Sisters Health Foundation Awards Grants
Parkersburg, WV – Forty-one nonprofit organizations in the Mid-Ohio Valley were awarded grant funding in support of our vision of “healthy people in healthy communities”. At its most recent meeting, the Board of Directors approved a total of $397,595.
Reflecting on the awards, Senior Program Officer Sr. Molly Bauer said “We continue to listen and respond to critical needs that our brought to our attention. This cycle, Healthy Eating Active Living requests were numerous as food prices continue to rise and many families are on fixed-incomes. Thirteen of our Basic Needs/Direct service awards and six of our responsive Healthy Eating, Active Living awards address food insecurity and have a nutrition and healthy eating component.”
Twenty organizations that provide direct services, such as food and emergency assistance, received a total of $55,000 from the Basic Needs/Direct Service Grants Program.
Belpre Area Ministries; Belpre, OH — $2,000 for food and food vouchers for their pantry.
Catholic Charities WV; Wheeling, WV — $5,000 to purchase fresh produce and healthy food for families in the Mid-Ohio Valley.
Christ United Methodist Church; Parkersburg, WV — $1,800 to purchase ingredients and materials for their to-go meals.
FAO/Meigs County Foundation; Nelsonville, OH — $3,000 to support their pantry’s holiday meals for November and December.
Holy Redeemer Catholic Church; Spencer, WV — $4,000 to support costs for emergency needs for residents of Roane and Wirt Counties.
Meigs United Methodist Cooperative Parish; Pomeroy, OH — $3,850 to support food costs for their kitchen program and blessing boxes in Meigs County.
Parkersburg Area Coalition for the Homeless; Parkersburg, WV — $4,500 for ready to eat food for people experiencing homelessness.
Ripley Nazarene Mission Baby Pantry; Ripley, WV — $1,500 to purchase basic baby needs such as diapers, training pants, and hygiene items.
Ritchie County Family Resource Network; Harrisville, WV — $2,500 to purchase pantry items such as food, hygiene items, cleaning and household supplies.
Roane County Helping Hand; Spencer, WV — $3,750 to purchase food for Roane County residents in need.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown; Morgantown, WV — $1,500 to supplement the cost of guest family stays for Mid-Ohio Valley residents while their children are in the hospital.
Savannah’s Closet; Ravenswood, WV — $3,000 to purchase clothing, shoes, and hygiene items for children in foster care and for emergency needs.
South Parkersburg United Methodist Church; Parkersburg, WV — $3,000 to purchase food for students at Gihon, Martin, and Fairplans Elementary Schools for the backpack ministry program.
The Hope Shop; Elizabeth, WV — $4,150 to support the purchase of eggs, bread, and milk for their voucher program.
The Ronald McDonald House of Huntington; Huntington, WV — $850 to purchase groceries to provide free meals to families with seriously ill or injured children from the Mid-Ohio Valley.
The Salvation Army of Marietta; Marietta, OH — $5,000 to support night stays at hotels for people without adequate shelter during the winter in Washington County.
Torch UMC; Coolville, OH — $2,000 to support the pantry with food purchases and other emergency needs for clients.
Voices of the Streets Essentially Yours; Parkersburg, WV — $1,000 to purchase personal hygiene and household cleaning products.
Wesley UMC; Vienna, WV — $600 to purchase snacks for the weekend for Neal Elementary students.
West Central Regional Drug Court; Parkersburg, WV — $2,000 to assist drug court participants with clothing, toiletries, and rental assistance to help maintain safe, sober living.
Twenty-one organizations received support totaling $342,595 for their efforts addressing the health needs of their communities in the priority areas of Healthy Eating, Active Living; Thriving Neighborhoods; and Mental Health and Addiction.
Healthy Eating, Active Living Priority Area
Calhoun County Committee on Aging; Grantsville, WV — $5,000 to support the conversion of a truck to a hot/cold box truck for their Meals on Wheels deliveries.
Federal Valley Resource Center; Stewart, OH — $11,200 to purchase coolers and a freezer for their pantry.
Hocking, Athens, Perry Community Action (HAPCAP); Glouster, OH — $20,000 to support their program serving mothers experiencing food insecurity in Athens, Meigs, and Washington counties.
Live Healthy Appalachia; Athens, OH — $20,000 to support the planning, implementation and evaluation of their children’s healthy cooking and lifestyles program.
Roane County PATCH; Spencer, WV — $20,000 to support the purchase of a high tunnel for their daycare center in Ripley.
Washington County Agricultural and Mechanical Association; Marietta, OH — $5,000 to help upgrade the existing playground equipment in Civitan Park.
Washington County Health Department; Marietta, OH — $4,550 to secure equipment and lab supplies necessary to complete very basic wellness checks.
West Virginia University Extension – Family Nutrition Program; Charleston, WV — $10,000 to purchase produce to be placed in locally owned stores in communities with limited food access in Ritchie, Tyler, and Pleasants counties.
Thriving Neighborhoods Priority Area
Athens City-County Health Department; Athens, OH — $10,000 to support the hiring of a director who will develop and implement action plans to improve quality of life for older adults and the wider community in Athens County.
Cairo Volunteer Fire Department; Cairo, WV — $5,000 to purchase a refurbished heart monitor.
Community Resources; Parkersburg, WV — $12,000 to support an additional part-time position to assist with transportation requests from seniors and people in recovery to their appointments.
Glow Movement; Ravenswood, WV — $1,250 to purchase travel backpacks for people experiencing homelessness.
Pleasants Christian Outreach Center; St. Marys, WV — $4,000 to support renovation costs for their transitional homes.
Roane County Family Healthcare; Spencer, WV — $35,000 for the purchase and installation of a new Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephone system and for COVID-safe waiting room chairs.
Washington State Community College; Marietta, OH — $50,000 to support a master’s degree Success Coach to expand the nursing program capacity.
Mental Health and Addiction Priority Area
Appalachian Center for Economic Networks; Athens, OH — $18,595 to support staff working with individuals in recovery and with survivors of trauma and abuse who are undergoing a job training and employment program.
Cornerstone Gospel Church; Vienna, WV — $1,000 to help maintain the transport of individuals to and from recovery programs.
Hope House; Ravenswood, WV — $45,000 to support operating costs for new staff, services, and leadership training.
Marietta College; Marietta, OH — $20,000 for program support addressing their students’ mental health needs.
Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program; Nelsonville, OH — $40,000 to support program and operating costs that addresses workforce, housing, and childcare for individuals recovering from trauma and abuse.
Voices for Children Foundation – CASA Program; Parkersburg, WV — $5,000 to help recruit and train volunteers who serve as court-appointed representatives for children who experienced abuse and trauma.
The due date for requests under the priority areas of mental health and addiction; thriving neighborhoods; and healthy eating, active living is January 18, 2023. 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.
The foundation serves 11 counties in the Mid-Ohio Valley in West Virginia and southeast Ohio: Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt, and Wood counties in West Virginia; Athens, Meigs, and Washington counties in Ohio. For more information on our grantmaking and eligibility requirements, visit our website www.sistershealthfdn.org.
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 $22 million in grants.