Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Partners with Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana

(Monroe, La.) – Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is partnering with the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana for several of the organization’s mobile pantry distributions, allowing residents to receive food assistance and colorectal cancer screening kits. Mary Bird Perkins will be distributing free fecal immunochemical kits (FIT) and answering questions about colorectal and other cancers and screenings. The Cancer Center and Food Bank will be providing drive-thru assistance for anyone in need. Screening kits and food will be distributed in West Carroll Parish, Dec. 15, 10 a.m., Oak Grove Maintenance Barn, 400 Lamont Street; Richland Parish on Dec. 17, 10 a.m.; Delhi Town Hall, 209 Broadway and in Caldwell Parish on Dec. 18, 10 a.m., Columbia Dixie Youth ball field. A FIT kit is a test that individuals can take in the privacy of their own home. This test can be performed with no prior preparation, but can identify hidden blood in the stool. This detection is important because it can be a sign of precancerous polyps or colorectal cancer. The disease is preventable and highly treatable if detected in its earliest stages. Since 2002, The Cancer Center has distributed over 10,000 free colorectal kits, thanks to the generosity of donors, such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation. For more information on cancer screenings, visit marybird.org or call (318) 414-9758.   About Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is a regional cancer care organization that has been fighting cancer for almost 50 years. The cancer care organization provides care at nine centers in Baton Rouge, Covington, Hammond, Houma, Gonzales, Zachary and Natchez, Mississippi, and its service area encompasses southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi regions. For more information, please visit www.marybird.org.