depreciation
Amending returns
Penalties
Retirement planning and income
Rental income
Tax payments and tax planning

Find out more.

By unanimous vote last month, the Casey Foundation Board of Trustees approved expanding these investments to a total of $125 million, or 5 percent of the philanthropy’s $2.5 billion endowment. This increased allocation from the Foundation’s endowment would not be included in the annual grant payout rate of almost 8 percent – a level that is three percentage points higher than the federally mandated rate of 5 percent.

“Social investing is an important tool for aligning non-grantmaking dollars with programmatic priorities”

- Christa Velasquez

The Foundation plans to target a portion of the additional funding to its program strategies in Baltimore, Atlanta and New Haven, Conn.

“Social investing is an important tool for aligning non-grantmaking dollars with programmatic priorities,” says Christa Velasquez, director of social investments at the Casey Foundation and co-chair of the PRI Makers Network, an association of over 90 grantmakers that use program-related and other investments to accomplish their philanthropic goals. “For example, applying this approach might result in a foundation with a commitment to home ownership investing in low-income housing or to entrepreneurship in venture capital, or commitment to underserved communities making deposits in community development banks and credit unions. A foundation with an environmentally focused mission might invest in clean technology, green collar jobs or sustainable real estate projects.”

An increasing number of foundations are seeking opportunities to align investments with the mission of the organization. In 2007, the Annie E. Casey Foundation partnered with the F.B. Heron Foundation and the Meyer Memorial Trust to launch the More for Mission Campaign – a call to foundations to increase mission investments by at least 2 percent of total foundation assets – some $10 billion over the next five years. To date, 64 foundation CEOs who represent close to $32 billion in assets have signed on to develop a robust and dynamic mission-investing field with foundation endowments as leaders.

For more information on social investing, including successful strategies, best practice in mission investing and tools for investors with links to research on the field and measurement systems for mission impact, visit www.moreformission.org or www.primakers.net.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private charitable organization, whose primary mission is to foster public policies, human-service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today’s vulnerable children and families.

To read the complete article and for more information click here

Source: www.aecf.org

6 Things you Should Know

Scams aren’t always easy to spot – but it helps if you know the warning signs to look for. Here are six red flags to indicate that you may be dealing with a loan modification scammer:

In the case of colorectal cancer, the situation becomes especially critical. Screening tests are aimed at senior populations, where there is a particular resistance among male Hispanics.

“Many times [the lack of prevention] is due to cultural factors, especially in men,” said Rodolfo Cardenas, journalist and spokesperson of the campaign Cancer affects all us, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “They often say ‘I do not need such things’.”

Such ‘things’ refer in particular to the three different types of screening tests for colorectal cancer, from which the most popular is perhaps the colonoscopy, which consists in the exploration of the intestines.

However, Cardenas believes that his credibility as a journalist in Denver community and personal experience may have a positive impact on Hispanic men. Born in Tachira, in Western Venezuela, Cardenas has lived the same experiences of many immigrants who come with temporary plans, but eventually decide to stay.

“I would love to change their minds and teach them that prevention is very important,” Cardenas said. “I am also a man, I am a Latino, I live in the U.S. and I am at that age in which we all must undergo testing and take care of ourselves. If I do this, why others cannot do it as well?

Although he has been very lucky since no one in his family has suffered from the disease, Cardenas has closely seen the effects of cancer on very of his closest friends.

“All these situations really touched me, ‘if I can do something, I will do it,’ and here is the opportunity, fortunately,” he said.

He is not trying to overcome the taboos in Latino community regarding cancer and colonoscopy, a test he underwent, Cardenas’s message goes beyond and covers future generations.

“We must do it for ourselves and our family’s well-being. I want to take care of myself because of my children. My father did it for me – although I was already a grown-up and independent man when my father died-; I still miss him every day.

This is a gift he wants to pass on to future generations.

“Although my two sons are grown up now, I feel they need me more every day,” Cardenas said. “I take care of myself for my family, so take care for yours,” he concluded.

Source: ConCienciaNews

That’s why, this month, Barrera is lending space at the Denver supermarket for three volunteers to set up a table with computers and internet access. The goal? To inform and educate Avanza’s consumers in Denver about colorectal cancer risks and how to prevent them.

This initiative is part of El Cancer nos Afecta a Todos, a campaign funded by the CDC and implemented by Hispanic Access Foundation and partners, which has the goal to prevent colorectal cancer, the third most commonly diagnosed type of cancer among Hispanics.

From teaching them how to use the internet to accessing cancer-related information and where to go to obtain health resources and get a colonoscopy, health Promotoras are working directly with adults 50 and older throughout Denver Latino communities.

“People have been excited about this because the information is first-hand,” Barrera said. “The response has been great because people are always worried about their health.”

This is a concern that, according to Barrera, businesses should neither ignore, nor underestimate. As a Mexican immigrant committed to social causes, Barrera understands that making business should also go hand-to-hand with social responsibility.

“It’s not just about setting up a store and that’s it,” he said. “It’s also about interacting with the consumers and being part of their community.”

Barrera has been part of such initiatives even before his arrival in the United States seven years ago. In his native Mexico, he helped create projects that contributed to higher accessibility of cancer medications, the construction of a hospital and general assistance for kids with leukemia.

