The Sisters Health Foundation held its 26th annual Grant Partner Luncheon on Thursday at Grand Pointe Conference Center in Vienna. (Photo provided)

VIENNA — The Sisters Health Foundation celebrated the work of over 100 Mid-Ohio Valley organizations Thursday.

Formerly the Sisters of St. Joseph Charitable Fund, the foundation held its 26th annual Grant Partner Luncheon at Grand Pointe Conference Center to acknowledge the efforts and successes of those organizations who completed their grants in the past year.

The majority of the organizations received their grants in 2024 and completed their work in 2025. The organizations had been awarded more than $1.3 million in funding.

The foundation has been active for 29 years in supporting organizations in its 11-county service area: Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt and Wood counties in West Virginia and Athens, Meigs and Washington counties in Ohio. The service area is the same region that St. Joseph’s Hospital once served for over a century.

“Our annual event is an opportunity for us to celebrate our nonprofit partners and the ways they have positively impacted people’s lives over the past year,” said Renee Steffen, executive director of the Sisters Health Foundation. “It has been a particularly stressful year for many nonprofits in our region with federal funding freezes, cuts and significant changes to health care and social services. The luncheon is an opportunity to express our gratitude for their work. During the luncheon, we also shared a sentiment of support to let our grant partners know that we are ready and willing to support them beyond our financial resources through convenings, brainstorming solutions and advocating on their behalf.”

Staff members with Sisters Health Foundation include, from left, Executive Director Renee Steffen, Associate Director Marian Clowes and Program Officer Shei Sanchez. (Photo provided)

Organizations acknowledged for their completed grants included:

Healthy eating, active living

¯ Amputee Center, Parkersburg, for flexible operating support.

¯ Baptist Temple of Parkersburg, to assist with truck rental costs to pick up food and to purchase a new refrigerator/freezer for their pantry.

¯ Bethel Baptist Church, Given, to support the installation of a generator and the purchase of a freezer for their pantry.

Sister Judith Minear speaks during the 26th annual Sisters Health Foundation Grant Program Luncheon on Thursday at Grand Pointe Conference Center. (Photo provided)

¯ Boys & Girls Clubs of Parkersburg, to support a cooking program that promotes healthy eating habits for youth at the Mary Street facility.

¯ City of Ravenswood, to support the summer physical activity program for residents.

¯ Community Food Initiatives, Athens, for multi-year flexible operating support to help foster equitable access to healthy local food in Athens and surrounding communities.

¯ Community Resources, Parkersburg, to support the coordinator of the Hope Grows garden which provides produce for families served by Thrive Food Pantry.

¯ Ely Chapman Education Foundation, Marietta, to support a part-time health and wellness afterschool coordinator and the newly established full-time director of nutrition.

¯ Fort Frye Local Schools, Beverly, to support the purchase of a greenhouse for agricultural education and programming.

¯ Lewis County Family Resource Network, Weston, to support mini-grants for Mid-Ohio Valley organizations and sponsorship for youth from the valley to attend the Try This Youth Summit.

¯ OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, Athens, to support the expansion of the HeartWorks facility to improve care for cardiopulmonary rehabilitation patients.

¯ Roane County Committee on Aging, Spencer, to purchase exercise equipment.

¯ Rural Action, The Plains, to support the capacity of their children’s healthy eating and cooking program.

¯ Strait Creek Food Pantry, Brohard, to purchase equipment to improve storage, safety and efficiency for the food pantry.

¯ The Wirt County Missional Group, Elizabeth, to support the operations of the food pantry.

¯ Town of Ellenboro, to support the construction of tennis and pickleball courts at the town’s recreation center.

¯ Tyler County Family Resource Network, Middlebourne, to support a mobile summer feeding project to deliver lunches to county residents.

¯ Village Productions, Amesville, to upgrade the kitchen, enabling the continuation of offering meals to seniors, cooking classes and other healthy living programs.

¯ Washington County Agricultural and Mechanical Association, Marietta, to help upgrade the existing playground equipment in Civitan Park.

¯ Washington County Harvest of Hope, Marietta, to assist in purchasing a new double-door commercial freezer and to support operations.

¯ Washington-Morgan Community Action, Marietta, to support their summer program which provides hot nutritious lunches to children in New Matamoras, Beverly, Lower Salem, Lowell, Belpre, Marietta and Vincent.

¯ WVU Extension – Family Nutrition Program, Parkersburg, to support a program that allows children to “shop” for free fruits and vegetables at retail locations.

Thriving neighborhoods

¯ Alexander Parent Teacher Organization, Albany, to support the purchase of inclusive playground equipment that allows children of all abilities to participate.

