Maternal, infant, and children’s health programs receive $100,000 in third grant cycle

Nov. 12, 2024 -- Thirteen area nonprofit organizations received a Reid Health Community Benefit Grant during the final cycle of the year. A total of $100,000 of grants awarded will support maternal, infant, and children's health programs.

Jess Przybysz, Director of Reid Health Community Benefit and Engagement, said the funding can have a positive generational impact on residents' health and well-being.

"Reid's community grants enable local organizations to deliver essential services to individuals in our service area who need them the most. By providing support to these organizations, we aren't just improving outcomes today, we're investing in healthier communities and brighter futures for children and families," Przybysz said.

"Reid is committed to supporting programs that lay the groundwork for healthier families and more resilient communities for years to come."

After the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) identified three priorities, the grant program expanded from two cycles to its current three. The first focused on mental health and substance misuse while the second was on physical activity, nutrition, and weight.

Altogether, the Community Benefit Grant Program distributed $300,000 this year.

During this cycle, the focus was on improving children's health by expanding support for families and reducing disparities related to children's health.

Requests were evaluated on indicators for improvement, including the ability to impact the child abuse rate, single-parent households, families living below poverty level, and mothers who smoke during pregnancy. Consideration was also given to requests with the ability to increase services for mothers who receive early prenatal care or lower the teen birth rate.

The third grant cycle awards are:

• $8,300 to A Better Way Services Inc. to raise awareness for its Teen Support Group.
• $10,000 to Birth to Five Inc. for staffing and materials for its Healthy Families program.
• $8,300 to Circle You Help Center Inc. to provide items for mothers, infants, and children.
• $8,300 to Communities In Schools of Wayne County for supplies for the Ready, Set, Grow program in schools.
• $8,300 to Dublin Community Club to replace the building's flooring and increase usage of the community space.
• $8,300 to Gateway Hunger Relief Center for staffing and supplies for children's food bags and women's non-food bags.
• $8,300 to Girls Inc. of Wayne County for staffing and program materials for after-school health and wellness programs.
• $8,300 to Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana for staffing and supplies for school-based pantries.
• $10,000 to Hope Center for the curriculum for its parenting and life skills class and supplies for its boutique.
• $8,300 to Jacy House for staffing, supplies, and materials for child and adult safety programs.
• $7,100 to the Preble County YMCA of Greater Dayton for staffing, supplies, and program materials for child water safety classes offered through schools.
• $1,500 to Richmond Friends School for sexual abuse training for staff and students.
• $5,000 to The Nest and Meridian Health Services to assist clients with transportation, housing, and emergency expenses.

Community benefit is the basis for the tax-exempt status of not-for-profit hospitals. It's 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 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.

The 2025 grant cycles will be announced at a later time.

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