Healthcare Foundation distributes $100k more in grants

Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County announced on Tuesday that it released an additional $100,000 in unrestricted emergency grants to local groups who provide assistance to those most affected by the coronavirus — the Latinx community, the low-income, and the homeless.

The funds are in addition to what Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County (HCF) distributed in the early stages of the pandemic through its Emergency Healthcare Fund.

“The Emergency Fund is a partnership between the Healthcare Foundation, our generous donors, and the nonprofits on the ground,” HCF Executive Director Kim Bender said in the press release. “We raise funds so that nonprofits can focus on serving the most vulnerable people in our community at this time of unprecedented need.”

In an emergency meeting the HCF board agreed to distribute more money to help nonprofit organizations provide “essential safety net services.”

HCF awarded grants of $227,625 earlier this month to support mental health in schools, healthcare practitioner education, street medicine for homeless and home-insecure folks.

The latest round of money was allocated as follows:

• $56,000 to Alliance Medical Centers for purchase of equipment and supplies for rapid testing.

• $14,000 to Alexander Valley Healthcare for a satellite treatment office for COVID-positive patients.

• $10,000 to Windsor Wellness Partnership for food delivery to quarantined people and those experiencing food insecurity.

• $10,000 to Humanidad for bilingual/bicultural mental health services.

• $5,000 to Mi Futuro for COVID-related mental health promotion to Latinx high school students pursuing healthcare careers.

• $5,000 to Farm to Pantry for rescuing locally-grown food and sharing it with those in need.

Additionally, initial program grants include:

• $100,000, in partnership with the John Jordan Foundation, in support of the Team Success counseling program at local high schools.

• $62,125 for Reach for Home’s Street Medicine program for medical care and mental health to homeless.

• $55,500 to participants in the Mental Health Talent Pipeline for local bilingual/bicultural Latinx mental health students and professionals.

• $10,000 to the Hanna Institute to build and nurture the network of 450 mental health professionals.

“These partners are doing vital work in two of our focus areas: mental health and healthcare access,” Bender said in the statement.

Funding for the Team Success program is in the third year of a three-year, $300,000 joint effort with the John Jordan Foundation to support ongoing mental health counseling services to local high school students. SOS Community Counseling, the Team Success service provider, continues to deliver these vital services to students via video and telephone conferencing.

Contact Anne at anne.ernst@sonomanews.com.