This past spring, thirty-eight 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 $432,155.
Twelve organizations that provide direct services, such as food and emergency assistance, received a total of $42,000 from the Basic Needs/Direct Service Grants Program.
Adams House Ministries; Middlebourne, WV — $5,000 for fresh produce vouchers for Tyler County residents.
Camden Clark Medical Foundation; Parkersburg, WV — $1,400 for glucometers for diabetic patients without insurance.
Children’s Hunger Alliance; Columbus, OH — $4,000 for summer meals for children in Meigs County.
Colonial House; Parkersburg, WV — $750 to purchase fresh produce.
Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio; Worthington, OH — $4,000 for non-perishable food and fresh produce to support their mobile food pantries in Athens and Meigs Counties.
Meigs County Farmers’ Market; Pomeroy, OH — $4,500 for farmers’ market supplies to promote healthy eating.
Parents & Friends of the Hearing Impaired, Inc.; Marietta, OH — $3,500 to purchase or repair hearing aids for low income deaf and hard of hearing persons residing in the Mid-Ohio Valley.
Ripley Nazarene Mission Baby Pantry; Ripley, WV — $2,350 to purchase diapers and wipes.
Savannah’s Closet; Ravenswood, WV — $4,500 for clothing, shoes, and hygiene items for children in the foster care system and those in emergency need.
The Betsey Mills Corporation; Marietta, OH — $2,500 to purchase healthy snacks for children.
The Hope Shop; Elizabeth, WV — $5,000 to purchase fresh food, cleaning and personal hygiene supplies, as well as multi-vitamins for their clients.
Washington County Harvest of Hope; Marietta, OH — $4,500 for healthy lean protein to distribute to food pantries and meal sites in Washington County.
Twenty-six organizations received support totaling $390,155 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
Appalachian Conservation Corps; Beckley, WV — $15,000 to connect local youth and community members to the Bailey’s Trail System in Athens County. Young adults will also be on site to help build more trails while strengthening leadership skills and promoting healthy outdoor recreation.
Community Food Initiatives; Athens, OH — $22,600 to support community food access efforts in Amesville and Trimble in Athens County as well as design a Nourishing Networks train-the-trainer program.
Foundation for Appalachian Ohio/Meigs County Community Fund; Nelsonville, OH — $5,000 to purchase materials for a school-based food pantry for students in Meigs County Schools.
Golden Girl Group Home; Ceredo, WV — $3,800 to purchase fitness equipment for a group home serving adolescent girls from the Mid-Ohio Valley.
GoPacks; Marietta, OH — $7,900 to support the AmeriCorps VISTA serving Marietta.
O’Neill Senior Center; Marietta, OH — $3,600 to purchase interactive equipment for educational programs for seniors.
Pleasants County Parks and Recreation; St. Marys, WV — $17,000 to purchase equipment and materials for recreational programs.
Rural Action; The Plains, OH — $25,000 to support the produce prescription distribution program in health care settings in the Mid-Ohio Valley.
Village Productions; Amesville, OH — $3,100 to support the upgrade of the kitchen to meet local health codes.
Washington-Morgan Community Action; Marietta, OH — $5,000 to support their summer program which provides hot nutritious lunches to children in New Matamoras, Beverly, Lower Salem and Lowell.
Wood County Senior Citizens Association; Parkersburg, WV — $12,500 for capacity building support.
WV Oral Health Coalition; Charleston, WV — $51,130 to purchase water bottle refilling stations for all 63 schools in Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt, and Wood counties.
Thriving Neighborhoods Priority Area
American Friends Service Committee; Milton, WV — $15,000 to provide support for policy advocacy work at the legislative and administrative level, including COVID relief measures, expanding child nutrition programs, and ending restrictions on SNAP eligibility.
Community Resources, Inc.; Parkersburg, WV — $32,225 to support the hiring of a full-time driver to transport seniors and those in recovery to appointments.
Pilot Club of Jackson County; Ripley, WV — $20,000 for multi-year support to assist individuals in Jackson County with dental costs who meet financial and dental guidelines.
Pleasants County Neighbor Network; St. Marys, WV — $10,000 for operating support.
Rising Suns Non-Profit Pharmacy; Athens, OH — $60,000 for multi-year operating support for their new nonprofit pharmacy to assist people in obtaining necessary medications while reducing cost barriers.
Voices for Children Foundation-CASA Program; Parkersburg, WV — $5,000 to support direct services provided to abused and neglected children in the Mid-Ohio Valley and continue the recruitment and training of community volunteers.
Washington County Homeless Project; Marietta, OH — $5,000 to provide compensation for an off-duty law enforcement individual during the hours of operation of the drop-in center which offers support for those experiencing homelessness.
Welcome Home SIS; Byesville, OH — $1,000 to support women in transitional housing and improve their chances of successfully reentering their communities and reuniting with loved ones.
West Virginians for Affordable Healthcare; Charleston, WV — $15,000 to support a pilot project engaging communities of color in Wood County to investigate racial inequities in health care and health care access.
Mental Health and Addiction Priority Area
Step 1; Parkersburg, WV — $25,000 for general operating support to establish the program providing temporary shelter and assistance to people experiencing substance use disorder.
We Have Your Six; Parkersburg, WV — $5,000 for operating support to support their mission in assisting veterans who are homeless.
Westbrook Health Services; Parkersburg, WV — $5,000 to purchase equipment for a multimedia studio that will produce episodes informing the community on mental health issues.
Women for Recovery; Athens, OH — $4,000 to support women residents in a sober living environment with healthy eating habits and a sense of community.
WV Kids Count; Charleston, WV — $14,800 to support partnerships with child-focused organizations in the Mid-Ohio Valley with data and advocacy tools to positively impact mental health and addiction in the lives of families and children.
The due date for requests under the priority areas of mental health and addiction; thriving neighborhoods; and healthy eating, active living is July 14, 2021. 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 $20 million in grants.