C. Oregon Fuse, Giving Plate among nine grant recipients

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The PacificSource Foundation for Health Improvement recently committed $605k in grant funding to support nine nonprofit organizations based in Oregon, Montana, and Idaho.

“Working in partnership to improve community health is a shared mission of PacificSource and our Foundation, and we are pleased to announce this latest round of funding to these deserving nonprofits,” said Marian Blankenship, executive director of PacificSource’s Foundation for Health Improvement.

The funding will span from one to three years for the following nonprofits:

Oregon:

• Central Oregon FUSE – $50,000 grant to support Housing First, a Permanent Supportive Housing effort that employs a scattered-site model to house high-risk homeless individuals while connecting them to appropriate healthcare and community supports.

• Direction Service – $40,000 grant to support the Service Coordination program, which serves youth with disabilities and their families at no cost by connecting them with resources in the community and in school, advocating for them with providers, and making appropriate referrals to health providers to avoid the necessity of higher levels of care.

• De Paul Treatment Centers – $100,000 capital campaign support for the purchase and construction of a new facility, which will be located in East Portland’s Gateway Regional Center, an area with a four-fold prevalence of opioid use disorder when compared to the rest of the Portland Metro Area.

• Janus Youth Programs – $40,000 grant to support the Village Gardens program located in Portland’s New Columbia development, Oregon’s largest affordable housing neighborhood. This grant will support the strengthening of existing food-equity initiatives to ensure the community has access to garden plots, affordable and healthy foods, and nutrition education resources.

• OHSU – $200,000 grant to support The Center for Evidence-based Policy’s work to develop an integrated child dataset to assist in the development of policies and programs that can improve the wellbeing of children.

• The Child Center (Mental Health for Children, Inc.) – $10,000 grant to support the purchase of a van to be equipped for use in the Crisis Response Program, which serves at-risk children and youth experiencing mental health crises and their families.

• The Giving Plate, Inc. – $45,000 grant to support the largest food pantry in Central Oregon, which has seen and responded to an increasing need to address childhood hunger by developing programs like the Kid’s Korner, Backpacks for Bend, and a Monthly Food Box program.

Montana:

• The Poverello Center, Inc. – $60,000 grant to support their Medical Respite Program, which helps to prevent medically unnecessary hospital stays while improving the health and recovery times for unhoused individuals recovering from acute illness or injury. 

Idaho:

• Jesse Tree of Idaho – $60,000 grant to support their Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which provides intensive eviction-prevention case management and access to financial and community resources to support positive health during times of housing instability.

About PacificSource Foundation for Health Improvement

Founded in 1992, the PacficSource Foundation for Health Improvement is an expression of our commitment to our communities. Its mission is to improve community health through the touchstones of better health, better care, and lower healthcare costs. The Foundation’s grants and partnerships focus on improving access to healthcare for vulnerable populations and promoting health excellence via innovative care and community health and wellness programs. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/2yK92qF

About PacificSource Health Plans 

PacificSource Health Plans is an independent, regional, not-for-profit community health plan serving the Northwest. Founded in 1933, PacificSource has local offices throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The PacificSource family of companies employs 1,100 people, serves more than 320,000 individuals, and has 3,900 employer clients throughout the Northwest. For more information visit PacificSource.com.