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Sisters Health Foundation awards $900K in grants

PARKERSBURG — In 2020, a total of 85 local organizations received more than $900,000 total in funding through the Sisters Health Foundation to support a variety of programs.

Earlier this month, the SHF, formerly the Sisters of St. Joseph Charitable Fund, recognized the efforts of those organizations. For the past 20 years, a luncheon was held for them but this year’s recognition occurred virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SHF has been active for 24 years in helping organizations in eight West Virginia counties and three Ohio counties, the area once served by St. Joseph’s Hospital for over a century. The foundation serves Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Tyler, Wood, Wirt and Roane counties in West Virginia and Athens, Meigs and Washington counties in Ohio.

A total of 25 organizations were awarded a total of $81,960 in the Basic Needs/Direct Service Program, while 60 organizations were awarded a total of $851,653 in the Responsive Grants Program.

Within the Responsive Grants Program, 33 organizations in the Health Equity priority area were awarded a total of $566,530 and 25 organizations in the Healthy Lifestyles priority area were awarded a total of $240,123. Two organizations in the Oral Health priority area were awarded a total of $45,000.

Organizations acknowledged for their completed grants included:

Basic Needs/Direct Service Grants Program.

* Adams House Ministries, Middlebourne: For fresh produce for Tyler County residents.

* Calhoun County Committee on Aging, Grantsville: To provide supplemental support for their nutrition program serving senior citizens and veterans.

* Calhoun Family Resource Network, Grantsville: To enhance their diaper pantry and senior feeding program by adding essential products like hygiene items.

* GFWC Parkersburg Woman’s Club, Parkersburg: To provide weekend nutritional snack bags to McKinley and Emerson Elementary students.

* Grantsville First Baptist Church, Grantsville: To provide food for low-income households.

* HAVAR Inc., Athens: For the purchase of Sonicare electric toothbrushes and waterpiks to address dental needs of people with developmental disabilities.

* Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio, Worthington: To purchase food for its mobile food pantries in Athens and Meigs Counties.

* MOV Regional Council, Parkersburg: To support seniors in maintaining their independence in their own homes.

* Nazareth Farm, Salem: For the purchase of home repair materials for homes in Ritchie County.

* Ohio University Diabetes Institute, Athens: To provide gas cards for Athens, Meigs, and Washington County residents for their diabetes management appointments located within Athens County.

* Ohio University Foundation — Baker Center Food Pantry, Athens: To purchase food for their food pantry serving first and second year Ohio University students with limited income.

* Old Man Rivers, Parkersburg: To support the cost of eye exams and glasses.

* Parents & Friends of the Hearing Impaired Inc., Marietta: To support purchase or repair of hearing aids for low income deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

* Parkersburg Urban Ministries Inc., Parkersburg: To assist with utility payments for Wood County residents.

* Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh & Morgantown, Morgantown: Lodging support for families from the Mid-Ohio Valley while their child is receiving care at the hospital.

* Savannah’s Closet, Ravenswood: To provide clothing, shoes, and hygiene items to children in foster care and those in emergency need in schools in Jackson and Roane Counties.

* St. Mary Basilica, Marietta: To support the provision of food for Daily Bread Kitchen clients.

* Stephenson United Methodist Church, Parkersburg: To purchase ready-to-eat food items for children.

* Syracuse Community Center, Syracuse: To replace a broken water fountain.

* The Salvation Army of Marietta, Marietta: Lodging support for individuals or families without proper housing during the winter months.

* The Wirt County Missional Group, Elizabeth: To support vehicle operational costs and additional food or toiletries for their food pantry.

* United Campus Ministry, Athens: To provide food and food-related supplies for youth attending the after school LGBTQ art program.

* Washington County Homeless Project, Marietta: To provide free loads of laundry once a month for Washington County individuals and families with limited incomes.

* West Central Regional Drug Court, Parkersburg: To provide Drug Court participants with rental assistance and housing items as they maintain a sober living environment.

* Wirt County Extension, Elizabeth: To support the implementation of a basic nutrition program at the Spring Valley Food Pantry.

Sixty organizations completed their grants from Responsive Grants Program. Within this program, organizations are recognized for their work in the oral health, healthy lifestyles and health equity priority areas.

