Health funding alliance announces 2023 grants

Ten organizations will receive more than $56,000 in grants from Huntington County Healing Partners to support projects improving public health.

Healing Partners, an alliance between Parkview Huntington Hospital and the Huntington County Medical Society, announced that this year’s recipients were selected from among 18 applications.

The alliance was created in 2021, thanks to an endowment gift of more than $1.28 million from the medical society, to target the most pressing health needs in the county. Funding for the grants comes from interest generated by the Huntington County Physicians’ Legacy Fund and an annual gift from the hospital’s Community Health Improvement funds.

The annual grants support programs and equipment related to public health priorities identified in the Huntington County Health Needs Assessment. Conducted by Parkview Health every three years, the needs assessment identifies trends in health among Huntington County residents. The most recent assessment for 2023-2025 has established county health priorities that include mental health, child abuse and neglect, and substance use and abuse, among other findings.

“When it comes to improving the health of our neighbors across Huntington County, it takes the focused efforts of many people to meet a wide range of needs and bring about significant change,” said Doug Selig, market president, Parkview Health South. “Healing Partners recognizes that. These 10 organizations are all working toward the same goals, and the support they’re receiving will help them in that ongoing mission.”

The 2023 grants, totaling $56,100, were awarded to:

Blessings in a Backpack: Purpose: Increasing the availability of protein-rich foods in monthly distributions. Priorities addressed: Nutrition access, obesity.

Cancer Services for Huntington County: Purpose: Provide funding for cancer patients to help with travel and prescription medications. Priorities addressed: Cancer services.

Community Foundation of Huntington County: Purpose: Support the creation of the Huntington Early Childhood Coalition to be run under the Community Foundation of Huntington County. Priorities addressed: Child abuse and neglect.

Indiana Dream Center: Purpose: Expanding mental health services. Priorities addressed: Mental health.

McKenzie’s Hope: Purpose: Provide funds for updated camera equipment to be used in child interviews when there is suspected abuse or neglect. Priorities addressed: Child abuse and neglect.

McMillen Health: Purpose: Content funding for 15 Preventive Health Education for Youth programs to potentially be made available to 375 pre-K-12 students throughout the Huntington County Community School Corporation. Priorities addressed: Substance abuse, obesity, mental health.

New Life Ministries: Purpose: Support for transitional housing programs for men, women and children that provide shelter, education and daily structure. Priorities addressed: Substance abuse, mental health, child abuse and neglect.

Otis R. Bowen Center: Purpose: Provide funding for at-home blood pressure cuffs for those in need. Priorities addressed: Nutrition access, obesity.

Parkview Boys & Girls Club of Huntington: Purpose: Provide new programs and opportunities to the youth of Huntington through education in multi-media production, workforce development, cooking and lifestyle skills, e-sports and financial literacy. Priorities addressed: Mental health, nutrition access, obesity.

Parkview Huntington Family YMCA: Purpose: Provide programming to adults (65-plus) that supports mental health through community building. Priorities addressed: Mental health.

Local 501(c)3 not-for-profit organizations will be able to apply for funding again in 2023. Information on the timing of the next grant cycle will be available early next year.

For information on Huntington County Healing Partners, visit huntingtonhealingpartners.org.