News & Event
The MetroWest Health Foundation recently awarded over $750,000 in new grants to area nonprofit and municipal organizations. The grants were made as part of the foundation’s spring grant cycle and are designed to help organizations accomplish projects that improve the health and well-being of residents and communities in the MetroWest region.
The 19 new grants address a variety of issues including heath equity, healthy aging and access to care. The largest grants were $250,000 to South Middlesex Opportunity Council to support the establishment of a new South Framingham community center, and $150,000 to Riverside Community Care to support mental health services in the Greater Milford area.
In addition to these organization, grants were also made to the following:
BayPath Elder Services, Inc. $34,736
To improve access to services for LGBTQ elders.
Brazilian American Center $30,915
To facilitate the access to mental health and wellness services.
Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center $20,000
To improve specialty care referrals for patients.
Framingham Board of Health $19,240
To make Framingham an age/dementia-friendly community.
Framingham Housing Authority $19,944
To reduce incidents of heat stroke among elderly and disabled residents.
Franklin Council on Aging $9,798
To support a Dementia Friendly community.
Franklin Food Pantry $2,150
To train volunteers and staff in trauma informed care.
Health Care for All $24,245
To improve access to care for immigrant families in the MetroWest community.
Hudson Board of Health $20,000
To build local capacity and expertise around how adults can develop strong connections to the youth in their lives.
Learning Center for the Deaf $20,000
To support the establishment of an outpatient mental health clinic to serve deaf and hard of hearing children and families. MetroWest Regional Transit Authority $26,000
To offer diversity, equity, and inclusion training for staff.
MetroWest Worker Center $20,000
To provide medical accompaniment to immigrant workers injured on the job.
MetroWest YMCA $25,000
To strengthen primary prevention strategies within the region.
Natick Service Council, Inc. $20,000
To increase health insurance enrollment and health literacy of residents.
OUT MetroWest $20,715
To build capacity to serve LGBTQ youth of color.
RIA House Inc. $29,992
To improve mental health and recovery services for women survivors of
sexual exploitation.
South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Inc. $10,000
To develop an action plan on behalf of the Greater Framingham
Hunger Network.
The MetroWest Health Foundation today announced that its grants panels and trustees have approved 26 new grants totaling $873,726. These grants follow the foundation’s new strategic plan and focus primarily on access to care, adolescent mental health and healthy aging.
Organizations receiving grants are:
A Place to Turn $15,000 Capacity building support – food pantry.
Advocates, Inc. $66,367 To improve access to psychiatric services.
Assabet Valley Regional Technical School $20,000 To upgrade a patient simulator used in nursing education.
BayPath Elder Services $17,875 To support chronic disease management programs for older adults.
Brazilian American Center $50,070 To facilitate access to preventative mental health services.
Facing Cancer Together $4,900 To develop a cancer support group for Portuguese speakers.
Framingham Board of Health $40,000 To launch an Age/Dementia Friendly Initiative in Framingham.
Framingham Public Library $18,300 To offer senior exercise and health/nutrition classes.
HESSCO Elder Services $13,586 To decrease social isolation among LGBT elders.
Home Care Aide Foundation $40,000 To address social isolation among elders.
Hoops & Homework, Inc. $10,500 Capacity building support – staff training.
To offer respite care for caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Hudson Public Schools $17,850 To offer a transition program for students reentering school after an extended absence due to psychiatric or medical reasons.
Latino Health Insurance Program, Inc. $44,429
To support the use of patient navigators for insurance enrollment and connection to primary care.
Medfield Council on Aging $22,987 To expand health & wellness services.
Medway Public Schools $9,999 To develop best practice models in the administration of SBIRT.
MetroWest Free Medical Program $45,898
To expand the use of volunteer and staff capacity.
MetroWest Regional Transit Authority $16,110 To equip paratransit vehicles with Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).
Natick Public Schools $24,630 To support social work services for at-risk students and their families.
Natick Service Council $15,000 Capacity building support – food pantry.
Natick Visiting Nurse Association $273,778 To provide prescription drug assistance to the uninsured and underinsured.
Needham Youth & Family Services $20,000 To conduct Mental Health First Aid training.
Pelham Apartments Resident Services $5,400 To offer wellness programs for youth.
Trustees of Boston University $19,999 To design questions for the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey to assess mental health service utilization.
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network, Inc. $17,405 To provide behavioral health support services at Framingham’s Wilson Elementary School.
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network, Inc. $13,641 To translate Parenting for Prevention tip sheets into Portuguese, Spanish and Russian.
The MetroWest Health Foundation announced the award of $1.2 million in new grants to 27 area organizations. These grants will support a variety of community projects aimed at improving health and health care in the region.
In this latest round of funding, the foundation is supporting four grants designed to help address the opioid epidemic, including a two-year, $141,704 grant to the South Middlesex Opportunity Council to develop a peer recovery support program that can help those who have survived an opioid overdose as they seek ongoing substance use treatment. The foundation is also supporting the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center and the Massachusetts Medical Society as they develop resources to enhance medical provider education on the use of opioids.
Advocates, Inc. $74,268 To improve access to psychiatric services.
Appalachian Mountain Club $10,000 To support the Outdoors Rx Project.
BayPath Elder Services $19,875 To support chronic disease management programs for older adults.
Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional School District $5,776 To support school-based mental health services.
Bridge of Central Massachusetts $20,000 To support implementation of a new electronic health record system.
Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center $7,017 To support provider education on the prescribing of opioids.
Family Continuity $65,040 To support school-based mental health services.
Family Promise MetroWest $19,965 To provide assistance to families that are homeless.
Framingham Police Athletic Association $5,000 To support the Framingham gun buyback project.
Framingham State University $9,100 To train counseling staff in the use of DBT - Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
Health Care for All $12,500 To further develop consumer health advocacy in the region.
Hoops & Homework, Inc. $10,000 To further train staff on health, safety and wellness procedures.
Hopkinton Youth & Family Services $12,247 To create a regional youth summit on substance use prevention.
Marlborough Public Schools $108,100 To continue the mental health transition program at the Whitcomb School.
Massachusetts Medical Society $10,000 Translation and dissemination of physician and patient factsheets on opioids.
Metropolitan Area Planning Council $20,000 To support age-friendly community planning in the Town of Framingham
MetroWest Free Medical Program $20,000 To support health and nutrition education.
MetroWest Legal Services $38,260 To support a medical-legal partnership with the Kennedy Health Center in Framingham.
MetroWest Regional Transit Authority $20,000 To equip paratransit vehicles with AEDs - Automatic External Defibrillators.
Natick Public Schools $20,000 To improve understanding and support of the school’s LGBTQ community.
Natick Service Council $20,000 To offer healthy/active living skills training for youth.
Natick Service Council $25,000 To make needed improvements to the organization’s food pantry.
Natick Visiting Nurse Association $261,891 To provide prescription drug assistance to the uninsured and underinsured in the MetroWest area.
Needham Health Department $20,000 To support age-friendly community planning in the Town of Needham
Needham Public Schools $7,400 To train school personnel on the use of SBIRT – Screening, Brief Intervention & Referral to Treatment
Northborough/Southborough Public Schools $218,020 To implement a school-based mental health transition program.
RIA House Inc. $1,750 To further train staff in intervention techniques
South Middlesex Opportunity Council $141,704 To provide peer recovery coaching to address the opioid epidemic.