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Kaiser Permanente Ohio Awards Another Round of Thriving Communities Grants

Kaiser Permanente Ohio has awarded over $375,000 to 20 organizations serving communities in our nine […]

Kaiser Permanente Ohio has awarded over $375,000 to 20 organizations serving communities in our nine county region. The recipients are The Battered Women’s Shelter; Beech Brook; Care Alliance Health Center; Cleveland Foodbank; Cleveland Museum of Natural History; Cleveland Rape Crisis Shelter; Cleveland State University’s Choosing Health and Medical Professions Program; Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland; Epilepsy Association; The Gathering Place; Helen Keller International; LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland; Mature Services; Mental Health America of Summit County; MetroHealth Foundation; Senior Outreach Services; Slavic Village Development; Stella Maris; West Side Ecumenical Ministry and the YMCA of Greater Cleveland.

Through our mission, Kaiser Permanente contributes to the health of communities with quality, service oriented and affordable healthcare. We invest directly in improving community health by providing exceptional medical care, working to increase access for the underserved, and developing and supporting programs that promote healthy, active living. We strive to be more than traditional corporate citizens by collaborating directly with the community.

Twice each year Kaiser Permanente of Ohio awards Thriving Communities Grants which support programs that address issues of prevention and early detection of disease and create conditions which lead to improved health among children and youth and other vulnerable populations. Patricia Kennedy Scott, President of the Ohio Region, highlights the importance of the grants:

“I am proud of our commitment to the Thriving Community Grants program, and our investments in local organizations that are making a difference for people in the Northeast Ohio communities we serve. These grants support both services that are needed right now and initiatives to improve the health of our communities in the longer term.”

A few of the second-round 2010 grantees are highlighted below:

• Battered Women’s Shelter ($16,720): The Battered Women’s Shelter, in collaboration with 14 other agencies, has developed The Tina Project in response to a 2010 state law mandating teen dating violence education to all 7th through 12th graders. Kaiser Permanente funds will support a Project Coordinator who will serve as liaison with schools, lead evaluation efforts with Case Western Reserve University’s Department of Public Health, and train Teen Educators in each of the partner agencies. In the first year, The Tina Project anticipates reaching 270 schools and 40,000 students.
• Cleveland Foodbank ($50,000) A Thriving Communities grant will support the expansion of the Cleveland Foodbank’s Children’s Nutrition Initiative (CNI). CNI is designed to meet the needs of children at risk of hunger. Through the BackPacks for Kids, Kids Cafes, and Summer Feeding Programs, Cleveland Foodbank ensures that participating children do not go hungry in the evenings, on weekends, or over summer vacation.
• Slavic Village Development ($20,000): Pedal for Health in the Village is an initiative to engage youth in the Broadway Slavic Village neighborhood in a healthy lifestyle through bicycling. A Thriving Community Grant will support community Bike-a-thons, multiple sessions of a summer youth bike camp, a bike to school campaign, a bicycle drop-in center in the community.

In northeast Ohio, Kaiser Permanente addresses the health care needs of approximately 130,000 members in a nine county area. Services are provided by more than 180 Ohio Permanente Medical Group physicians, 3,000 network affiliated physicians and more than 1,900 non-physician employees. In 2010, Kaiser Permanente of Ohio celebrates 46 years of providing care in Northeast Ohio.


Kaiser Permanente Ohio

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