North Penn Community Health Foundation
Awards $220,000 in Grants
Colmar, PA – The North Penn Community Health Foundation has awarded seven grants totaling $220,000 to local nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving the health and well-being of at-risk populations in the North Penn communities.
The Greater North Penn Collaborative for Health and Human Services (The Collaborative) was awarded two grants totaling $71,000. The Collaborative advocates for information-sharing, dialogue and action around critical health and wellness issues of concern to residents and nonprofit organizations serving the North Penn and Indian Valley communities. The Collaborative is highly recognized for its leadership role and receives support from the foundation, Montgomery County Human Services and the North Penn United Way. A grant of $51,000 will support continued funding of the North Penn Nonprofit Academy. Founded in 2003, the Academy continues to receive widespread recognition for providing training, support, organizational development and leadership workshops to nonprofit executives, managers and board members. With continued grant support from the foundation, the Academy plans to provide eight educational workshops through July 2010, with the goal of continuous learning, increased participation and collaboration among health and human services organizations, as well as an enhanced capacity to focus programs on the emerging needs of nonprofit organizations serving the North Penn Community. A grant of $20,000 over one year will provide general operating funds to help sustain the Collaborative’s work. Grant funding will enable the Collaborative to again host an annual Community Summit, convene discussions on critical issues and continue its advocacy to raise awareness of opportunities to address unmet needs.
The Indian Creek Foundation (ICF) of Souderton was awarded $40,000 in support of a pilot outpatient mental health services program. Founded in 1975, ICF provides opportunities for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate in residential programs, employment, vocational training and day programs. With this grant, ICF in partnership with the Penn Foundation will serve the unmet needs of developmentally disabled adults who are experiencing symptoms of mental illness. Currently no such program exists in the North Penn community. David Crosson, Executive Director at ICF, believes that the outpatient program, once implemented, will reduce the incidences of disruptive/disturbing behaviors experienced in residential and vocational settings, as well as reduce the number of psychiatric emergency room visits and/or hospitalizations.
Peaceful Living of Harleysville was awarded $12,000 over one year for support of its “Congregational Coach Project.” Peaceful Living’s mission is building a faith-centered advocacy program to help families and their children with disabilities to establish lifelong relationships within their faith communities. The Congregational Coach Project will work with several congregations in the Indian Valley offering technical assistance to develop strategies for improving the participation of people with disabilities in worship and faith based activities. The project goal is to assist people with disabilities in feeling more welcome and included in congregational life and worship opportunities, as well as enable religious leaders to feel more competent in embracing people with disabilities into their services. A leadership guide and peer mentoring program will be developed to assist other congregations in developing similar programs.
Other grants awarded include:
$40,000 over one year to The Bucks County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. for promoting enhanced access and use of recovery support services to address the needs of youth and young adults in making better decisions about alcohol, tobacco and drug use.
$35,000 to the North Penn Valley Boys and Girls Club, Inc. to support the implementation of a performance management system at both of its sites. With grant funding, the Club will create a plan that measures outcomes, targeted programs and the overall performance and impact of its programs and services in addressing the needs of members participating in the Club’s afterschool programs.
$22,000 to the Montgomery County Community College Foundation, Inc. in continued support of its “Eliminating Dental Caries across the Lifespan” project. Through the College’s Dental Hygiene Program at least 400 children residing in the North Penn area will receive dental sealants and/or fluoride varnish treatment without cost to their parents. These treatments are recognized as a cost-effective strategy for reducing/eliminating cavities. The grant also provides support for oral health education programs targeted to nursing students at the College.
