January 12, 2006
Contact: Bev Pfeifer-Harms
Director of Communications
314.345.5500 office

St. Louis Organizations Receive $3.1 Million in Health Grants

St. Louis - Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) has awarded a total of $3.1 million in grants to 26 St. Louis-area organizations. Basic support grants account for $2.6 million of the total. These two-year grants help offset certain administrative, operational and equipment costs so organizations can continue to focus resources on existing programs and services. The remaining $484,754 from MFH will fund specific programs proposed by the organizations.

Those receiving basic support grants are:

• Community Health-In-Partnership Services (CHIPS), $100,000. CHIPS provides primary care, health screenings, wellness programs and support groups to underserved and uninsured St. Louis City residents.
• Covenant House Missouri, $100,000. This organization provides food, shelter, emergency and support services to more than 1,300 homeless youth in the area.
• Crider Center for Mental Health, $178,875. Crider Center provides rehabilitation and residential services to individuals with mental illness in the metropolitan area to ensure they receive treatment.
• Evangelical Children's Home, $200,000. This organization offers residential and transitional living for youths, which includes medical services at the on-site children's clinic.
• Family Resource Center, $198,598. The Center specializes in the prevention and treatment of child abuse through counseling services for families.
• Good Shepherd School for Children, $100,000. This school provides physical, occupational, speech, developmental and play therapy for children from birth-age six.
• Harris House Foundation, $100,000. Harris House is the only long-term residential treatment facility in the area for homeless, chronically ill adults, serving an estimated 300 men and women each year.
• Independence Center, $199,883. This center provides psychiatric services to adults with mental illness who live in the metropolitan area. The center serves both the insured and uninsured.
• Interfaith Partnership of Metropolitan St. Louis, $91,915. This organization offers health and wellness programs for area seniors, children and the underserved.
• Jefferson County Health Department, $99,686. The department's reproductive health clinic provides services to low-income residents of Jefferson County.
• Logos School, $100,000. This school serves as a day treatment center for students with learning disabilities and behavior disorders, and provides individual therapy to students.
• Long Term Care Ombudsman Program St. Louis, $87,819. This organization provides education and advocacy for residents' rights to people living in long-term care facilities and their families.
• Lutheran Ministries Association, $40,365. This organization's programs primarily serve seniors in long-term care and the homeless, along with providing food and housing assistance to families of inmates.
• Lydia's House, Inc., $65,059. Lydia's House serves women and children affected by domestic violence by offering housing, medical and dental examinations and other services.
• Miriam Foundation, $30,000. This organization provides medical supplies not covered by insurance for cancer patients in the area to improve their quality of life.
• NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri Foundation, $79,328. This St. Louis-based organization's Access Project, an educational campaign on emergency contraception, along with other reproductive health services, are available to women throughout MFH's entire 84-county service area.
• National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse - St. Louis Area (NCADA), $92,697. NCADA provides resources and services to promote healthy, drug-free communities, including more than 30 prevention programs for youths.
• Peter & Paul Community Services, $100,000. This agency provides support services to homeless individuals, including residential services for those with mental illnesses and/or chemical dependency.
• Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, $197,995. This organization operates five health centers in the metropolitan region, offering medical treatment and services to more than 26,000 women, men and teens each year.
• St. Louis Area Food Bank, $100,000. St. Louis Area Food Bank annually distributes nearly 13 million pounds of food, including fresh fruits and vegetables, to food pantries for distribution to families and individuals in need.
• St. Patrick's Center, $200,000. This center serves more than 10,000 individuals and families annually and is the state's largest provider of homeless services. Programs include the Shamrock Substance Abuse Treatment Program, which focuses on men and women with substance abuse disabilities and mental illness.
• Sts. Joachim and Ann Care Services, $72,000. This organization provides crisis intervention and basic needs assistance to low income residents in St. Charles, Lincoln and Warren counties. Services include financial assistance with prescriptions, and medical supplies and equipment.
• South Grand Senior Ministry, $26,000. This partnership of Catholic parishes in south St. Louis coordinates health and social service supports for seniors in the area.
• Warren County Council Against Domestic Violence, $36,235. This organization provides shelter, counseling and support services for domestic violence and sexual assault victims and their children in Warren County.

Organizations receiving funds for specific programs are:

• Discovering Options, $369,075. This three-year grant will fund a substance-abuse prevention program to middle school students.
• Wings of Hope, Inc., $115,679. Wings of Hope, a volunteer organization based in Chesterfield, provides medical air transport throughout the state to uninsured, low-income families. The two-year grant will be used to increase the safety and efficiency of its services.

Established in 2000, MFH is the largest non-governmental funder of community health activities in the state. The Foundation is in its fourth year of grantmaking, having issued more than $148 million in grants and awards to date. It is dedicated to serving the uninsured and underserved in 84 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis. For more information about MFH, visit www.mffh.org.

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