ASHEBORO - For 2018, the Randolph Health Community Foundation is pleased to announce that it has awarded 17 health and wellness grants totaling $102,566. This is the 21st year the Foundation has provided funding for health and wellness programs throughout Randolph County.
“The announcement of the year’s grant recipients is always an exciting time for the Foundation. But for 2018, the Foundation Grants Committee saw an opportunity to impact our school children and help improve several elementary school playgrounds across Randolph County. These are areas that have not been able to be addressed under recent school budgets and the Foundation is happy to put our resources to work in this area,” said April Thornton, president of the Randolph Health Community Foundation.
For 2018, The Randolph Health Community Foundation funded grants which will engage volunteers and organizations to motivate our community to make healthy lifestyle choices. The Foundation’s priorities are programs which support at least one of the following focus areas:
• Randolph Health – projects that support the mission of Randolph Health and its efforts to provide quality health care;
• Nutrition – projects that benefit nutrition in the areas of education, training and research;
• Physical Fitness – promotion of healthy living through programs that initiate, expand and improve physical fitness;
• Substance Abuse – education and prevention programs that ease the transition of becoming free from the health problems associated with abuse of alcohol, tobacco and/or illicit drugs.
“Each year, the Randolph Health Community Foundation awards grants to assist with various health and wellness initiatives,” noted Thornton. “Once again, this was a competitive year, with 25 grant requests totaling over $199,000. The grants awarded have the potential to make a tremendous difference in the lives of many, helping to create a healthier community.”
The 2018 grants awarded by the Randolph Health Community Foundation include:
$8,600 Asheboro Shelter of Hope to bring a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor to the men's homeless shelter to work with those clients who need this service.
$1,200 Communities in Schools of Randolph County to purchase/equip a second Cooking Matters kit and groceries to implement this program in additional school sites in the spring and fall of 2018 and in the Central Asheboro Boys and Girls Club during summer 2018.
$8,190 Guy B. Teachey PTO to refurbish the blacktop area and update the current playground area to allow effective use of the space and ensure the safety of students and teachers.
$1,920 Hopewell United Methodist Church to expand current food program to provide a minimum of 960 more meals to residents in the Trinity area.
$12,000 Lindley Park Elementary School to naturalize playground by building and installing unique climbing structures in an outdoor learning environment that supports both physical health and mental well-being.
$6,000 Love InDeed, Inc. to provide a weekly free meal to the rural community in the Caraway Mountain area of Randolph County
$13,950 City of Randleman to construct a pedestrian bridge over a creek on the Randleman segment of the Deep River Greenway, expanding the trail.
$2,800 Randolph Community College to provide local community resource providers, educators and advocates with the skills to address and understand addiction in the local community.
$3,000 Randolph County Health Department to bring Play Daze, a day encouraging free play for children, to the most rural parts of our county where children and their families would not otherwise have access to this event.
$5,000 Randolph Health Athletic Training to provide healthy after school snacks for athletes currently serviced by Randolph Health Athletic Trainers at the high school level.
$4,000 Randolph Health – Maternity with Books for Babies to acquaint parents of the 800 newborns at Randolph Health with the important role they play in their baby's brain development by reading to them beginning day one of their life.
$11,565 Randolph Health Nursing Administration with Guil-Rand Fire Department to purchase five AED machines, which will outfit all five Guil-Rand Fire Department front line engines, and replace current equipment that is out of date.
$6,409 Randolph Health Nursing Administration with NC Zoo Society to provide the NC Zoo with new AED machines to replace the old, unserviceable ones.
$3,000 Randolph Partnership for Children to improve nutrition and eating behaviors for approximately 615 children ages 0 - 5 at seven childcare centers by assisting with purchases of locally grown produce and improving on-site gardens.
$7,587 Salvation Army to launch a health and financial wellness program for clients showing them how to safely prepare food, strengthen their bodies and provide financial management training.
$345 StayWell Senior Care to create a handbell choir for StayWell Senior Care participants, which will enhance their health and wellness, keep their bodies moving and improve the quality of their lives.
$7,000 Uwharrie Charter Middle Grades Academy to create two natural learning environment areas to promote physical activity, opportunities for the arts and increase active play among students.
“Whether impacting babies from day one by providing their parents with books to be read to them with Books for Babies or assisting the City or Randleman to extend the Deep River Rail Trail , which will impact the entire county, these grants enable important community endeavors to succeed,” said Thornton. “Each grant recipient indirectly helps Randolph Health fulfill the second half of its mission, ‘foster health and wellness’, in unique ways in the community and across Randolph County.”
To learn more about the Randolph Health Community Foundation or to make a donation, call (336) 633-7755 or visit Randolph Health’s website at www.randolphhealth.org and click on “Foundation”.