EAU CLAIRE, Wis. –– Mayo Clinic Health System has awarded $440,000 in funding to several local school districts and nonprofit organizations in Northwest Wisconsin to support improving the health and well-being of the communities it serves. Over the past nine years, through the Northwest Wisconsin Community Giving Committee, Mayo Clinic Health System has invested nearly $2 million to support this initiative.
"Core to our mission as a nonprofit healthcare provider is reinvesting into the health of our communities," says Richard Helmers, M.D., regional vice president of Mayo Clinic Health System in Wisconsin. "While improving the health of the populations we serve is core to our work at Mayo Clinic Health System, we also are keenly aware we cannot do it alone, which is why supporting other community organizations and those in need is crucial."
Two available opportunities, the Hometown Health Grant and the School and Student Support Award, allowed nonprofits and school districts to apply for funding for new or existing programs. Grants were awarded in the range of $1,000 to $30,000.
Recipients recently named to receive $320,000 in Hometown Health Grant money are:
Agnes' Table and Community Center
Benjamin's House Emergency Shelter
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Chippewa Valley
CASA of Western Wisconsin
Community Haven House
Curtie Cares
Eau Claire Hmong Mutual Assistance Association
Eau Claire Tenant-Landlord Resource Center
Feed My People Food Bank
L.E. Phillips Career Development Center - Outreach Office, Chippewa County
Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan
Menomonie Senior Center
Free Clinic, Rice Lake
River Source Family Center/Family Support Center
The Open Door Clinic
Thursday's Table
This year's recipients of the School and Student Support Awards encompass a variety of impactful programs. Among them are initiatives focused on in-school food pantries, hydroponic units, student backpack programs and heart rate monitors for physical education classes. Additionally, several approved projects aim to enhance mental and emotional well-being. These include peer-to-peer resiliency programming, social and emotional learning curriculums, and on-site, school-based therapy. In total, 19 school districts have been awarded funding.
In addition to the grant opportunities, Mayo Clinic Health System will award 26 $1,000 scholarships to graduating seniors pursuing postsecondary education in a healthcare-related field.
"These awards represent Mayo Clinic Health System's continued commitment to investing in our communities as we work together to enrich the well-being of all who live in Northwest Wisconsin," says Brook Berg, director of Community Engagement for Mayo Clinic Health System in Northwest Wisconsin. "We are excited to be able to champion innovation in overall community health and support recipients whose goals closely align with Mayo Clinic Health System's commitment to addressing community health priorities in mental health, obesity, chronic disease, alcohol misuse and substance abuse, health equity, and social determinants of health."
Media release.
