Cancer Survivorship at Light and Salt Association

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The mission of the Light and Salt Association (LSA) is to provide quality health care to the needy and vulnerable, promoting healthy living, and fostering a sense of community responsibility in the greater Houston area since 1997. We work particularly among underserved first-generation immigrants within the Chinese community who tend to have limited English language capabilities and a low socio-economic status. Within this group, a primary focus is on cancer patients and their loved ones and caregivers. In 2018, we served 272 cancer patients and have a database of 1,123 patients and survivors.

The services we provide for or connect to cancer patients include, but aren’t limited to, healthcare system navigation, transportation and language assistance to treatment-related appointments, daily living and housing assistance, one-on-one peer support, in-person and online support groups, newsletters, and cancer educational materials. Our survivorship support programs are something that we’re particularly proud of. We adopt a “patient-centered” approach and believe cultural competence and sensitivity is incredibly important. Many cancer patients have said to us that they not only found an organization, but a family, a family they can trust and count on. They didn’t feel alone when undergoing the lengthy and tough journey towards getting better.

Many of our volunteers have been cancer patients or family members of cancer patients themselves. They came back to lend their first-hand experience to serve others with similar situations. We’ve been blessed with the support of the Chinese community, in particular the churches, within the greater Houston area. Our goal is to further improve and expand on our services to reach more of the underserved Asian American communities.

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Light and Salt Association (Houston, TX) is a one of APPEAL’s network partners under the ASPIRE grant (Cooperative Agreement Number, NU58DP006490, funded by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention.)

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Asian Pacific American Mental Health Awareness

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May is nationally recognized as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of the diverse cultures and experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders living in the United States.

May 10th is Asian Pacific American Mental Health Awareness Day in the State of California.

It has been well documented that stress is a risk factor for various physical and mental health issues such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression.

Recently, one study has also linked increased tobacco use with high levels of stress among Samoan smokers in California. Find it here.

Our partners at Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi in Hilo, Hawaiʻi shared some tips from their April 2019 Newsletter on healthy ways to manage stress. Everyone responds and manages with stress differently. The first step to adopting healthy coping behaviors is to identify stressors and recognize signs of stress. Are you feeling angry or depressed? What is making you feel these emotions?

Identify people who you can turn to for support. When needed, reach out to family members, friends, or your community for help. Ask them to join you in stress relief activities, it can be as simple as talking story or going out for a hike at a nearby trail. If you have persistent feelings of stress it may be good idea to see a licensed mental health professional.

Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration here for more resources on mental and behavioral health.

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Learn about SPARC

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The Statewide Pacific Islander Asian American Resource and Coordinating Center (also known as SPARC) is funded through the California Tobacco Control Program and addresses tobacco related health disparities in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Our Executive Director, Rod Lew, was interviewed by Joseph Martin from the Rover Tobacco Control Library at UC Davis.

Listen to the podcast below to learn more!

Some of the highlights include:

  • Importance of using disaggregated data to see the high prevalence of tobacco use among diverse subpopulations
  • The need for strong advocates, and opportunities through our leadership development program
  • SPARC’s goals for developing community competent resources including toolkits, in-language educational materials, and digital storytelling!

 

 

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CDC Tips from Former Smokers

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Secondhand smoke harms children and adults. The CDC Tips campaign shares stories of real people living with serious long-term health effects from smoking and secondhand smoke exposure. Learn more about the 2019 CDC Tips campaign at CDC.gov/tips 

Read stories from people affected by secondhand smoke below.

Asian Smokers’ Quitline offers services in multiple languages. Call today to quit or help a family member or friend quit.

Chinese: 1-800-838-8917
Korean: 1-800-556-5564
Vietnamese: 1-800-778-8440

  

 

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2018 APPEAL Young Advocates for Change (YAC) Policy and Leadership Summit

APPEAL is hosting its first Leadership Summit dedicated only to young adults! Help spread the word.

Apply here YAC Application

View event details

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Join us for World No Tobacco Day!

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Join us on #WorldNoTobaccoDay 5/31/18 for a free webinar on Tobacco Cessation in Asian American communities! Hear from Asian Smokers’ Quitline and Center for Pan Asian Community Services!

Register Here: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/7bjgczx57h48&eom

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Celebrate the Year of the Dog with the Asian Smokers’ Quitline

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The first day of Lunar New Year is on Feb 16, 2018 and it’s fast approaching! Some of our Asian community members may be busy with getting ready for the Lunar New Year and thinking about a resolution for the year of the dog. ASQ has prepared a pack of lucky red envelopes which will be given to each caller who calls ASQ to inquire about materials on how to quit smoking or to complete an online enrollment to receive a quit smoking service. Red symbolizes good fortune in Chinese and Vietnamese cultures, which is why red envelopes are widely used during Lunar New Year and other celebratory events. To celebrate the year of the dog and to wish everyone will have a healthy start of the New Year, red envelopes will be given out to Chinese and Vietnamese callers from now till February 20th while supplies last!

Refer to the ASQ website for more information. Language services available in Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Korean, and English!

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APPEAL’s Youth for Equity and Justice Campaign

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Dear Friends and Colleagues,

This has been a challenging year for our communities and our country.  Immigrant communities, communities of color and LGBTQ people have been under attack led by the growing xenophobic leadership in our country.  And if that is not enough, the problems of tobacco and unhealthy eating have increased in many of our Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.  We, at APPEAL, believe that these injustices against our communities require a strategic, comprehensive approach that builds community power and community leadership especially among the younger generation.  For nearly 25 years, APPEAL has helped to build community leadership and power to help fight injustices through a nationally-renowned community leadership program resulting in the training of over 1,100 leaders and advocates in the U.S. and the Pacific.

Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment, Advocacy and Leadership (APPEAL) is a national non-profit health justice organization dedicated to eliminating tobacco use and obesity in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and other communities of color through public health education and advocacy.

We hope that you will join us in supporting APPEAL’s important leadership development work by making a donation of $500 or more. If you would like to make a donation, please click here.  This will help us launch our “Youth for Equity and Justice” leadership initiative for 10 young adult leaders in 2018.  We have raised $6,500 so far out of our goal of $10,000. Thank you to those of you who have generously donated to this campaign.

APPEAL’s leadership model has been the pillar of our movement on tobacco control and healthy eating and active living.  By training and nurturing local leaders, APPEAL is ensuring the sustainability of advocates who can organize their communities to address critical health justice issues. Your contribution is an investment in the long-term health and well-being of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. Now more than ever we need you to consider a contribution to ensure continued progress in 2018.  Your generous and timely contribution is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely yours,

Rod Lew, MPH                                         Betty Lee Hawks
Executive Director                                      Board Chair

Kaying Hang, MPH

 

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