SAN JOSE, CA – On September 23, 2020, The Health Trust’s Board of Trustees approved eight new community grants totaling $1,746,027. Four of the grants, amounting to $746,027, are part of quarter one of The Health Trust’s $2.2 million annual Health Partnership Fund supporting community organizations and public agencies aligned with the organization’s mission of building health equity in Silicon Valley. Those grants have been awarded to First 5 San Benito County; Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen; YMCA of Silicon Valley; and Working Partnerships USA. The Board also approved one Emerging Opportunity Fund grant to the African American Community Service Agency.
The approved grants will strengthen food ecosystems and infrastructure to increase access to healthy foods for vulnerable residents, create a virtual diabetes prevention program, improve supportive services for persons who require long-term care, and support expanded policy advocacy related to health equity.
Three additional grants in the amount of $1 million are part of the foundation’s COVID-19 Augmentation Fund focused on communities disproportionately impacted by COVID, and have been awarded to the Si Se Puede! Collective; Roots Community Health Clinic, South Bay; and Youth Alliance. This one year increased allocation from The Health Trust endowment was approved by the Board of Trustees specifically to support efforts to: 1) continue to address COVID-related needs of the most vulnerable local communities, including East San Jose residents, Black residents, and the primarily Latinx residents of northern San Benito county; and 2) provide support for nonprofits to build capacity and implement longer-term recovery efforts, ultimately building healthier, more resilient communities.
Health Partnership Grant Awards
Focus Area: Improving Health Food
First 5 San Benito County
To strengthen the food ecosystem to increase access to hot nutritious meals and fresh perishable food targeting vulnerable residents in San Benito County by establishing a shared-used communal cold storage; the first certified commercial kitchen and community pantry.
Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen
To strengthen its infrastructure and capacity to meet the growing food needs of the most vulnerable in Santa Clara County.
Focus Area: Making Chronic Conditions More Preventable & Manageable
YMCA of Silicon Valley
To improve the health of pre-diabetic patients during this COVID-era by transforming the YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program from in-person to virtual delivery and by strengthening its referral system with community clinics.
Focus Area: Prioritizing Health in Housing
Working Partnerships USA
To create affordable housing opportunities with supportive services on two new sites for people who require Long Term Supportive Services (LTSS) and to address system flaws and policy gaps that impede the provision of additional housing options and related services.
Emerging Opportunity Fund Award
African American Community Service Agency
To develop AACSA’s internal policy/advocacy capacity, build its network and relationships, participate in active working groups, engage AACSA’s constituency, and inform policy.
COVID-19 Augmentation Fund Awards
Si Se Puede! Collective
To provide critical backbone support to strengthen the efforts of the Collective and provide COVID-relief support through health-related services to East San Jose individuals and families.
Roots Community Health Clinic, South Bay
To provide infrastructure support to create a customized in-house database that integrates both clinical and health navigation data that will better position Roots to implement interventions and wraparound support that will improve population/community health outcomes.
Youth Alliance
To provide COVID-relief support through health-related services to individuals and families in northern San Benito County.
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About The Health Trust
The Health Trust is an operating foundation founded in 1996. Our mission is to build health equity in Silicon Valley. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to be healthy – especially the most vulnerable. To that end, we fund community-based organizations and public agencies whose work aligns with our mission, provide direct services, and advocate for policies and initiatives that help build health equity. To learn more, please visit healthtrust.org.
Contact: Maria Garcia | mariag@healthtrust.org | 408.513.8729