PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia City Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson was adopted at birth, so didn’t know both her biological grandmothers were breast cancer survivors until she found her birth parents as an adult.
“Upon finding out this information, even before I was forty, I started to receive my yearly mammograms,” she said.
That’s why she’s sponsoring a Women’s Health and Wellness Fair this Saturday at Mount Airy Church of God in Christ.
“Women, we take care of so many people,” Gilmore Richardson said. “We are the backbone of our families and our communities, and we're hoping that Saturday is an opportunity for us to invest in ourselves.”
The event features free mammograms for attendees, with or without health insurance. Gilmore Richardson says that’s a crucial part of outreach for her community.
“We have very large underinsured or uninsured populations who just simply need the access to the testing and medical care and treatment,” she explained, “and so we are hoping to be their first stop…on a journey to…having a more longer term plan for their overall health and wellness.”
The event also offers flu shots, eye exams, a produce giveaway and resources from over 30 health and wellness vendors.
Anyone interested in attending can register online. The event runs Saturday, Oct. 17, from 12 to 3 p.m.
