St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 6 -- Twenty-eight Missouri nonprofits have received more than $5 million in grants awarded by the Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH). The grants support nonprofit organizations that work to improve the health of thousands of Missourians. Awards were made in the areas of physical fitness, nutrition, and obesity prevention; tobacco prevention and cessation; and women’s health.
Twelve grants totaling nearly $2.9 million come through MFH’s Healthy & Active Communities (H&AC) initiative. H&AC targets community-based organizations reaching populations at increased risk of developing obesity, including women and children, racial and ethnic groups and low-income individuals and families. Organizations receiving three-year grants are:
Barton County Memorial Hospital, Lamar, $300,000. Funding supports the southwest Missouri hospital’s BLEND (Better Lifestyle, Exercise and Nutrition Daily) program to improve walkable and bikeable areas, and increase family involvement in healthy lifestyle choices through education.
City of Perryville, Perryville, $259,535. Grant funding helps the southeast Missouri city implement healthy lifestyle changes including the installation of playground equipment, fitness stations along hiking and biking paths, a Bike Check-Out program and a community garden.
Fordland Clinic Inc., Fordland, $295,197. With MFH funding, the southwest Missouri clinicis developing school and community gardens in several rural communities along Route 60.
Gateway Greening, St. Louis, $297,840. Funding supports the development of six community hub gardens to increase access to affordable, locally grown, nutritious food for schools, daycare centers and other sites in underserved neighborhoods.
JeffersonCounty Health Department, Arnold. The health department has received two separate grants – $159,661 to adopt a Complete Streets policy for the county, which is just south of St. Louis, and increase residents’ physical activity through bike routes, safety courses, community events and a Bike-To-School program; and $119,327 to expand the DeSoto Farmers’ Market, increasing residents’ access to local fresh fruits and vegetables, and promoting healthy lifestyle education.
Lutie R-VI School, Theodosia, $123,531. Grant funds help the south central Missouri school implement walking and fitness trails to create a safe environment where students and the community can exercise.
Missouri Baptist Hospital, Sullivan, $236,441. Funding allows the hospital to hire a program coordinator, work with churches to establish wellness and fitness programs in their congregations, and develop community exercise facilities.
Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, St. Louis,$299,437. With MFH funding, the organization is developing a neighborhood grocery co-op, city garden and education program to promote affordable, nutritious, locally grown food in six inner city neighborhoods.
The PedNet Coalition, Columbia, $294,650. MFH funding allows the mid-Missouri organizationto promote safe, accessible physical exercise areas for residents and encourage citizen advocacy for infrastructure improvements and healthy lifestyle change.
St. John’s Regional Medical Center, Joplin, $296,118. MFH funding helps the southwest Missouri medical center implement the LiveSmart program, which improves accessibility of walking and biking trails and promotes healthy diet and exercise.
Trailnet Inc., St. Louis, $214,319. Grant funding supports the organization’s efforts to expand healthy eating and active living opportunities in the Vinita Park area through walking trail programming, workplace wellness policies and Complete Streets policy change.
MFH’s Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Initiative (TPCI) is a multi-year effort to reduce tobacco use in the state through a variety of funding strategies. MFH awarded a total of more than $1 million through eight TPCI grants to:
Butler County Health Department, Poplar Bluff, $149,681. Funding helps the southeast Missouri health department promote the Missouri Tobacco Quitline and increase local smoking cessation services under the American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking program.
Carter County Health Center, Van Buren, $148,914. Funding helps the southeast Missouri health center implement community-based tobacco cessation and education services through the American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking program.
Douglas County Health Department, Ava, $139,723. MFH support enables the south central Missouri department to create counseling and resource materials that promote smoking cessation, provide cessation educator training and lead grassroots efforts to encourage smoke-free workplaces.
Howell County Health Department, West Plains, $41,763. With MFH funding, the south central Missouri health department is expanding access to smoking cessation classes and services through the American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking program.
Ozark Center, Joplin, $150,000. Grant funds help the southwest Missouri organization expand its workplace smoking cessation initiative.
Pemiscot County Initiative Network, Caruthersville, $136,921. With MFH funding, the organization seeks to increase access to cessation services in three Bootheel counties under the American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking program.
Saint Francis Medical Center, Cape Girardeau, $145,435. Grant funds help the southeast Missouri hospital continue to offer the American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking programto employees and the public; provide workers with tools to implement tobacco-free workplace policies; and educate smokeless tobacco users about cessation resources.
Washington County Community Partnership, Potosi,$146,358. With MFH funding, the organization is implementing a smoking cessation program titled “Quitters,” and promoting the Missouri Tobacco Quitline and www.BecomeAnEx.org to the east central Missouri county’s residents.
MFH’s Women’s Health funding program currently supports efforts to reduce violence against women. MFH awarded a total of more than$1.1 million through nine grants to:
ALIVE (Alternatives to Living in Violent Environments), St. Louis, $141,626. Funding supports expansion of the organization’s emergency shelter and crisis intervention services for victims of intimate partner violence.
AVENUES (Abuse Victims Education Network Unified to Ensure Safety), Hannibal,$57,339. Grant funds help the northeast Missouri organization increase case management, crisis intervention, support groups and advocacy services during evening and weekend hours.
ChristosHouse, West Plains, $150,000. Funding allows the organization to hire additional case managers and implement a telephone hotline to assist domestic and sexual violence victims in south central Missouri.
Citizens Against Domestic Violence/Victim Outreach Center, Camdenton, $146,761. Grant funding enables the organization to provide counseling and support group services to 300 additional central Missouri women who are victims of domestic and sexual violence.
The Crisis Center (Women’s Crisis Center of Taney County Inc.), Branson, $150,000. MFH funding helps the center hire additional support advocates and expand crisis intervention and case management services for women in rural southwest Missouri.
Jefferson City Rape & Abuse Crisis Service Inc., Jefferson City, $140,554. Funding supports expansion of the organization’s Helping Women Live Abuse Free program, which offers case management, advocacy and crisis intervention services in an eight-county area.
Polk County House of Hope, Bolivar, $44,634. MFH funding helps the southwest Missouri organization expand support group services, emergency shelter, case management and counseling programs for women victims of domestic and sexual violence.
Redevelopment Opportunities for Women Inc., St. Louis, $149,798. With MFH funding, the organization’s Safety and Security Through Housing First program is adding staff to assist larger numbers of low-income women fleeing domestic violence.
Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence, Cape Girardeau, $146,906. MFH funding helps the organization expand services for female victims of sexual violence and sexual abuse, including the addition of a full-time advocate and a 24-hour crisis hotline.
Established in 2000, MFH is the largest nongovernmental funder of community health activities in Missouri. MFH is in its seventh year of grant making, having issued more than $350 million in grants and awards to date. It is dedicated to serving the uninsured, underinsured and underserved in 84 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis.