MetroWest Health Foundation Awards $720,000 in Grants to Address COVID & Health Equity Needs
This article originally appeared in the Framingham Source on Nov. 9, 2020
FRAMINGHAM – The MetroWest Health Foundation announced the award of over $720,000 in new grants to area organizations. The bulk of the funds will address immediate needs in response to COVID 19 by providing capacity building support to local public health departments, support to area councils on aging to address the social isolation of older adults, and funding to address the emotional resiliency of residents coping with the anxiety, stress and loss associated with the pandemic.
In addition to COVID-related funding, the foundation provided support to local organizations seeking to address health inequities in the region. This includes a grant to Wayside Youth & Family Support Network to be used to develop a regional resource center focused on health equity. The new center will develop tools, training modules and expert speakers that can be used by other organizations as they seek to address diversity, equity, and inclusion in their workforce, governance, and programming.
Organizations receiving grants under the foundation’s fall grant cycle are:
COVID 19 Grants to Enhance Public Health Capacity –
- Framingham Health Department $30,000
- Hopkinton Health Department $19,800
- Hudson Health Department $20,000
- Natick Health Department $30,000
- Needham Public Health Division $20,000
- Sudbury Board of Health $20,000
COVID 19 Grants to Address the Social Isolation of Older Adults –
- Ashland Council on Aging $24,000
- Friends of the Callahan Senior Center $25,000
- Holliston Council on Aging $16,650
- Massachusetts Assoc. for the Blind $21,347
- Needham Community Council $25,000
- Northborough Council on Aging $ 9,268
- Sherborn Council on Aging $16,000
- Thrive, Support & Advocacy $17,160
COVID 19 Emotional Resiliency Grants –
- Advocates, Inc. $29,962
- Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest $30,000
- Hudson Health Department $30,000
- New Hope, Inc. $30,000
- SMOC $25,782
- Spark Kindness $24,574
- Westborough Youth & Family Services $19,000
Health Equity Grants –
- Health Care for All $30,000
- Learning Center for the Deaf $30,000
- Natick Health Department $30,000
- Wayside Youth & Family Support Net. $29,769
Other Support –
- A Place to Turn $20,000
- Natick Service Council $20,000
- Town of Natick Rail Trail $75,000
The MetroWest Health Foundation is a catalyst for a healthy MetroWest, providing more than $5 million in annual financial support for preventative and responsive health programs. Through its work on issues such as adolescent health, healthy aging and health equity, the foundation seeks to develop and support programs that have a positive impact on the health of the 25 communities in the MetroWest area of Massachusetts. For more information about the foundation, visit www.mwhealth.org.
