VIENNA - The Sisters of St. Joseph Charitable Fund honored the organizations and their programs that received grants in 2012 during the fund's 13th annual Grantee Luncheon Friday.
"The word transition seems to be the best summary for the Sisters of St. Joseph Charitable Fund not only with our change in staffing but on our board," said Executive Director Cynthia M. Drennan.
The invitation-only event was held at the Parkersburg Country Club and included recognition of the grant recipients and their accomplishments. The luncheon included the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cincinnati, the fund's board of directors and staff as well as area constituents and funding partners with grantees as the guests of honor.
"We're really here to celebrate the changes that have occurred in the communities because of these organizations and what they have done and accomplished," Drennan said. "The differences you have made in the lives of the people and the benefits and impacts in the communities are to be applauded."
The mission of the organization is to promote healthy and sustainable communities by providing financial assistance, strengthening collaborative relationships and supporting local initiatives.
All grants the organization has funded involve healthy eating, physical activity, oral health and other health-related initiatives.
This year, about 50 organizations were awarded $600,000. The foundation has awarded more than $10 million in funding toward improving holistic health and wellness in the Mid-Ohio Valley since July 1997.
More than 300 non-profit agencies have received grant funding from the foundation, which has created collaborative partnerships that have made a measurable and sustainable difference in the lives of the people they serve.
The fund was established in 1996 after the order sold a 50 percent stake in the former St. Joseph's Hospital to Hospital Corporation of America. The sisters eventually sold its remaining interestes in the more-than-century old hospital to HCA.
To be eligible for a grant, the program must benefit and promote wellness and a healthy lifestyle. Innovation and how the program can broaden the scope of wellness also factor in deciding grant recipients.
The foundation serves Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Tyler, Wood, Wirt and Roane counties in West Virginia and Athens, Meigs, and Washington counties in Ohio.
The Spring 2013 cycle has already begun with letters accepted until 3 p.m. Jan. 9.
Organizations also must be a non-profit, public agency with tax-exempt status, or a community-based group sponsored by such an agency, with a project or proposal consistent with the fund's guiding principles.
The project or proposal must directly and clearly relate to health and wellness and address one of four areas:
* The More Active People initiative.
* The Health Ministries initiative.
* The Oral Health initiative, which was recently established.
* The Community Grant initiative.
The mailing address is P.O. Box 4440, Parkersburg, WV 26104-4440. The physical address is 4420 Rosemar Road, Rosemar Center, Suite 204, Parkersburg, WV 26104. The phone (304) 424-6080 and the fax number is (304) 424-6081.
Applicants are also encouraged to visit the fund's website at www.ssjcharitablefund.org.
The grantees for the Fall 2012 cycle are:
* American Red Cross, Mid-Ohio Valley Chapter - Be Red Cross Ready.
* Appalachian Peace and Justice Network - Second Step Violence Prevention.
* Athens County Child Advocacy Center - SANE Training.
* Athens Mental Health Inc. - Fresh Food Pantry.
* Belmont Volunteer Fire Department - Facility Expansion.
* Boys and Girls Club of Pleasants County - Triple Play Program.
* Camden Clark Medical Center - Patient Navigator.
* Children's Home Society - Parents as Teachers.
* Community Food Initiatives Farm to Cafeteria: Dig in for Health.
* Ely Chapman Education Foundation - Summer Camp: Healthy Choices, Healthy Children.
* Essentially Yours - Program Supplies.
* Friends of the Barlow Library - Expansion and Renovations.
* Gabriel Project of West Virginia - Mid-Ohio Valley area- Program Expansion.
* Gilmore Elementary Schools, Sandyville, W.Va. - Nature and Fitness Trail/ Outdoor Classroom.
* Good Samaritan Clinic - Wood County - Health Care Support.
* Habitat for Humanity of Athens County - ReStore Development.
* Habitat for Humanity of Wood County - AED Equipment.
* Habitat West Virginia -World of Hope 25th Anniversary Build.
* Hearts and Hands Ministry of Williamstown - Program Support.
* Kids on Campus - More Active Children and Summer 2012: Promoting Healthy Lifestyles.
* Marietta College -Nonprofit Capacity Building/ Americorps VISTA.
* Marietta Family YMCA - Y Fit Kids.
* Martin Elementary School, Parkersburg - Martin on the Move: Playground Improvements.
* Meigs Cooperative Parish, Pomeroy - Faith Community Nursing.
* Mid-Ohio Valley Fellowship Home - Resident Provision Program.
* Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department - six county area - Children's Oral Health Education and Screening.
* Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council - eight county area - Senior Companion Program.
* Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine - OUHCOM Free Clinic.
* O'Neill Senior Center - Benefits Enrollement Program.
* Paper Circle, Nelsonville - Circle Round the Square.
* Parkersburg Art Center - Saturday Art Classes.
* Peer Support Inc. - Wood County - Program Support.
* Pilot Club of Jackson County - Program Support.
* Roane County Committee on Aging - Fitness Center Equipment.
* Sacred Heart Church - Meigs County - Migrant Program Support.
* Sistersville General Hospital Foundation - IV Therapy Suite.
* St. Margaret Mary Catholica Church - Kids Hope USA.
* Tyler County Board of Education - Energy Express.
* United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley - Every Smile Matters.
* Village Production, Amesville, Ohio - Capacity by Coordination.
* Volunteer Action Center - FaithLink.
* Washington County Free Clinic - Salary Support, Manager.
* Washington County Health Department - Panoramic X-ray and Processor.
* Wirt County Sheriff's Department - Prescription Drug Take-Back Unit.
* Wood County Schools - Healthy Schools Program III and Automatic Defibrillator Equipment.
* West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy - Outreach and Education on the Affordable Care Act.
* West Virginia Health Right - Dental Supplies.
* WV Kids Count Fund - Children's Oral Health Advocacy.
