The Month of October

In the month of October we celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness as well as Domestic Violence Awareness. Below is info below for both that can be found online at the listed websites.

www.komen.org

For nearly four decades now, the country has recognized October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is a time annually devoted to educating everyone about breast cancer — including metastatic breast cancer (MBC) — and the importance of early detection and access to timely, high-quality care.

No matter who you are or where you live, breast cancer may touch your life. It’s necessary to understand the warning signs of breast cancer, your risk of breast cancer and what’s normal for you so you can take action if there are any changes in your breasts or underarm areas.

Since 1989, Susan G. Komen has helped drive down mortality rates from breast cancer thanks to our focus on early detection and improvements in treatment. However, that progress may be in jeopardy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people delayed their regular breast cancer screening. The pandemic disrupted treatment and research progress.

And more progress is still needed. Through research, growing knowledge about breast cancer has led to new therapies and targeted treatments that improved outcomes for many people. It is research that brings hope to people facing this disease, especially those living with MBC. We need to ensure more treatment options are available for all people facing breast cancer, especially when treatments stop working.

The COVID-19 pandemic also highlighted the inequities in breast cancer treatments for under-resourced communities across the country, as well as the inequity in treatment between Black and white women. Black women in the U.S. are about 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women.

That’s why Susan G. Komen encourages you to dedicate this October as a time of action — both for yourself and others.

Know Your Risk

Knowing your family history is lifesaving. Talk to a doctor about your family history and see how that history impacts your risk of breast cancer. You and your doctor can create a personalized plan to monitor for signs of the disease.

Get Screened

For those at average risk, have a mammogram every year starting at age 40. If you have any signs of breast cancer, finding it early and treating it early may save your life.

Know Your Normal

It’s important to know what’s normal for youso you can talk with your health care provider if something doesn’t look or feel right.

Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Living a healthy lifestyle is within your control and may lower your risk of breast cancer. Maintain a healthy weight, limit alcohol intake and exercise regularly. It all matters when it comes to your overall health and risk of disease.

Take Action!

Seek out ways you can participate or donate locally. The annual walk info is here:

Making Strides of Fort Wayne

SAT, OCT. 25, 2025, 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM PARKVIEW FIELD

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS

www.dvawareness.org/WithSurvivors

First observed in October 1981 as a national “Day of Unity,” Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) is held each October as a way to unite advocates across the nation in their efforts to end domestic violence.

Communities and advocacy organizations across the country connect with the public and one another throughout the month to raise awareness about the signs of abuse and ways to stop it, and to uplift survivor stories and provide additional resources to leaders and policymakers.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) is a national campaign dedicated to raising awareness about domestic violence. Every October, organizations and individuals unite across the country for a national effort to uplift the needs, voices, and experiences of survivors. Congress declared the month of October to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month in 1989.

For DVAM 2025, the Domestic Violence Awareness Project is proud to introduce the theme With Survivors, Always. This theme allows us to explore what it means to be in partnership with survivors toward safety, support, and solidarity. It is both a love letter and a call to action for those committed to advocating for survivors’ needs and rights.

Survivors deserve safety. Survivors deserve support. Survivors deserve solidarity. For DVAM 2025 and beyond, we commit to showing up for survivors, always.

February of each year also marks Teen Domestic Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM). It is an annual observation raising awareness about the specific ways that abuse impacts teen dating relationships. Learn more about TDVAM at loveisrespect.org.