Once in the United States, Latino immigrants develop risk factors that make them more vulnerable to certain diseases, such as cancer. According to the CDC, 41 percent of Mexican American adults between 50 and 83 years old admitted in a 2003 study to never having any sort of colorectal cancer detection test; just a few of them admitted having some sort of accurate knowledge of the disease; and 41 percent said they had had discussed detection with their doctors at some point.

Although general barriers that lead to the abovementioned situation include lack of information, lack of health insurance and language barriers, Latinos are also underrepresented among the medical communities through clinical trials; regardless of being the fastest-growing segment of the US population.

The medical community suggests over and over that a change in eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle may play a detrimental role in Hispanics’ propensity to cancer.  For this reason, besides adopting a healthy diet and exercising regularly, the CDC urges adults 50 and older –or those with a family medical history of colorectal cancer—to get tested for colorectal cancer.

Doing so can save many lives.

For information and resources regarding the El Cancer nos Afecta a Todos campaign, please contact us.

1.- Principle of Non-Discrimination: States shall not discriminate against trafficked persons in substantive or procedural law, policy or practice.

2.- Safety and Fair Treatment: States shall recognize that trafficked persons are victims of serious human rights abuses, protect their rights notwithstanding any irregular immigration status, and protect them from reprisal and harm.

3.- Access to Justice: The police, prosecutors and court shall ensure that their efforts to punish traffickers are implemented within a system that respects and safeguards the rights of the victims to privacy, dignity and safety. An adequate prosecution of traffickers includes prosecution, where applicable, for rape, sexual and other forms of assault ( including, without limitation, murder, forced pregnancies and abortions), kidnapping, torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, slavery or slavery-like practices, forced or compulsory labor, debt bondage, or forced marriage.

4.- Access to Private Actions and Reparations: States must ensure that trafficked persons have a legal right to seek reparations from traffickers as well as assistance in bringing such actions, if necessary.

5.- Resident status: States shall provide trafficked persons with temporary residence visas (including the right to work) during the pendency of any criminal, civil or other legal actions and shall provide trafficked persons with the right to seek asylum and have the risk of retaliation considered in any deportation proceedings.

6.- Health and other services: States shall provide trafficked persons with adequate health and other social services during the period of temporary residency.

7.- Repatriation and Reintegration: States shall ensure that trafficked persons are able to return home safely, if they so wish, and when they are able to do so.

8.- State Cooperation: States must work cooperatively in order to ensure full implementation of these Standards.

It’s very important to build working relationships with Law enforcement in your area, meaning identify the Agents in charge of the Human Trafficking cases and make sure that the rights of the victims are respected and protected; a big issue with Human Trafficking cases it’s usually the lack of knowledge of some Law enforcement Agents to deal with trafficked victims and in many cases they just refer the victim to Immigration Authorities for their Deportation.

The Homeless World Cup exists to end this, so we all have a home, a basic human need.

The Homeless World Cup is an annual, international football tournament, uniting teams of people who are homeless and excluded to take a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their country and change their lives forever. It has triggered and supports grass roots football projects in over 60 nations working with over 25,000 homeless and excluded people throughout the year.

The first tournament took place in Graz 2003 uniting 18 national teams. 6 years on 56 nations were united for Melbourne 2008, which included the first Women’s Cup. We are on the road to Milan 2009 from 6-13 September.
The impact is consistently significant year on year with 73% of players changing their lives for the better by coming off drugs and alcohol, moving into jobs, education, homes, training, reuniting with families and even going on to become players and coaches for pro or semi-pro football teams.

The Homeless World Cup supporters include UEFA, Nike, UN, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Ambassador Eric Cantona and international footballers Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand.

Visit the Homeless World Cup website for more information.

A previous study by the American Library Association estimated Latino library use at 49 percent; the new study, based on a more representative sample of 2,860 Latino adults, reports 54 percent. Specifically, 1 percent reported daily visits, 11.2 percent reported weekly visits, and 17.8 percent reported monthly visits. Also, 9.7 percent reported visits every other month and 14.1 percent said they went to the library once or twice a year. However, 23.6 percent said they last went to a library more than a year ago and 22.5 percent said they’d never been to a library.

Drawing more users
While Latinos in the United States generally hold positive perceptions of libraries and value the availability of Spanish-language materials, more important is service. Latinos and Public Library Perceptions recommends that library workers get to know the local Latino community, to understand demographic diversity. Also, advertising in Spanish or via Spanish-language media should stress that the library is a place to learn English, via English-learning materials and children’s programs. (Nearly 47 percent of Latinos with less than a high school education had never been to a library.)

Since only 47 percent of Latinos who use the library for Internet access have such access at home or work, the availability of public access computers should be stressed. Finally, given that foreign-born Spanish-speakers—about half the adult Latino community—may worry that libraries reveal personal information, the report advises libraries to stress confidentiality in library public relations materials and also in Spanish-language signs and posters.

As with the larger population, frequency of Latino library visits is affected by sex, age, income, and education level; however, for Latinos, other factors include birthplace, generation in this country, and language preference. The strongest predictor of library visits among Latinos is English fluency.

Reasons to visit
Why do Latinos go to the library? Borrowing movies or music were the top reasons. Learning English was more of an influence than reading or borrowing books. Other strong lures were using the computer and taking children to the library.

First-generation immigrants disproportionately reported never attending the public library, according to the report, and second-generation immigrants, born in the United States to foreign-born parents, disproportionately reported going to the library less than once a year.

To see full article click here. 

Source: The Library Journal