Vermont Non-profit Wins National Sustainability Award
Vermont-based Grounds for Health accepts the Specialty Coffee Association of America 2011 Sustainability Award for its work preventing cervical cancer in coffee-growing communities.
- Burlington-South Burlington, VT (1888PressRelease) May 04, 2011 - At the Specialty Coffee Event in Houston, Texas, Vermont-based Grounds for Health accepted the 2011 Sustainability Award, a yearly prize that honors exemplary non-profits that work within the coffee industry. Grounds for Health, a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Waterbury, was honored for 15 years of preventing cervical cancer in coffee-growing communities.
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Sustainability Council selected Grounds for Health among three other finalists: Cafe Femenino, Climate Friendly Coffee Farming, and the Participatory Bird Census
Sustainability Council Chair Karyn Lee-Thomas said, "Every year, the Sustainability Council reviews dozens of applications. We are always in awe of the depth and breath of the sustainable programs and projects that are happening within the specialty coffee industry. This year, the cervical cancer prevention and treatment program from Grounds for Health was exactly what we were looking for; it is replicable, scalable, and addresses one or more of the United Nations millennium development goals. It touched the hearts of everyone on our council."
Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death of women in coffee-growing regions, despite the fact that it is 100% preventable when detected early. Women in these areas are no more susceptible to the disease than those in more developed countries; they simply do not have access to adequate prevention services.
Grounds for Health, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary, has provided direct services to over 20,000 women, trained 250 doctors and nurses, and educated more than 400 health promoters. The organization currently specializes in training local health professionals in Latin America and Tanzania an affordable, replicable and sustainable screening and treating method. Through training and community education, Grounds for Health creates the potential to exponentially increase its reach: local doctors and nurses can practice on their own and teach the methods to new health care providers.
But as Executive Director August Burns said in her acceptance speech, "Our work is far from done. Coffee communities in Rwanda, Ethiopia, Peru, Columbia, El Salvador and elsewhere have asked for our help … There, and elsewhere women are still dying needlessly."
Learn more about Grounds for Health: http://groundsforhealth.org or find them on Facebook http://facebook.com/groundsforhealth and Twitter http://www.twitter.com/grounds4health.
About Grounds for Health
Grounds for Health cultivates partnerships with coffee-farming communities to reduce the unacceptably high rate of cervical cancer in low-resource settings. The 401(c)(3) organization focuses on developing effective, affordable, and sustainable prevention programs with the long-term goal of reducing unnecessary deaths from cervical cancer.
About Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA)
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) is the world's largest coffee trade organization, with members representing more than 40 countries and every segment of the specialty coffee industry, from growers to roasters to retailers. The SCAA Event took place April 28-May 1, 2011 in Houston, Texas.
About SCAA Sustainability Council
The Sustainability Councils' role is to create and promote ideas, concepts, and action plans to the SCAA board that enable the SCAA to become the global leader in business for sustainability. This desired role for the SCAA has been indicated by its pioneering endorsement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The Council will serve as a "think tank" for sustainability-related ideas and serve as a liaison to other industry, professional, and NGO organizations.
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