Volunteer Spotlight

Summer 2008: Breast Health Education Team

Joicelyn Gregory, Niyme Griffin,

Melanie Woodard

Name: Joicelyn Gregory

Church Affiliation: Hillsboro Presbyterian Church

“From the very beginning of hearing about the Komen training, I knew this was something I needed to know for myself. In spite of knowing that I am not a medically trained person, I was convinced that in some way I needed to prepare myself to share this message with others.”

Name: Gay Greer

Church Affiliation: Hillsboro Presbyterian Church

“I am a "lapsed R.N." who had always enjoyed patient teaching, so this was a perfect assignment for me.”

Name: Niyme Griffin

Church Affiliation: Catholic

“On my first day, we approached a young woman and invited her to receive the training. She replied: ‘What for? I’m not going to have more children.’ She was there with her mom and we told them about the importance of prevention, because cancer doesn’t discriminate on such conditions. She was reluctant at first, but seemed very affected by the training.”

Name: Betty Leigh

Church Affiliation: St. Augustine’s

“Many of the women I have trained have never before learned to monitor their breast health. I had a shy patient who spoke some English, but Spanish was her first language. She reluctantly came in to learn about breast health. After receiving the training, she was so excited about it that she stayed on and translated for all the other women I saw that night.”

Name: Melanie Woodard

Church Affiliation: Hillsboro Presbyterian Church

“It has been amazing to me to realize that there are women in our own country who have not been given the exposure of educating themselves in preventing breast cancer. I remember a woman in her late 40s who emigrated from Russia and had never had a mammogram nor been taught breast self-exam. She was so grateful to learn the information.”

Also serving: Carey Cheij, Ashley Cockrell, Edleda Crawford, Jean Crawford, Martha Ezell, Lindsey Franks, Carol Freund-Taylor, Meghan Garstka, Ann-Haley Poag, Elizabeth Rutter, Karen Stevens, Melanie Woodard, and Beth Youngblood.

View featured volunteers