Oral Health

Priority Area

* Pilot Club of Jackson County, Ripley: To support costs for adult dental services in Jackson County.

* WV Health Right Inc., Charleston: To assist in purchasing dental supplies and providing dental services for low-income uninsured and underinsured adults for their mobile dental clinic in Roane County.

Healthy Lifestyles Priority Area

* American Heart Association, Charleston: To support a community-driven program to address risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke for underserved areas of the Mid-Ohio Valley.

* Arnoldsburg Elementary, Arnoldsburg: To improve the community school property for a baseball/soccer/kickball/exercise area.

* Boys & Girls Club of Pleasants County, St. Marys: To support the upgrade of the kitchen and teen center.

* Boys & Girls Club of Washington County, Marietta: To support the Triple Play program which strengthens children’s knowledge of healthy habits, good nutrition, and physical fitness.

* City of Vienna, Vienna: To purchase exercise equipment for the adult playground in Jackson Park.

* Colonial House, Parkersburg: To purchase fresh food for their residents.

* Devola MultiUse Trail Committee (Marietta Rowing & Cycling Club), Marietta: To assist in the final phase to complete the trail for a health safety event.

* Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center, Wheeling: To support the implementation of a summer equine-assisted therapy program for children with disabilities.

* Latrobe Street Mission, Parkersburg: For the purchase of new beds and mattresses.

* Live Healthy Appalachia, Athens: For the expansion of their children’s nutrition education program in Meigs County with an interactive online curricula for teachers, parents, and students.

* Palmer Township, Waterford: To purchase playground equipment.

* Project Yoga Mid-Ohio Valley, Vienna: To provide free yoga classes for any veteran and their spouse at Full Circle Yoga.

* Roane County Committee on Aging Inc., Spencer: To replace a heating/cooling roof unit in the building where congregate meals are served to seniors.

* Roane County PATCH, Spencer: To purchase equipment and materials for high tunnels for vegetable growing and chicken processing.

* Rural Action, The Plains: To support the scaling of healthy food access systems such as mobile food delivery and healthy consumer curriculum development in targeted food deserts in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

* The Arc of the Mid Ohio Valley, Parkersburg: To purchase and install a washer, dryer, and stove to teach daily living skills to youth and adults with cognitive, intellectual, and developmental disabilities.

* Village of Middleport, Middleport: To support the second phase of construction of the multi-purpose trail.

* Village of Racine, Racine: To support the final phase of construction of the splash pad.

* Washington-Morgan Community Action, Marietta: To support the summer program which provides hot nutritious lunches to children in New Matamoras, Beverly, Lower Salem, and Lowell.

* West Virginia State University Foundation, Institute: For two trainings in the MOV implementing the Healthy Grandfamilies Program for grandparents raising their grandchildren.

* What’s Next MOV, Parkersburg: For expenses related to an educational workshop on substance use disorder.

* Williamstown Elementary PTA, Williamstown: To purchase playground equipment.

* Wolf Creek Local Schools — Waterford Elementary, Waterford: For the creation of a path around the playground and installation of buddy benches to engage positive interactions among students and to help benefit their social-emotional development.

* Women for Recovery, Athens: To support weekly communal meals that model healthy living as well as foster social connectivity for women in recovery.

* Wood County Senior Citizens Association Inc., Parkersburg: For the purchase of kitchen equipment to prepare congregate and home delivered meals for seniors.

Health Equity

Priority Area

* American Friends Service Committee, Milton: To support a variety of efforts protecting the social safety net impacting low-income individuals and families at the county, state, federal levels as well as advocacy work to support free feeding programs for children.

* American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley, Parkersburg: Expansion of services in the Mid-Ohio Valley to promote and maintain the well-being of veterans.

* Athens Area Mediation Service, Athens: To support the development of an eldercare mediation program serving the care needs of individuals while maintaining their autonomy and minimizing conflict among family members and caregivers.

* Catholic Committee of Appalachia, Spencer: To assist in repairing and improving a house to serve as emergency housing for victims in crisis and disaster as well as retreat space for marginalized populations.

