Funds will be distributed to programs that address regional health challenges including homelessness and access to mental health services.
Seven Central Florida nonprofits are getting a boost to their missions, as AdventHealth begins distributing more than $1.7 million to recipients of its 2021 community impact grants.
“Community impact grants are one way we extend our mission outside the walls of our hospitals,” said Mike Griffin, senior vice president of advocacy and public policy at AdventHealth. “These nonprofits are doing admirable work, removing barriers to care and making a difference in the health of Central Florida.”
The grant recipients are:
- Ability Housing, Dimensions of Quality: Funding will support efforts to provide residents of Ability Housing’s properties in Eatonville, Kissimmee and Orlando with services including personalized case management, peer support services and a resident’s council.
- New Image Youth Center, Mobile NIYC: Bringing the Good to your ’Hood: The grant will allow NIYC, which provides mental health services to youth in Parramore, to launch a mobile unit to expand their reach across Orange County.
- Christian Service Center, ending chronic homelessness through medical-legal partnership: This program will support a legal team to provide services to those who are unable to obtain stable, affordable housing due to a civil legal need.
- True Health, mental health expansion: True Health will hire a new psychiatrist, which will allow the organization to serve more people and provide more services. which will allow the organization to serve more people.
- Community Health Centers, behavioral health services expansion in Apopka: CHC will fund a Behavioral Health Nurse Practitioner and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. This will allow them to incorporate screenings and interventions within medical appointments at their Apopka Family Health Center.
- The Nurture Place, expansion of family support programs in Spanish: The Nurture Place aims to increase the scope of family-support programs available in Spanish to Orange and Osceola County residents. They plan to hire a full time, Spanish-speaking licensed mental health counselor to oversee the expansion of three family support programs and expand therapy services.
- Samaritan Resource Center, breaking the cycle of homelessness: This program increases access to mental health services and job skills/employability services to break the cycle of homelessness.
- Pathlight Home, culinary skills training: This grant will fund additional staff members for Pathlight Home’s culinary skills training program, which will double the program capacity. This job training program focuses on low-income, homeless and formerly homeless individuals.
The grants can have a major impact on the recipients’ work, according to nonprofit leaders.
“There’s a huge need for mental health services across Central Florida, especially for children,” said Angela Gonzalez, executive director of The Nurture Place. “With AdventHealth’s support, we’ve already been able to deliver programs to 40 children and families. This grant will allow us to exponentially increase the impact of our program in our community.”
AdventHealth’s community impact grants are awarded annually. To learn more about the grants and application process, visit https://bit.ly/CommunityImpactGrant.