Population: Low-income, underserved children, youth, and families
Maricopa
HealthFirst Improve Whole Child Health
Discretionary Cycle 1, 2022
Project: Childhood obesity is at an all-time high and children as young as eight are becoming pre-diabetic. Many among the target population do not understand how food and exercise choices impact their long-term health. This project provides 550 children with 10 weeks of high-impact nutrition and exercise classes along with workbooks and online support. Curriculum is evidence-based to help prevent childhood obesity and secondary diseases. Staff teachers will lead classes and work with families in support of children developing healthy eating and regular exercise habits.
Population: Students, primarily those from underrepresented and underserved populations
Maricopa
Pipeline of Postsecondary Access and Success Programs
Discretionary Cycle 2, 2022
Project: Increase the number of students who are prepared for and succeed in higher education by providing the resources that overcome socioeconomic disadvantages and barriers to higher education. Funding will provide over 2,000 students with mentoring, skill development, student networking, and other resources vital to postsecondary attainment. With programs for students in middle school, high school, community college, and four-year college, Be A Leader’s multi-layered support is helping to break the cycle of generational poverty and create a more equitable future.
Population: People of lower socio-economic status who may be homeless or have unstable housing, have limited or no access to healthcare and good nutrition, or suffer from mental health problems
Maricopa
Charity and Development Appeal
Discretionary Cycle 1, 2022
Project: Fund 70+ agencies and ministries that help families and individuals access better physical, mental, and spiritual care. The additional resources will enable the Diocese of Phoenix to bolster a wide range of programs that support healthier and safer families, more stable housing, employment, and education for 65,000 people.
Population: Students from low-income backgrounds, most of whom are the first in their family to attend college
La Paz Maricopa Pima Pinal Yuma
Empowering Diversity Scholarship Mentoring Program
Discretionary Cycle 2, 2022
Project: Equip current and former recipients of the Empowering Diversity Scholarship to achieve their academic goals. Success advisors work 1:1 with students providing mentoring sessions, enrollment counseling, academic tracking, financial aid advice, networking, and professional development opportunities. Funding will provide full wraparound services for the 2022-2023 scholarship recipients and ongoing e-mentoring services for another 100 students. Beyond the immediate impact on students and their families, Education Forward Arizona services contribute to Arizona’s goal of 60% postsecondary attainment among residents aged 25-64 by 2030.
Population: Vulnerable community members who do not have access to transportation
Maricopa
Transportation Assistance Program
Discretionary Cycle 2, 2022
Project: Provide free, safe, and reliable transportation for those experiencing homelessness, older adults, disabled, and other vulnerable people who lack the means to reach services critical to their health. Enable participants to access physical and mental health appointments, grocery stores/food pantries, employment opportunities, housing/shelter, and community centers/support groups. Recognizing that transportation is the social determinant of health (SDOH) that impacts every other determinant, Transportation Assistance Program (TAP) combines rides with one-to-one relationship-building in an empathetic and culturally sensitive manner. The result is sustained access to SDOH services for clients and lasting improvement of community health equity.
Population: Over 50,000 children diagnosed or at risk of being diagnosed with Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD)
Coconino Maricopa Pima
Arizona Grassroots Outreach, Education, and Support Initiative
Discretionary Cycle 3, 2022
Project: Heighten awareness of PFD among organizations and providers so that more children with PFD and their families can access the resources, support, and guidance they need.
Feeding Matters’ bilingual and bicultural coordinator will lead activities that improve the reach and cultural appropriateness of its PFD materials/resources, promote PFD education through digital media and public relations, provide PFD education to healthcare professionals and nonprofit organizations, and offer support and resources to underserved Arizona families.
Funding will enable the organization to support an additional 1,197 families in helping their child with PFD thrive.
Population: Low-income seniors who reside in Glencroft’s Towers
Maricopa
Staff Training Increases Oral Health Access for Seniors
Discretionary Cycle 2, 2022
Project: Oral health disorders are common among seniors, and Original Medicare does not cover dental services. Though some Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans offer limited coverage, most residents cannot afford to pay for dental services out of pocket. This program trains skilled nursing and memory care staff to meet the unique needs of seniors and dementia patients by providing oral hygiene care and supplies to residents. Training for 74 total staff will improve both the oral health and the overall well-being of 250 residents.
Population: Tempe residents experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental illness
Maricopa
Reimagining Public Safety* Discretionary Cycle 2, 2022
Project: 911 calls to the Tempe Police Department about mental illness, addiction, and homelessness have nearly doubled over the past few years. These issues disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Because the department does not currently have a way to collect and analyze data from these calls, it is difficult to provide alternatives to policing for people impacted by these concerns. This project will create a repeatable methodology for analyzing 911 calls to help the Tempe Police Department understand the scope and frequency of police responses, so they can better allocate resources, refine policies, and improve outcomes.
*This grantee is funded to impact both Health Equity and Mental Health.
