3 Rivers Community Foundation to Provide $415,000 in Grants to Improve Housing, Food Insecurity, and Mental Health

3 Rivers Community Foundation (3RCF) is very pleased to have been selected to distribute approximately $415,000 in grants to nonprofits in Benton and Franklin counties to impact the social determinants of heath. This funding is made available through the Greater Columbia Accountable Community of Health Fund in collaboration with the Benton Franklin Community Health Alliance and 3 Rivers Community Foundation. The application is now available at http://3rcf.org/non-profits/how-to-apply-for-a-grant/ and the deadline for applications is May 15th, 2021 at 5pm.

The purpose of this funding is to formally recognize, evaluate, and resource investments in social determinants of health. The social determinants of health are linked to the economic and social conditions and their distribution among the population that influence individual and group differences in health status. They are health-promoting factors found in one's living and working conditions (such as the distribution of income, wealth, influence, and power), rather than individual risk factors (such as behavioral risk factors or genetics) that influence the risk for a disease, or vulnerability to disease or injury. The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age.

“3RCF is grateful to have the opportunity to support large scale projects that can really move the needle on these critical issues,” says Abbey Cameron, Executive Director of 3 Rivers Community Foundation. “It is crucial for the health of community to create funding opportunities to focus on these key factors. We have incredible nonprofits who know how to address these social determinants of health, and we are thrilled to be able to support them.”

For this grant opportunity, the Benton Franklin Community Health Alliance has identified the following Social Determinants of Health. Submitted proposals must address one of these areas of focus:

• Housing - with an emphasis on supportive housing for those living with an addiction or mental health issues
• Housing - with an emphasis on housing for homeless middle and high school age youth
• Food Insecurity/Providing healthy food options for youth - expanding school-based programs
• Food Insecurity/Providing healthy food options for youth - Create convenient centers that provide free or low-cost healthy food where youth gather
• Food Insecurity/Providing healthy food options for youth - Adding/encouraging mobile
  or pop-up markets
• Behavioral Health - Additional licensed practitioners to improve access to services
• Behavioral Health - Suicide prevention measures for teens and adult men between the
  ages of 30-60
• Behavioral Health - Support for the regional confidential tip line

“The Benton-Franklin Community Health Alliance (BFCHA) is honored to work with 3 Rivers Community Foundation to bring these resources to our community,” says Kirk Williamson, Program Manager of BFCHA. “More than 100 partner individuals and agencies helped select the target areas for these grants, based on input from the people they serve. We are excited to see the
ways they help our community remove barriers to good health.”

Examples of projects supported in 2019 by a previous round of this funding:

• Chaplaincy Health Care - $78,000 to support hiring a Clinical Social Worker to provide behavioral health services to the underserved Medicare population
• Communities in Schools - $102,812 to provide one-time housing assistance voucher through Safe Harbor Support Center
• Grace Clinic - $50,000 to hire a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and partner with WSU-TC to increase the number of PNO students trained locally.
• Tri-Cities Residential Services - $13,000 to establish a PEERS program providing social skills training for residents with autism and other mental health issues
• Catholic Charities - $69,000 to hire a full-time Peer Support counselor to provide service
  to residents
• Community Action Connections - $78,271 for staffing costs to support referred tenants at Sundance Mobile Home Park

The application can be found at http://3rcf.org/non-profits/how-to-apply-for-a-grant/.
​To make a donation to 3RCF visit https://threeriverscf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate.