$227,300 in grants awarded to improve health in Berks County
9 local organizations were awarded grants to fund programs.
Nine local organizations have been awarded grants to fund programs that address health-related issues.
The Berks County Community Foundation awarded the grants, which total $227,300, through its Home Health Care Foundation Fund.
The purpose of the fund is to provide assistance to programs that help residents recover from illness or disability at home, support preventive health care for residents and the overall community and provide health-related care to residents.
Grants are awarded to organizations that serve residents in Berks and surrounding counties.
The Home Health Care Foundation Fund has distributed more than $500,000 since it was established at the community foundation in 2020. The recipients of grants for this latest round of funding are:
• $114,000 over three years to Berks Teens Matter, a program of CoCounty Wellness Services. The funding will support social media work to spread messages intended to reduce teen pregnancy. Berks Teens Matter educates youth and the community about the accessibility of sexual health resources. The program also advocates a healthy approach to adolescent sexual health.
• $27,600 to the United Disabilities Services Foundation for residents in need to be given stairlifts at no cost. This will allow those residents to remain safely in their own homes.
• $25,000 to Alvernia University to support free, high-quality physical therapy care at its Physical Therapy Center at Oakbrook. Since 2016, the center has provided physical therapy to more than 300 patients during more than 1,000 appointments. Alvernia plans to double the amount of services provided there within two years.
• $20,000 to the American Red Cross to hold blood drives in Berks and distribute platelets for patients fighting cancer.
• $15,000 to Safe Berks to rapidly expand its prescription medication assistance program for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.
• $10,000 to Planned Parenthood Keystone for its rapid sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment program. The program combines testing, education and treatment in the same visit. This approach increases STI treatment rates, reduces community spread, decreases long-term health consequences and creates more access to care.
• $9,100 to the YMCA of Reading & Berks County to provide mental health first-aid training to parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, health and human services workers and other caring citizens to help adolescents who are experiencing a mental health crisis or addiction challenge.
• $4,000 to Fleetwood Community Bus, a nonprofit 25-seat bus run by volunteers, to transport local seniors to grocery stores.
• $2,600 to the John Paul II Center for Special Learning to purchase CPR training, AED practice devices and updated CPR and first-aid teaching manuals. It will allow for in-house training to reduce ongoing costs while allowing staff to practice their CPR skills more frequently.
The fund will accept applications for another round of funding from Jan. 1 until March 15. The maximum amount available for each organization is $40,000.
The purpose of the fund is to provide assistance to programs that help residents recover from illness or disability at home, support preventive health care for residents and the overall community and provide healthrelated care to residents.