Hospitals give more than $250K in grants to nonprofits

Dignity Health’s Community Hospital of San Bernardino and St. Bernardine Medical Center recently granted a total of $254,727 to four nonprofit organizations that are helping local underserved communities by addressing human trafficking, housing, legal services and health care.

June Collison, president of Community Hospital of San Bernardino, and Doug Kleam, president of St. Bernardine Medical Center, hosted a virtual awards celebration for the grantees.

The Family Assistance Program received funding for its efforts to aid victims of human trafficking, and the Lestonnac Clinic was granted funds to allow it to increase the number of uninsured people served at the free clinic, and Mary’s Mercy Center — Veronica’s Home of Mercy received funds for its housing programs to aid abused women, with or without children.

Also receiving a grant was the Legal Aid Foundation, which provides legal services that help facilitate safety, stability, healthy home life and access to health care.

“Through our Community Health Grant Program, we are able to work collaboratively to improve the well-being of the communities we serve,” Linda McDonald, vice president of mission services for Dignity Health Southern California, said in a news release.

“This year, the Inland Empire hospitals were able to increase our grant funds and are grateful to be partnering with organizations that strive to meet the diverse needs of the residents of San Bernardino,” McDonald said.

Since 1991, the Community Grants Program at Dignity Health has awarded nearly $80 million to 3,500 communitybased health improvement projects, according to the news release.

For information, go to dignityhealth.org/aboutus/community-health/ grant-programs.

“Through our Community Health Grant Program, we are able to work collaboratively to improve the well-being of the communities we serve.”

— Linda McDonald, vice president of mission services for Dignity Health Southern California