Gifford Announces Recipients Of Community Health Grants

Gifford Medical Center is investing $25,000 into the Randolph area through community health grants.

In the late 1990s, Gifford committed to creating an endowment with 25 percent of every dollar raised in the Fund for Gifford campaign. As a result of this fund-raising effort, today Gifford is able to award $25,000 annually to community organizations supporting outreach initiatives designed to improve community health.

Fifteen organizations applied for Gifford Community Health Grants for 2007, with requests exceeding $53,000. While the hospital unfortunately could not fund them all, a selection committee chose 10 organizations to receive funding in 2007.

Gifford is pleased to announce that the following organizations will receive funding this year: the Boys and Girls Club of the White River Valley for a six-week healthy eating and exercise program for area youth; the White River Craft Center for a new heating system for the Kimball House’s studio and gallery; Gifford Medical Center Chefs Ed Striebe and Steve Morgan to teach healthy eating cooking classes; and Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports to help train volunteers.

Additionally, community health programs held at the hospital, including an indoor walking program, nutrition workshops, Diabetes Education Expo, healthy living and disease prevention workshops; the Braintree Elementary School Feelin’ Good Mileage Club, promoting wellness and exercise during the lunch-hour; and the American Red Cross, to support operation of the local American Red Cross chapter for two days.

The Vermont Sunshine Society, which connects Menig Extended Care Facility residents back to their communities through letter writing, and Safeline will also receive funding to provide additional services to victims of domestic and sexual violence.

"It is a pleasure to be able to help such essential organizations and also support Gifford’s own free programs through the Gifford Community Health Grant Program," said Gifford Director of Development and Marketing Ashley Lincoln. "We hope these grants are far reaching in the community and many are helped. It is, of course, hard to say ‘no’ to other worthwhile organizations that applied and were not funded, but we hope others feel the spirit of giving and consider supporting local organizations in need."

Safeline helps women and their children escape abusive situations. Executive Director Nancy Lynch said the organization’s grant from Gifford will be used to increase an essential staff person’s working hours to full-time, and thus help more women and children in need of relief from abuse.

"Safeline is incredibly grateful to Gifford Medical Center for choosing to support our Faith, Hope and Safety project," Lynch said. "The additional funds awarded to us by this grant will allow our clients services coordinator to improve the quality and increase the quantity of her work by dedicating an additional 20 percent of her time to current and future women in need."

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