Thirty-two nonprofit organizations in the Mid-Ohio Valley received grant funding from the Sisters Health Foundation (SHF) in support of its vision of “healthy people in healthy communities”. At its most recent meeting, the SHF’s Board of Directors approved a total of $342,231 in funding.
Eight organizations that provide direct services, such as food and emergency assistance, received a total of $28,300 from the Basic Needs/Direct Service Grants Program.
First Lutheran Church; Parkersburg, WV — $3,500 to purchase food, medication, and a freezer to store perishable food items for their backpack ministry.
Grantsville First Baptist Church; Grantsville, WV — $5,000 to provide food for their food pantry.
Heartwood in the Hills; Big Bend, WV — $2,000 for the purchase and preparation of healthy snacks for students.
Roane County Helping Hand, Inc.; Spencer, WV — $5,000 to purchase food for their food pantry.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh & Morgantown; Morgantown, WV — $3,500 to supplement the cost of guest family stays for Mid-Ohio Valley residents.
The Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption; Marietta, OH — $1,800 for nutritious food for the Daily Bread Kitchen.
The Salvation Army of Marietta; Marietta, OH — $2,500 to supplement the cost of motel stays for people without proper winter housing in Washington County.
The Salvation Army of Parkersburg; Parkersburg, WV — $5,000 to provide bus passes and food items for their pantry.
Twenty-four organizations received support totaling $313,931 for their efforts in addressing the health needs of their communities in our Health Equity and Healthy Lifestyles priority areas of the Responsive Grants Program.
Health Equity Priority Area
Athens Child Advocacy Center; Athens, OH — $4,238 to hire and train a Forensic Interviewer to enable expanded services to families in Athens and Meigs counties.
Building Bridges to Careers; Marietta, OH — $21,775 for program support that engages area students in developing solutions to community and health related problems as well as provide career development in the health and behavioral health fields.
Calhoun County Schools; Mt. Zion, WV — $40,000 to support the hiring of a licensed social worker to address the mental health needs of students and families in Calhoun County.
Columbus Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Cancer Foundation, Inc.; Westerville, OH — $10,000 to support screening, diagnostic, and follow-up breast health program services to women in Meigs County.
Coplin Health Systems; Elizabeth, WV — $5,000 to improve screening for early detection of eye problems for patients with chronic health issues.
Hopewell Health Centers; Chillicothe, OH — $36,845 for medical equipment and supplies for a School-Based Health Center at Eastern Local Schools in Meigs County.
Marietta College; Marietta, OH — $30,000 to provide a fellowship for a graduate student pursuing a Master’s in Counseling at Marietta College in return for working in the Mid-Ohio Valley region upon graduation.
O’Neill Senior Center; Marietta, OH — $4,500 to provide equipment that improves the delivery of care.
Southeast Ohio Youth Mentoring; Athens, OH — $10,000 for the expansion of services by community mentors to children and their families in Washington County.
Voices for Children Foundation – CASA Program; Parkersburg, WV — $5,000 for operational support as they train new CASA volunteers and provide direct service to abused and neglected children.
Wasco, Inc.; Marietta, OH — $5,000 to assist in the purchase of a vehicle to transport people with disabilities to job sites and into the community.
WV Kids Count; Charleston, WV — $14,800 to help build partnerships and advance trauma-informed policy and practice with Mid-Ohio Valley organizations who serve children and families.
Wood County Society; Parkersburg, WV — $5,000 to support the speech enhancement program for youth diagnosed with speech disorders.
Healthy Lifestyles Priority Area
Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg; Parkersburg, WV — $14,615 to increase organizational capacity to serve youth more effectively.
Colonial House; Parkersburg, WV — $2,000 to purchase fresh produce.
Marietta Rowing & Cycling Club; Marietta, OH — $4,000 to assist in the Devola Multi-Use trail completion and supplies for their Bike Rodeo health and safety event.
Meigs County Council on Aging; Pomeroy, OH — $20,000 to purchase exercise equipment for their Brick House Fitness Room.
Roane County Committee on Aging, Inc.; Spencer, WV — $9,000 to replace a heating/cooling roof unit in a section of the building where congregate meals are served.
Sistersville General Hospital; Sisterville, WV — $20,000 for fresh produce, management, and diagnostic testing for patients in the FARMacy program, which focuses on providing locally grown produce as medicine to improve patients’ health.
The Ohio State University Foundation; Columbus, OH — $5,000 to support the health program of the Meigs County Family Consumer Science Educator.
Village of Middleport; Middleport, OH — $9,500 for the second phase of the construction of the multi-purpose trail that serves the senior and low-income population of Meigs County.
West Virginia University Extension – Family Nutrition Program; Charleston, WV — $10,000 to purchase produce for kids’ farmers markets at elementary schools in Roane and Calhoun counties.
Williamstown Elementary PTA; Williamstown, WV — $15,000 for a playground for grades 1 through 5.
Wolf Creek Local Schools- Waterford Elementary; Waterford, OH — $12,658 to create a path that provides auditory, kinesthetic, and visual activities that help students develop social, mental, emotional, and physical skills.
The due date for requests under the priority areas of oral health, health equity, and healthy lifestyles is January 15, 2020. By midnight of this date, submit a full application for the Basic Needs/Direct Service Grants Program or a letter of inquiry for the Responsive Grants Program. Nonprofits are encouraged to contact Sr. Molly Bauer, Senior Program Officer, at 304-424-6080 or mbauer@sistershealthfdn.org with questions about whether their grant request may be a good fit for the Basic Needs/Direct Service Grants Program. Letters of inquiry for the Responsive Grants Program may be submitted online at www.sistershealthfdn.org without scheduling a prior phone conversation. Requests related to mental health and/or addiction are encouraged and may be submitted under the health equity priority area.
The Sisters Health Foundation promotes healthy and sustainable communities by providing resources, strengthening collaborative relationships and supporting initiatives that impact people in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Since 1996, the Sisters Health Foundation has awarded over $17 million in grants.