Access to Healthcare for Uninsured and Underinsured Families Discretionary Cycle 3, 2022
Project: Provide free primary healthcare services to uninsured and underinsured patients at six rotating clinic sites throughout Maricopa County.
Mission of Mercy services include free primary medical care, prescription medications, patient support, health education for preventing and managing acute and chronic conditions, community resource referrals, and enrollment assistance for programs such as SNAP, TANF, and WIC. Its clinics see up to 65 patients daily, serving approximately 2,500 patients over 15,000 visits annually and dispensing tens of thousands of free prescription medications.
Funding will enable Mission of Mercy to offer these services at no cost to an additional 55 individuals.
Population: Underserved, low-income students and adults
Maricopa
College Depot at Phoenix Public Library — Providing Wraparound Care to Ensure Success
Discretionary Cycle 2, 2022
Project: Connect an additional 120 students with the free, comprehensive re-engagement and college planning services provided by College Depot. Nearly all College Depot customers live at or near the poverty level and will be the first in their family to attend college. College Depot supports students in earning their high school diploma (or equivalent) and navigating the postsecondary education process. These students go on to earn more, have a better quality of life, and inspire others to continue their education. The wider impact of this funding is a stronger and healthier Phoenix.
Project: Provide comprehensive support to help low-income single mothers and their children stabilize. Empower them to set healthy mental, physical, and financial goals that lay a foundation for better futures for their families. Through over 50 hours of evidence-based curriculum, mentorship, community connections, and personalized case management, this project will support an additional 55 program participants in starting their journey out of poverty.
Population: Families in rural communities needing specialized pediatric care for life-threatening illnesses or injuries
Cities from all 15 Arizona counties
Keeping Families Together Program
Discretionary Cycle 1, 2022
Project: Ensure all families experiencing a pediatric health crisis, even those who can’t afford costly hotel stays and transportation, can access the specialized medical care their children need. With access to the comforts of home in close proximity to pediatric facilities, family members can meet their basic needs while advocating for and supporting their children. This project will expand services to an additional 700 people.
Population: Unsheltered people and those with inadequate shelter
Maricopa
Showering the Unsheltered Discretionary Cycle 3, 2022
Project: Improve health, comfort, safety, and community economic health by providing free showers to unsheltered neighbors.
The Social Spin Foundation’s Wash with Care program provides clean clothes through its free laundromat for 150+ people weekly. With funding from the Maricopa County Health Department’s Healthy & Resilient Communities grant, the organization converted a bathroom into a shower and is launching a new service: Showering the Unsheltered.
Funding will enable the Social Spin Foundation to provide 1,300 showers to unsheltered neighbors in a 12-month period. Each shower will include a range of essential hygiene products and clean towels.
Population: : Low-income families with young children ages 0-5
Maricopa
Reach Out and Read Arizona Discretionary Cycle 3, 2022
Project: Close the school-readiness gap by empowering 4,100 under-resourced families to support their children’s early literacy development.
Reach Out and Read is a national, evidence-based program that incorporates books into well-child visits as a way for pediatricians to observe development and encourage parent-child reading at home. This increases language and book-reading exposure — integral supports for emergent literacy. Southwest Human Development partners with the Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics in working with over 70 pediatric clinics and manages quarterly book distributions that meet the age, language, and cultural needs of each clinic’s patients and families.
Maternal/Child Health in Black Arizonans Discretionary Cycle 2, 2022
Project: Black women have the highest infant mortality rate in the nation, and Black infants are 1.6 times more likely to be born of low-birth weight and die before their first birthday. This project will support focused research and data compilation and synthesizing to identify the key contributing factors to these challenges in health equity for Black mothers and children in Arizona. Informed by the research, realistic action steps will enable community leaders and organizations to address identified gaps and improve health equity for this population.
Population: Low-income people of color and immigrants living in South Phoenix
Maricopa
Spaces of Opportunity
Discretionary Cycle 2, 2022
Project: Provide an on-site source of drinking water for farmers and gardeners at the Spaces of Opportunity community garden located in South Phoenix, where life expectancy is 14 years lower than neighboring communities. Currently farmers and gardeners must bring their own water to the garden, often in plastic bottles. The project will install eight SOURCE® hydro panels that use sunlight and air to produce safe drinking water. Access to a clean, renewable, and sustainable source of drinking water will increase the health and productivity for 120 individuals working at the garden and reduce plastic waste.
Population: Youths in grades 6-12 who are unsheltered or housing insecure
Pima
YOTO Program – Student Services Discretionary Cycle 2, 2022
Project: Students who are living on their own struggle to attend school due to the stress of meeting basic needs like shelter, food, clothing, transportation, and school supplies. As a result, they often have very low high school graduation rates. Through Youth On Their Own (YOTO), students have the support to focus less on daily survival and more on in-school success. Funding will directly support 91 students with financial stipends, donated goods, transportation assistance, and ongoing academic guidance, and could also aid as many as 889 students, depending on their needs.
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