Community Benefit awards $100,000 in grants to organizations improving community health

Aug. 14, 2023 -- Thirty-one organizations will receive a grant from Reid Health Community Benefit following a competitive second cycle this year.

Recipients will use the awards to improve community health for residents across Fayette, Franklin, Randolph, Union, and Wayne counties in Indiana and Darke and Preble counties in Ohio. The total amount of grants awarded is $100,000.

This grant cycle focuses on physical activity, nutrition, and weight with efforts on improving the health of the community by encouraging healthy choices and reducing the disparities related to activity and nutrition. Requests were evaluated on their ability to increase access to exercise opportunities, reduce the number of adults who are obese or sedentary, improve child food and food insecurity rates, and grow the number of adults who frequently cook meals at home.

Jessica Przybysz, Director of Community Benefit, said, "This grant cycle was very competitive, and our community has tremendous needs, which resulted in a higher number of applications than usual. The Reid Community Well-Being Committee remains committed to supporting organizations that help improve the health of our communities."

The third cycle, focusing on maternal, infant, and children's health, is open through Aug. 17.

Applications are welcome from organizations with programs focused on improving the health of children by expanding support for families and reducing disparities related to children's health. Requests will be evaluated on the ability to improve child abuse rate, single-parent households, families living below poverty, mothers who smoke during pregnancy, mothers who receive early prenatal care, or teen birth rate.

The second cycle awards are:

• $4,000 to Alquina Blue Arrows Park to support a safety fencing system around sports courts.
• $5,500 to Amigos The Richmond Latino Center to fund instructors and snacks for its tennis program.
• $1,500 to Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church for a second stove and refrigerator to support its hot meal distribution, food for the food pantry, and food bag delivery program.
• $7,000 to Birth to Five to support staffing for its Parents as Teachers program.
• $6,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County to support staffing for its ClubFit program.
• $2,000 to Bridges for Life to purchase food and supplies for the weekly "Dinner at the Lamp" community meal.
• $3,500 to Cardinal Greenway to fund the bike rental program.
• $6,000 to Circle U Help Center for food distribution through Communities In Schools and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County to children in need.
• $3,500 to the City of Connersville Parks Department for equipment for the Living Well, Aging Well program.
• $5,000 to Communities In Schools to support staffing and food supplies for students and families in need.
• $3,200 to Council on Rural Service Programs to purchase supplies for its youth running program.
• $2,200 to Discover Connersville for community garden supplies.
• $2,000 to Fayette County Community Voices to support "Bag to Table" meal kits.
• $3,500 to Franklin County Community Foundation to fund running a water line to the Community Garden Project.
• $4,000 to Friends of the Preble County Park District to support the Natural Playground at the Gerber Nature Center.
• $3,500 to Gateway Hunger Relief Center to purchase food for the pantry, specifically protein sources and produce.
• $3,000 to Girls Inc. of Wayne County to support staffing and supplies for the Healthy Living Program.
• $3,500 to Gleaners Food Bank to support the Produce Hope Initiative for Fayette, Franklin, Union, and Wayne counties.
• $2,000 to Golay Community Center to purchase a rowing machine.
• $2,000 to Handley Our Own Inc., doing business as Impact Wrestling Club, to purchase equipment for its youth wrestling program.
• $1,129 to Hayes Arboretum to purchase new picnic tables, including an ADA compliant picnic table.
• $2,500 to Monroe Central School Corporation to support World Vision 6K Run/Walk registration fees for all fourth-grade students and one adult per student.
• $1,710 to Nettle Creek School Corp. to purchase supplies to enhance physical education opportunities for grades K-6.
• $3,500 to Oak Park Church to support site prep, sign design, installation, and maintenance of interactive and instructional signs throughout the fitness park and playground.
• $3,500 to Preble County Council on Aging to purchase a commercial floor mixer to assist in preparing meals to provide to seniors.
• $4,500 to Preble County YMCA to support staffing, supplies, and program materials for its Livestrong program.
• $2,695 to Purdue Extension to purchase a smoothie bike.
• $570 to Soldiers in the Army of the Lord Ministries Corp. to purchase food for preservation class.
• $2,379 to The Shepherd's Way Christian Ministries (Cross Road Christian Recovery Center for Women) to support women from the program to use the YMCA, staffing, transportation, and yearly membership to the YMCA.
• $617 to Union County Parks and Recreation Board of Trustees to purchase portable nets and supplies for pickleball.
• $4,000 to YWCA Dayton to support staffing, food, and kitchen supplies for domestic violence housing units.

Community benefit is the basis for the tax-exempt status of not-for-profit hospitals. Community benefit is defined as programs or activities that improve access to health services, enhance public health, advance health knowledge through research and education, and/or relieve the burden of government to improve health.

In 2010, the Affordable Care Act added new requirements for tax-exempt hospitals in the areas of community health needs assessment (CHNA), implementation strategy, billing and collections, and reporting. In 2014, the IRS issued final rules implementing these requirements. The goals of these provisions are to ensure tax-exempt hospitals are meeting the health needs of their communities and to ensure greater transparency and accountability.

Grants, along with other specific outreach and requirements to meet Reid Health's not-for-profit status, have put more than $168 million back into the community in the past five years. A committee of Reid's governing board and community members reviews grant requests. The grants are awarded as part of the health system's efforts as a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization.

More information about the Reid Community Benefit program, the health needs assessment and the implementation strategy can be found at ReidCommunities.org.