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Did you know breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the state of Virginia? UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center hosts events in Charlottesville and beyond year-round to spread the word about breast cancer prevention and early detection. One spotlight during 2026 Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October: an event at Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry.

Keyri Lopez-Godoy, Navigation Outreach Specialist and Claudette Grant, Outreach Specialist (below photo), work for Office of Community Outreach and Engagement, UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

“Loaves & Fishes helps us reach community members who may face barriers to cancer screening,” explains Lopez-Godoy. “By combining screening education and navigation resources with existing nutrition programming, we hope to promote prevention and early detection throughout the community.” 

Grant shares that the duo focuses on two key messages: “Healthy habits matter: maintaining a healthy lifestyle supports overall health and can help reduce the risk of cancer. Regular mammograms matter: breast cancer does not always cause signs or symptoms, so regular mammograms — an X-ray of the breasts — can help detect cancer early, often before symptoms appear.”

Two-Pronged Approach 

On Oct. 28, Lopez-Godoy and Grant, along with volunteers, distributed to the Loaves & Fishes visitors: bags filled with information on breast cancer, a cancer screening checklist outlining eligible cancers and recommended screening ages, a pink breast cancer ribbon, and a recipe card developed by Matt Paysour, MPH, RD (right), Loaves & Fishes.

The team’s approach — the result of that partnership between UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center and Loaves & Fishes — is two-pronged: 

• UVA School of Medicine medical students volunteer to talk to community members who drive up in cars to pick up pantry donations. 

• Lopez-Godoy, Grant, and Paysour lead a trivia game and engage in conversations with community members who walk up to an information table in the pantry kitchen.

Bridging the Gap

“Early detection is one of the most important interventions we have against cancer, but it requires access to affordable care and knowledge of available resources. Events like these help put this essential information in the hands of people who need it the most, and I’m so glad to play a part in empowering members of the Charlottesville community to take charge of their health,” says UVA School of Medicine first-year student Megan McCabe (above right), who plans to enter clinical practice after graduation and completing residency. She says oncology has been her top choice for a specialty for years.

Leanne Maharaj (above left), is a UVA School of Medicine first-year student who plans to specialize in hematology/oncology, “I'm grateful for the opportunity to work alongside UVA Comprehensive Care Center and Loaves & Fishes to support our Charlottesville community. For individuals facing food insecurity, preventive health education may understandably take a back seat to more immediate needs. By bringing breast cancer awareness and resources into a space where community members are already seeking support, we hope to help bridge that gap."

Maharaj enjoys the opportunity to step out of the classroom and chat with Charlottesville residents, who kindly share their personal experiences with disease and healthcare, which reminds Maharaj of the importance of individualized, accessible care.

Making an Impact

Paysour leads a cooking demonstration featuring cuisine that makes the connection between healthful eating and cancer risk reduction: butternut squash soup. “Loaves & Fishes has long believed that access to healthy food is an important component of chronic disease prevention, but we also know that it's only one piece of the cancer prevention puzzle. Teaming up with Keyri and Claudette helps us provide more comprehensive education for our clients on how to minimize breast cancer risk."

He adds: "Navigating healthcare can be intimidating. In partnership with UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, we're able to advocate for the importance of regular screening, and more importantly, demystify the cancer screening process for many of our guests." See more recipes. 

“Community members with limited incomes can face barriers to accessing health care and learning how best to care for their health," says Jane Colony Mills, Executive Director, Loaves & Fishes. "By bringing UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center directly to Loaves & Fishes, we're making important health resources more accessible. We believe in making it easier for people to take care of their overall wellbeing."

She adds that Loaves & Fishes is "tremendously proud" that regular outreach by UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center since 2024 has resulted in 25 area women receiving an annual mammogram through this partnership. Read the Loaves & Fishes Impact Report.

One Step at a Time

“We recommend three key steps to help lowering your breast cancer risk,” sums up Lopez-Godoy. “Schedule your screening mammogram, make healthy choices every day such as eating mindfully and exercising, and know your body and speak up by being ‘breast self-aware' and talking with a provider on any changes you notice.”

To connect with resources in the Charlottesville area to help with cancer prevention and early detection: contact a Navigator Outreach Specialist such as Keyri Lopez-Godoy to help find resources to ensure screenings get completed and reach out to the Every Woman's Life (EWL) program which offers free mammograms to uninsured individuals.