Sacramento’s Fruitridge Health & Wellness Collective‘s $50,000 pledge to UC Davis Health System will fund outreach, education and support for newly designated breast cancer and prostate cancer patients at UC Davis Health Systems’ WeCARE! Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer Peer Navigator Programs.
With three relatives afflicted by cancer, two of whom have passed, the donations to UC Davis Health System have special meaning for FHWC Director Caleb Counts, who operates his non-profit medical cannabis dispensary with a focus on helping his patients and the community at large.
“The generous support of Fruitridge Health and Wellness Collective enables us to expand our unique WeCARE! Community-Based Cancer Peer Navigator Program to train more cancer survivors as cancer coaches for newly diagnosed cancer patients throughout our region” said Marlene M. von Friederichs-Fitzwater, assistant professor and director of the Outreach Research and Education Program at UC Davis Cancer Center.
Read the full story about Pot Appetit sponsor Fruitridge Health and Wellness Collective by Amy Jacobson Kurokawa from News10‘s South Sacramento My Neighborhood:
Sacramento’s Fruitridge Health & Wellness Collective (FHWC) is inaugurating its 5-year pledge to UC Davis Health System, pledging $50,000, which will be distributed evenly between UC Davis Health Systems’ WeCARE! Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer Peer Navigator Programs, which provide outreach, education and support to newly designated breast cancer and prostate cancer patients.
“The generous support of Fruitridge Health and Wellness Collective enables us to expand our unique WeCARE! Community-Based Cancer Peer Navigator Program to train more cancer survivors as cancer coaches for newly diagnosed cancer patients throughout our region” said Marlene M. von Friederichs-Fitzwater, assistant professor and director of the Outreach Research and Education Program at UC Davis Cancer Center. “As a cancer survivor myself, I know the value of having a cancer coach by your side as you go from diagnosis through treatment.”
With three relatives afflicted by cancer, two of whom have passed, the donations to UC Davis Health System have special meaning for FHWC Director Caleb Counts, who operates his non-profit medical cannabis dispensary with a focus on helping his patients and the community at large.
“My father is a prostate cancer survivor, my grandmother died a horrible painful death from breast cancer, and my aunt battled breast cancer for 12 years, 9 of them with significant suffering.” said Counts, “Despite the severity of her pain, she wouldn’t use cannabis because it was illegal…she would never risk getting in trouble, so she suffered greatly as it traveled from her breast to her bones and liver…cannabis could have provided her substantial relief.”
Caleb Counts, director of Fruitridge Health and Wellness Collective in South Sacramento.
In addition to the UC Davis Health System donations, FHWC also operates a number of service programs for their patients.
Compassion Program-Low income or terminally ill patients receive a weekly credit of 22 dollars, weekly food donations from the farmers market and grocery gift cards during the holiday season.
Farmers Market Nutritional Program-Weekly onsite donation of free organic produce and free nutritional workshops to members of FHWC’s compassion program.
FHWC also donates $300 per month to non-profit Harm Reduction Services.
“At FHWC, we are committed to relieving needless suffering,” said Director, Caleb Counts, “We operate legally, per legislation we helped craft with the City Council.”
“Last year I was on the City Council when we unanimously established a new ordinance to deal with Medical Cannabis dispensaries to insure that they operated in a lawful, legitimate and compassionate way and were properly zoned.“ said Robbie Waters, “I have personally toured the facility of FHWC, which is professionally operated. I feel the service they provide to their patients is extremely important.”
– By Amy Jacobson Kurokawa at News10′s South Sacramento My Neighborhood