¯ American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley, Parkersburg, to support the purchase of an Emergency Response Vehicle to address the needs of people impacted by disasters.

¯ Circles Campaign of the Mid-Ohio Valley, Parkersburg, for multi-year operating support to assist families in their efforts to transition out of poverty.

¯ Habitat for Humanity of the Mid-Ohio Valley, Parkersburg, for multi-year support for the building of an accessible home for a person living with a disability and for a home repair program.

¯ Harmony Health, Weirton, to support a pilot project to address barriers to accessing oral health care.

¯ Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio, Columbus, to support legal aid clinics in Athens and Washington County courthouses where attorneys provide assistance to tenants facing eviction.

¯ Meigs County Council on Aging, Middleport, for multi-year flexible operating support to start an Adult Day Center.

¯ Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council, Parkersburg, to support transportation costs for Senior Companion Program volunteers to visit and assist isolated seniors.

¯ Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, for multi-year funding support to provide uninsured/underinsured patients with labs, diagnostic screenings, diabetes and chronic disease management supplies, transportation assistance, medication, and specialist referrals.

¯ O’Neill Senior Center, Marietta, to purchase a memory disco for the Adult Day Center to provide quality interactive programs for seniors.

¯ Pilot Club of Jackson County, Ripley, to pay dental costs for uninsured or underinsured individuals in Jackson County.

¯ Pleasants County Neighbor Network, St. Marys, for operational support for the thrift store, food pantry and assistance programs.

¯ Rising Suns Non-Profit Pharmacy, Athens, for two-year support for their operations and services to provide free medication to patients.

¯ The Arc of the Mid-Ohio Valley, Parkersburg, to support the purchase of a van to transport individuals with developmental disabilities to and from events.

¯ Washington State College of Ohio, Marietta, to support a master’s degree success coach to expand the nursing program capacity.

¯ West Virginia Health Right, Charleston, for multi-year flexible operating support for the Roane County mobile dental unit.

Mental health and addiction

¯ Appalachian Center for Economic Networks, Athens, to support the coordinator of their workforce training program for people in reentry.

¯ Athens Photographic Project, Athens, to support the facility expansion project to provide space for additional recovery-oriented programs.

¯ BoMar Club, Ripley, to support a staff position to increase services for people experiencing substance use disorders and/or homelessness.

¯ Boys & Girls Club of Pleasants County, St. Marys, to support staff training and implementation of the SMART Moves program, which focuses on prevention and healthy decision-making for youth.

¯ Boys & Girls Club of Washington County, Marietta, for a mental health provider to work with youth behavioral challenges and provide training for staff.

¯ Calhoun County Schools, Mt. Zion, to support tobacco cessation and trauma-informed suicide prevention programs for students.

¯ Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the Mid-Ohio Valley, Parkersburg, to continue financial literacy education and coaching for community members in recovery.

¯ Every Child Now, Charleston, for general operating support.

¯ Field of Hope, Vinton, to support mental health counseling for Meigs County residents and trauma-informed care for first responders.

¯ Hope House, Ravenswood, to support a wellness program for residents of their sober living home.

¯ Integrated Health Centers of West Virginia, Harrisville, to enable a clinical staff member to become an approved EMDR consultant and trainer.

¯ Jackson County Health Department, Ripley, for operational support of the Jackson County Quick Response Team, which assists individuals who have experienced an overdose.

¯ Mid-Ohio Valley Fellowship Home, Parkersburg, for two years of flexible operating support.

¯ Minnie Hamilton Health Care Center, Grantsville, to support a case management position for mental health services in Calhoun County.

¯ North Star Child Advocacy Center, Parkersburg, for multi-year flexible operating support to help provide services to children who experience abuse.

¯ Perfect Purpose Inc., Parkersburg, to purchase a van to support the transportation needs of residents of Jess’s House, a recovery residence for women in Marietta.

¯ Recovery Point of West Virginia, Huntington, to expand a program to the Parkersburg area that provides transportation to people in recovery and to the general public for non-emergency medical needs; the program employs people in recovery as drivers, helping them to build skills and gain employment experience.

¯ Shatterproof, Norwalk, Conn., to support formative research to prepare for a West Virginia statewide anti-stigma campaign related to substance use disorders.

¯ SW Resources, Parkersburg, to support a training and employment program for people in recovery.

¯ Voices for Children Foundation – CASA Program, Parkersburg, to provide operating support.

¯ Washington County Homeless Project, Marietta, for operating support for the drop-in center which assists people experiencing barriers to stable housing.

¯ Westbrook Health Services, Parkersburg, to enhance the health and wellness programming of their Youth Recovery Center.