* Children’s Hunger Alliance, Columbus: To assist in-home family child care providers in Meigs County in receiving a Step Up to Quality rating so as to continue to provide quality care.

* Circles Campaign of the Mid-Ohio Valley Inc., Parkersburg: For operations support for a Resource Coordinator to assist participants with employment and educational development.

* Columbus Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Cancer Foundation Inc., Westerville: For expansion of screening, educational outreach, and patient care services in Meigs County.

* Community Food Initiatives, Athens: To support the continuation of the FoodLink project which originated in West Virginia with staff trainings, workshops, and convenings on food access.

* Coplin Health Systems, Elizabeth: To purchase eye screening equipment to be used at the Emerson site in Wood County to check the vision and retina health for people of all ages.

* Cornerstone Gospel Church, Vienna: To support the maintenance and gas costs for the bus that transports individuals to recovery programs in Parkersburg.

* GiveMore Connections, Belpre: For social skills training to build self-esteem and emotional well-being for youth with a variety of chronic health conditions.

* Hocking, Athens, Perry Community Action (HAPCAP), Glouster: For operational and capital maintenance costs for a new fixed-route transportation line of the Athens Public Transit system, connecting the City of Nelsonville and the Village of Albany with the City of Athens.

* Hopewell Health Centers, Chillicothe: For medical equipment and supplies for a school-based health center in Eastern Local Schools of Meigs County.

* Kanawha Valley Fellowship Home, Charleston: To supplement utility expenses for their apartments and homes for men in recovery.

* Marietta College, Marietta: To fund the tuition for a graduate student pursuing a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, which would enable the acquisition of licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor.

* Marietta College, Marietta: Nonprofits LEAD in support of capacity building for Mid-Ohio Valley nonprofits.

* Marshall University Research Corporation, Huntington: To implement an Expanded School Mental Health 3-tier framework in Ritchie County to increase access and develop supports to meet student needs for universal prevention, early intervention, and mental health treatment in school settings.

* Marshall University Research Corporation, Huntington: To support a community health worker in Athens County to serve high-risk patients with chronic conditions.

* Mid-Ohio Valley Fellowship Home, Parkersburg: To strengthen agency responsiveness to community needs and assist with sober living program supplies.

* Mountaineer Food Bank, Gassaway: For the purchase of a new racking and wrapping machine to improve efficiency in food distributions and worker safety.

* National Church Residences, Belpre: To provide transportation for people recovering from substance use disorders residing in Washington County, Ohio, and Wood County, W.Va., to necessary medical and court appointments.

* OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, Athens: To support a pilot patient and family navigator program to provide resources and education for patients and community members with substance use disorders.

* Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Free Clinic, Athens: To provide patients with medication, diabetes and hypertension management supplies, assistance with transportation, and other expenses for their free clinic.

* O’Neill Senior Center, Marietta: To assist in the transition to electronic client charting for their adult day center program.

* Pleasants County Commission, St. Marys: To support the repairs for Pleasants County courthouse elevator.

* Pleasants County Office of Emergency Services, St. Marys: For the purchase of a formal decontamination equipment for Pleasants County.

* Public Defender Corporation for the 5th Judicial Circuit, Ripley: To support the full-time recovery coach to connect clients with treatment services.

* The Children’s Listening Place Inc., Parkersburg: To purchase a high quality digital camera for better medical examinations to be used for severe physical abuse and sexual assault cases.

* Voices for Children Foundation-CASA Program, Parkersburg: To support direct services to children who have been abused and neglected.

* Wasco Inc., Marietta: To assist in the purchase of a new vehicle which transports individuals with disabilities to the community.

* West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, Charleston: To support policy, research, and outreach in protecting the safety net such as Medicaid in West Virginia as well as formalizing the Food For All Coalition.

* Wirt County Schools, Elizabeth: To support the services at the school to address students’ behavioral and mental health needs and the expansion of their partnership with Harmony Mental Health for self-regulation strategies.

* Wood County Society, Parkersburg: To purchase therapeutic tools and resources to assist youth with speech disorders in sensory and tactile interventions.

Wayne Towner can be reached at wtowner@newsandsentinel.com.

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