Augusta Health Community Services Committee awards $109K in grants

Augusta Health’s Community Services Committee, established by the Augusta Health Board of Directors to support health initiatives and support partner health-improvement organizations in the community, has awarded $109,254 in single year grants to 14  local organizations.  The awards were presented at the September 28 meeting of the Community Health Forum.

“It’s always a joy to be able to support important and valuable programs in our community,” says Linda Gail Johnson, Director of Community Wellness at Augusta Health.  “It would be impossible for one organization to meet the needs of the community, so collaborations like the projects we’ve been able to fund this year are a key strategy for improving the health and wellness of all our neighbors.

The single year grants were awarded to:
· Bessie Weller Elementary School for their Peaceful Playground Project;
· Blue Ridge Area Food Bank for their Back Pack Program;
· CASA for Children of SAW for court advocacy;
· Crossroads to Brain Injury Recovery for Circles of Support case management services;
· Family Resource and Referral Center for their in-home visitation;
· Hospice of the Shenandoah for Camp Dragonfly support;
· Rebuilding Together for home repair and modification projects;
· Rockbridge Area Transportation for round-trips from Rockbridge County to Augusta Health;
· St. Peter’s Lutheran Church for their Katie’s Snacks Project;
· Salvation Army-Staunton for medications, supplies and infant support;
· Salvation Army-Waynesboro for their Social Services Program;
· Valley Hope Counseling Center for low-fee counseling services;
· Valley Mission for support of the ASK life skills program; and
· Valley Program for Aging Services for Meals on Wheels.

The Community Services Committee of Augusta Health supports the mission of Augusta Health through effective collaboration, active partnerships, and funding of local non-profits with similar missions to improve the health and well-being of the community.  In addition to single-year awards, the Committee also awards multi-year grants, scholarships to young adults for health career education, funds to staff and support specific programs such as Working on Wellness, and funds to staff and support the Community Health Forum.

“Our Community Services Committee is committed to improving the health of the residents in our community by working to make appropriate health care and services available to those who need them,” added Johnson.  “We look forward to continuing that commitment to our partners and the community for many years to come.”

The Community Services Committee is a committee of the Augusta Health Board of Directors.