Continuing its long history of support for numerous local organizations working to improve health and wellness in Howard County, Maryland, the Horizon Foundation awarded over $1 million in grants in 2013.
“We are driven by a commitment to measurably improve public health in our community, and accomplishing these goals requires strong partnerships and collaboration,” said Foundation President and CEO Nicolette (Nikki) Highsmith Vernick. “Our grantees are doing amazing work in the community, and we are happy to support and strengthen their great work.”
The Foundation awarded $1.1 million in grants this year to twenty organizations serving Howard County. The awarded grants support the Foundation’s strategic priority areas of increasing access to healthcare and promoting healthy lifestyles; Foundation grants also help local nonprofits build organizational capacity and develop strategic plans to better serve their clients and the community.
The Foundation’s Level III grants are its largest and help Horizon fulfill its goal of “moving the needle” on public health issues facing the county. Several of the 2013 Level III awards are multi-year grants, reflecting the Foundation’s sustained commitment to these important community programs.
In 2013 the following Level III grants were awarded as part of the Foundation’s “Increasing Access to Healthcare” strategic priority:
- $150,000 to the African American Community Roundtable of Howard County to implement a culturally relevant health insurance outreach & education campaign targeting the county’s African American community, a significant segment of the uninsured population in the community. This is a two-year grant, with $97,000 allocated in 2013 and $53,000 in 2014.
- $75,000 to the Evergreen Health Cooperative to support outreach to Howard County residents participating in open enrollment on the Maryland Health Connection insurance marketplace.
- $70,300 to Humanim to integrate primary and behavioral health care services. The project’s focus is the prevention and treatment of medical issues among people with severe mental health illnesses in Howard County, with the goals of reducing preventable hospitalizations, increasing participation in treatment, and improving overall quality of life.
The following 2013 Level III grants were awarded as part of the Foundation’s “Promoting Healthy Lifestyles” strategic priority:
- $150,000 to People Acting Together in Howard County to collaborate with faith communities, local government, businesses, non-profits and schools to build a diverse and powerful coalition focused on improving children’s health by providing them with healthier food and drink options where they live, learn, play, and pray. This grant is spread out over two years, with $75,000 allocated for both 2013 and 2014.
- $65,950 to the American Institute of Wine and Food to expand the Days of Taste® program to more fourth graders, develop a healthy beverage component for the curriculum, and other programmatic enhancements. This is a two-year grant, with $40,410 allocated in 2013 and $25,180 in 2014.
- $99,000 to the First Tee of Howard County to expand its partnership with the Howard County Public School System from 16 to 24 elementary schools in the community. The program provides a curriculum and teaching approach that emphasizes learning life skills and healthy habits using golf as the teaching mechanism. This grant award is evenly spread out over two years, with $49,500 allocated for both 2013 and 2014.
Additional programs supported through the Foundation’s Level I and Level II grants in 2013 include Healthy Howard, the Domestic Violence Center of Howard County, the Pharmacy Assistance Program at the Route 1 Day Resource Center, Camp Attaway, the Association of Community Services, FIRN, Maryland Hunger Solutions, NAMI Howard County, and many others. These grant awards totaled over $450,000.
