Dignity Health Dominican Hospital today awarded nearly $190,000 in grants to six local nonprofit organizations targeting the poor in Santa Cruz County.
Grants were awarded to these organizations:
Community Bridges: $25,000 for the Wellness Navigation Project, which will increase patient access to healthy food, nutrition education, and other services, and will improve clients’ understanding of how to stay healthy. The Wellness Navigation Project will offer mobile health screenings, a lifestyle health class, care transition referrals, and food pantry distribution.
Dientes Community Dental Care: $35,000 in support of a collaboration between Dientes, Homeless Persons Health Project, and Housing Matters (formerly Santa Cruz Homeless Services Center) to provide comprehensive dental care (including treatment and prevention), oral health education, dental screenings, and referrals to care. The goal is to establish a dental home for those experiencing homelessness, so that patients receive regular preventative care and avoid dental emergencies.
Monarch Services: $39,645 in support of case management services specifically for survivors of human trafficking. Case managers will work to provide a continuum of care for trafficking survivors by addressing survivors’ needs through a collaborative model. Case managers will work with identified partners to address the specific needs of each trafficking survivor.
RotaCare Bay Area – Santa Cruz Free Clinic: $25,000 for the all-volunteer Santa Cruz RotaCare Free Clinic, which provides free health care to vulnerable and underserved populations. Every Tuesday night, RotaCare volunteers transform the dining and meeting rooms of a Live Oak area school facility into an acute care medical clinic.
Teen Kitchen Project: $40,000 to provide 50,000 healthy meals to 1,000 individuals and families who are in crisis due to a life-threatening illness—particularly those who are low income, lack a support network of family or friends, or do not qualify for other free food services. Teen Kitchen Project’s meal delivery service is unique, in that the program engages teens (ages 13–18) as both volunteers and employees in preparing and packaging meals.
United Way of Santa Cruz County: $25,000 in support of a collaboration between United Way of Santa Cruz County, Community Bridges, and Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance to provide wrap-around support services for youth and families to promote health and wellness, college and career readiness, financial stability, and community connection. The goal is to increase access to youth and family mental health services, workforce development, and academic support.
Since the early 1990s, Dominican Hospital has provided nearly $2.7 million in grants to local community organizations dedicated to improving health and wellness in Santa Cruz County.
