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The Jefferson Regional Foundation, which invests in the health and vitality of the South Hills and lower Mon Valley communities served by Jefferson Hospital, has awarded $1.67 million in 29 new grants in its first full year of grantmaking.

Board Chairman James G. Graham observed, “These early grant awards reflect the Foundation’s investment in our three priority areas of community health: increasing health access and prevention, improving child and family outcomes and strengthening vulnerable populations and communities, as well as our commitment to support the service area of Jefferson Hospital.” Half of the total grants (15) were awarded at the Board’s recent meeting in June, and a smaller number of grants were awarded in earlier grant cycles, in December 2014 and in March 2015. Most grants (73%) are for one year of program support.

Jefferson Regional Foundation received $75 million to engage in grantmaking, education and outreach as part of Jefferson Hospital’s March 2013 affiliation with the Allegheny Health Network.

Increasing Health Access and Prevention grants awarded this first full year of grantmaking include a partnership with the Allegheny Health Department to implement the Live Well Allegheny initiative in the Mon Valley ($150,000 for two years), expanding surveillance and treatment of asthma in schoolchildren through Duquesne University’s partnership with Dr. Deborah Gentile of the Allegheny Health Network ($177,000 for two years), and increasing access to health insurance for local residents through a United Way and YMCA navigator program ($75,000). Local patients returning home will benefit through use of a dedicated wheelchair ambulance van (Jefferson Hospital -$50,000). A local farm stand operated by Lifespan in Clairton increased access to fresh food ($5,260). Home fire safety is promoted in two local communities through the American Red Cross ($15,000). The Foundation provided $15,000 to each of two fellowship programs for graduate students to develop community -based health projects (Bridging the Gap/University of Pittsburgh and Albert Schweitzer Fellowship).

Improving Child and Family Outcomes grant awards included projects which support new families and align with Jefferson Hospital’s new Women and Infants Center obstetrics unit, including an innovative text mentoring program for new parents (Nurture PA - $80,000 over two years), outreach for safe sleep practices (Cribs for Kids -$52,000), and the creation of a regional donor milk bank (Three Rivers Mothers’ Milk Bank -$25,000). Sisters Place Inc. received a significant grant for supportive services to assist homeless single parents and their children ($150,000 over 3 years).

Grant awards support several afterschool and summer programs for youth across the area, including Best of the Batch Foundation in Homestead ($10,000), Melting Pot Ministries - a year round program serving South Park, Bethel Park and Baldwin -Whitehall students ($45,000), Youth Opportunities Development for the Stay Positive Clairton program ($75,000), Turtle Creek Valley MH/MR for an afterschool program at West Mifflin Middle School ($42,000), and YouthPlaces sites serving Clairton, Duquesne and McKeesport ($35,000 for van transportation and $35,000 for summer community service).

Strengthening Vulnerable Populations and Communities grant awards build capacity among identified populations and in local communities. It includes several projects to support local seniors, including helping older adults navigate insurance benefits (PA Health Law Project -$50,000), support building improvements to the Steel Valley Senior Resource Center (Lifespan -$80,000) and to encourage the community engagement of older adults through a choral group (TJ Arts - $12,000 over two years).

Executive coaching of nonprofit leaders is offered through the Executive in Residence Program (Forbes Funds -$25,000). Community development assistance for Clairton will be supported by a grant to Economic Development South ($180,000 over three years).

With 40% of the county’s immigrant and refugee community living in the South Hills, several grant awards are directed to support those residents, including a capacity building project for the Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh ($100,000 over two years), expansion of English language interpreter services through the Pittsburgh Language Access Network (PLAN)($70,000 to the Center for Hearing and Deaf Services over two years), job shadowing and college tours for refugee and immigrant students in the Baldwin -Whitehall district (Junior Achievement -$12,000) and development of a strategic county -wide blueprint for immigrant and international services (Allegheny County Department of Human Services -$15,000).

Grant guidelines, community reports and other information about the Jefferson Regional Foundation and the communities served are available at www.jeffersonrf.org.

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