PARKERSBURG – Forty-three nonprofit organizations in the Mid-Ohio Valley have been awarded grant funding in support of the Sisters Health Foundation’s vision of “healthy people in healthy communities.”

At its most recent meeting, the foundation’s board of directors approved a total of $531,300.

“Our foundation is proud to partner with the organizations who came to us this spring cycle, which shows a wide range of needs in the 11-county region we serve,” said Program Officer Shei Sanchez. “We were excited to see programs that increased healthy food access and nutrition education in both Ohio and West Virginia. It was also great to see organizations who continue to support people in recovery and reentry and programs that address access to care for those with limited means.”

Seventeen organizations that provide direct services, such as food and emergency assistance, received a total of $47,800 from the Basic Needs/Direct Service Grants Program.

* Beechwood Presbyterian Church, Parkersburg – $3,000 for fresh food for their food assistance program.

* Bethel Baptist Church, Given – $1,000 to purchase food for their pantry.

* Beverly Presbyterian Church, Beverly – $1,000 for food to distribute on weekends and school holidays for Beverly Center Elementary students.

* Catholic Charities West Virginia, Wheeling – $4,000 to provide utility and rent assistance as well as other emergency aid for income-eligible households in Wood County.

* Community Resource Center, Marietta – $2,000 to assist individuals in the Mid-Ohio Valley with urgent basic needs, primarily temporary housing and housing application fees.

* Emmanuel Baptist Church, Parkersburg – $1,800 to purchase hygiene and other basic household items for their Necessity Closet.

* First Baptist Church of Parkersburg – $1,500 for clothing and undergarments for their men’s clothing closet.

* First United Methodist Church of Williamstown – $2,000 to provide children at Williamstown Elementary with new shoes, undergarments and other basic necessities.

* Gallia-Meigs Community Action Agency, Cheshire – $4,000 to provide rent and/or utility assistance to Meigs County residents who have financial need.

* GFCW Parkersburg Woman’s Club – $3,500 to purchase nutritious food for weekend backpacks for Jefferson Elementary students.

* Logan Memorial United Methodist Church, Parkersburg – $3,000 to assist Momma T and the Warriors street feeding program by purchasing and preparing food for hot meals for people experiencing homelessness, poverty and/or substance use disorder.

* Right Path for Washington County, Marietta – $4,000 to support the purchase of food for their mini-farmers’ markets held in Washington County to foster healthy behaviors and connection among youth and families.

* River of Life Care Closet, Rutland, Ohio – $2,000 to support the purchase of food for their pantry.

* Spencer Elementary School, Spencer – $2,000 for the purchase of shoes for students who are under-resourced.

* St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church, Elizabeth – $5,000 to assist Wirt County residents with utility payments and vehicle repair for medical appointments and employment purposes.

* The Plains United Methodist Church, The Plains – $3,500 to purchase hygiene items to be distributed along with food at their pantry.

* Torch United Methodist Church, Coolville – $2,500 to purchase food for their pantry.

Twenty-six organizations received support totaling $483,500 for their efforts to address the health needs of their communities in the priority areas of healthy eating, active living; thriving neighborhoods; and mental health and addiction.

Healthy Eating, Active Living Priority Area

* Appalachian Center for Economic Networks, Athens – $15,000 to support the increase in distribution of fresh, local produce in Athens, Meigs and Washington counties.

* Boys & Girls Club of Pleasants County, St. Marys – $15,000 to support the implementation of the Triple Play Program to help reinforce lifelong habits related to healthy eating, physical activity and positive social development.

* Community Food Initiatives, Athens – $25,000 for flexible funding to support healthy food access programs in Athens County.

* FARMacy WV: Prescriptions for Produce, Wheeling – $10,000 for the produce prescription program in Pleasants County.

* Jackson County Commission on Aging, Ripley – $4,000 to provide operating support for their pool serving senior citizens.

* Marietta Memorial Hospital – $20,000 to support the produce prescription program in Sistersville and Belpre.

* Rural Action, The Plains – $25,000 to support the capacity and expansion of their children’s healthy eating and cooking program targeting youth primarily in Athens and Washington counties.

* Southeastern Ohio Center for Independent Living, Lancaster – $12,000 to support the Athens adaptive sports outreach program, which includes the COMcorps position, mileage and equipment.

* Washington-Morgan Community Action, Marietta – $5,000 to support their summer program which provides hot nutritious lunches to children in Belpre, New Matamoras, Beverly, Lower Salem, Lowell, Vincent, Marietta and surrounding areas.

* Tyler County Family Resource Center, Middlebourne – $4,000 to support the mobile summer feeding program for Tyler County students.

Thriving Neighborhoods Priority Area

* Boys & Girls Club of Washington County, Marietta – $60,000 for flexible funding support for activities and projects related to the merger of the Boys & Girls Club of Washington County and the Ely Chapman Education Foundation.

* Coplin Health Systems, Elizabeth – $20,000 to support the community health worker in health initiatives across clinical, mobile, school-based and community settings.

* Council of Senior Tyler Countians, Middlebourne – $20,000 to support the purchase of a vehicle to provide safe, reliable transportation for seniors in Tyler County.

* Fort Frye Local Schools, Beverly – $20,000 to support the construction of a school-based health clinic to serve the school and surrounding communities in Beverly.

* Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens – $60,000 for flexible funding to support the Heritage Community Clinic’s mission, offering essential health services to under- and uninsured patients at no cost to them.

* OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, Athens – $30,000 to support the construction of a Special Care Nursery at the hospital’s Level II maternity center.

* Pilot Club of Jackson County, Ripley – $5,000 to support dental care at reduced costs for individuals in Jackson County.

* Unpuzzled Parents Connect, Parkersburg – $15,000 to support the expansion of programming for families of children with autism and developmental disabilities.

* West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, Charleston – $5,000 to support a public education campaign to help West Virginians in the Mid-Ohio Valley navigate new SNAP changes and maintain eligibility.

Mental Health and Addiction Priority Area

* BoMar Club, Ripley – $20,000 for flexible funding support to address recovery and reentry and among Jackson County residents and surrounding counties.

* Camden Clark Medical Foundation, Parkersburg – $16,000 to support the role of the peer recovery coach in the Perinatal Program, which supports patients in recovery from substance use disorder.

* Field of Hope Community Campus, Vinton – $16,000 to support counseling services for Meigs County drug court participants and office rental space in Pomeroy.

* My Sister’s Place, Athens – $20,000 for flexible funding support to continue and strengthen services for survivors of domestic violence.

* The REACH Initiative, Charleston – $18,000 to support the role and work of the peer reentry navigator in Wood County and for the purchase of essential office equipment.

* Washington County Homeless Project, Marietta – $20,000 to support the operations of their drop-in center which assists people experiencing barriers to stable housing.

* Women for Recovery, Athens – $4,500 to support a weekly communal meal in which women in recovery learn to prepare food while strengthening a sense of belonging.

For the upcoming grant cycle, the due date for requests under the priority areas of mental health and addiction; thriving neighborhoods; and healthy eating, active living is midnight on July 15. Nonprofits interested in submitting a basic needs/direct service grant application should contact Associate Director Marian Clowes at mclowes@sistershealthfdn.org or 304-424-6080 to begin the process. For the Responsive Grant Program, letters of inquiry may be submitted online at www.sistershealthfdn.org without scheduling a prior phone conversation.

The foundation serves Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt and Wood counties in West Virginia and Athens, Meigs and Washington counties in Ohio. More information on grantmaking and eligibility requirements can be found online at www.sistershealthfdn.org.