Community News
The Walnut Foundation honours founder Dr Winston Isaac with a bench dedication at Loafer’s Lake
BY PAUL JUNOR
For over 15 years the Walnut Foundation, founded by Dr Winston Isaac and Simon Samuel, have made a positive difference in the lives of Black men. In a press release from the organization on Tuesday, July 12th, 2022 it notes that it was established by prostate cancer survivors with different treatment experiences, and a shared passion for addressing the prevalence of the disease in Black men, the silence in the community, the need for greater insights and information on well-being.
Their mission is focused on helping to make a difference in men’s health and wellness. Their core values are: compassion, passion and action. They are also focused on:
Raising awareness
They raise awareness in the Black community about diseases affecting Black men.
Provide support and advocacy
They provide information regarding a specific disease, one-to-one support, host support groups, free conferences, and information sessions.
Influencing policy
They work with researchers, leaders and other organizations to influence the policy around the needs of the Black community regarding a specific disease.
Black men are 76% more likely to get prostate cancer and 2.2 times more likely to die from prostate cancer.
Some of the sobering facts are that the biggest problem of all is many men don’t get checked until it’s too late, and, if detected LATE, the survival rate drops to 30% at five years but if detected EARLY, survival is nearly 100%.
On their website they share that taking ownership of your health is a sign of strength. Talking about it with others is important. There are other men who have walked the same path and are willing to share their journeys. It is fitting that the foundation honoured the late Dr Winston Isacc at a bench unveiling ceremony on Saturday, July 16th, 2022, along the Etobicoke Creek Trails at Loafer’s Lake in Brampton.
Ken Noel, President of the Walnut Foundation states in the press release, “This bench represents an appreciation by the community of the tireless work ethic, selflessness and true leadership of Dr Isaac on prostate cancer education and support initiatives for Black men.”
Simon Samuel, Co-Founder and 2nd Vice-President notes, “The Walnut Foundation represents an end to the cycle of silence around prostate cancer in the Black community and we have Dr Isaac to thank for this.”
Anyone interested in learning about the Walnut Foundation can check the following:
Website: https://thewalnutfoundation.com
Facebook: The Walnut Foundation
Instagram:@thewalnutfoundation