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Before the formation of the Long Island Lesbian Cancer Initiative (LILCI), there were no culturally specific services for lesbian-identified women with cancer, or their caregivers, on Long Island - despite the CDC’s identification of lesbians as a target population for breast and cervical cancer interventions in 1994.
Today, LILCI relies on three all-volunteer bodies – a Board of Directors, a Community Advisory Council, and a Professional Advisory Council - composed of community leaders, cancer survivors and caregivers, health and human service providers and researchers. These entities inform and support each other in an effort to impact the health and wellness of LILCI's communities. This is accomplished by education, advocacy, research and services. Programs are conducted by a pool of local volunteers. With the support of partners, colleagues and allies across the continent, LILCI exists for our community and because of our volunteers. By maintaining a modest infrastructure, working out of our homes, collaborating with allies, and by importing resources to Long Island, LILCI’s global approach maximizes resources within a sustainable system. |
In
1996, a local lesbian bar held an event to raise money for the fight
against breast cancer that became an annual occurrence. This rallied
the community by connecting a local focus and real faces to the
lesbian cancer epidemic. LILCI was founded by and for lesbians to
resolve this gap in services in November of 2000 because of dialogues
that began at this community building event.
copyright ©2006 LILCI
All rights reserved.
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Broadening LILCI’s scope is an exciting and necessary next step to best serve the health and wellness needs of Long Island’s lesbians that have been served since November of 2000 and to better serve the broadest and most inclusive communities of lesbian, bi and queer identified women and transgender individuals. The name remains the same to honor LILCI’s history and founders. Leadership
All composed of community leaders, cancer survivors and caregivers, health and human service providers and researchers. These entities inform and support each other in an effort to mpact the health and wellness of LILCI's communities Appliations for Board of Directors and details on council participation -- coming soon.
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"LILCI has
worked to positively impact issues surrounding health and wellness
in our communities since 2000." |
Studies
have taught us that individual health is closely linked to community
health - the health of the community and the environment in which
individuals live, work and play. Likewise, community health is
profoundly affected by actions, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors
of everyone in the community.