¯ Women for Recovery, Athens, to support women residents in a sober living environment with healthy eating habits and a sense of community.

Basic needs/direct service grant partners

¯ Adams House Ministries, Middlebourne, for fresh produce vouchers for Tyler County residents.

¯ Arnoldsburg Elementary, to purchase items for the school clothing and hygiene closet.

¯ Baptist Temple of Parkersburg, to purchase food for the Fishes and Loaves Food Pantry.

¯ Beechwood Presbyterian Church, Parkersburg, for fresh food for their food assistance program.

¯ Belpre Area Ministries, to purchase food and food vouchers for the food pantry.

¯ Blessings in a Backpack, Louisville, Ky., to purchase ready-to-eat food items for students at Meigs County Primary and Intermediate Schools.

¯ Calhoun Middle/High School, Mt. Zion, to purchase items for the school hygiene and clothing closet.

¯ Caring Connection, Marietta, for emergency assistance for utilities, housing and prescriptions.

¯ Emmanuel Baptist Church, Parkersburg, to purchase hygiene items and other basic household items for their necessity closet.

¯ Federal Valley Resource Center, Stewart, to purchase hygiene and cleaning products to distribute through the food pantry.

¯ First Baptist Church of Parkersburg, for clothing and hygiene products.

¯ First Lutheran Church, Parkersburg, to purchase food for the pantry.

¯ First Presbyterian Church of Williamstown, to purchase food for the Bee Bag program for children and families from Williamstown Elementary School

¯ GFWC Parkersburg Woman’s Club, for nutritional food items for Jefferson Elementary students to take home over the weekend.

¯ Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Parkersburg, to purchase food for people experiencing homelessness in Wood County.

¯ Jon Six Food Ministries, Vienna, to purchase food, hygiene products, bus passes and clothing for people experiencing homelessness.

¯ Logan Memorial United Methodist Church, Parkersburg, to purchase food for hot meals for people experiencing homelessness, poverty and/or substance use disorder.

¯ Lubeck United Methodist Church, Washington, to purchase non-perishable food for Lubeck Elementary students to take home for weekends and school holidays.

¯ Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio, Columbus, for non-perishable food and fresh produce to support their mobile food pantries in Athens and Meigs Counties.

¯ Meigs County Farmers’ Market, Pomeroy, to support their market programs, including food for their Racine pantry, the community garden in Rutland and healthy snacks for the Kids Korner.

¯ Ohio University – Office of the Dean of Students, Basic Needs, Athens, for the purchase of local fresh food for their choice food pantry.

¯ Packs of Plenty, Harrisville, to support the purchase of food and food vouchers for Ritchie County students/families in need.

¯ Parkersburg Urban Ministries, to assist Wood County residents with utility payments.

¯ Right Path for Washington County, Marietta, to support the purchase of food for their mini-farmers’ markets held in Washington County.

¯ Ripley Church of the Nazarene, to purchase baby and adult hygiene items.

¯ St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church, Elizabeth, to assist Wirt County residents with utility payments.

¯ The Plains United Methodist Church, to purchase hygiene items to be distributed along with food at their pantry.

¯ The REACH Initiative, Charleston, to support the purchase of basic hygiene and clothing items for the Duffel Bag Project supporting people in reentry in Wood County.

¯ The Salvation Army of Parkersburg, to purchase food for the hot meal program.

¯ Torch United Methodist Church, Coolville, to purchase food for their pantry.

¯ Waverly Activity Center, to purchase healthy food options, such as produce, lean protein and dairy for their pantry.

¯ We Have Your Six, Parkersburg, to provide rental and utility assistance to veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

¯ Westbrook Health Services, Parkersburg, to purchase hygiene and household items to stock the Paper Plus Pantry.

¯ WVU Extension Tyler County, Middlebourne, for non-perishable food and feminine hygiene products for their free little food pantry.

Collaborative grant partners

¯ Hocking/Athens/Perry Community Action, Glouster, Bounty on the Bricks, in collaboration with the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville and OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, to support the Southeast Ohio Foodbank and its member pantries.

¯ Marietta College, Nonprofits LEAD, for multi-year support for operations and programming to strengthen the capacity of nonprofit organizations in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

¯ United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley, Parkersburg, SUD Collaborative, which focuses on improving the lives of those impacted by substance use disorders in Wood County and its surrounding communities by catalyzing partnerships and coordinated response.

¯ Children’s Home Society, Parkersburg, Wood County Move Forward Project, to provide assistance to families in order to prevent children from entering the foster care system, to promote reunification and to support kinship care.