Healthcare Foundation of NJ Third Quarter Giving Totals $2,802,521

The projects reflect the many diverse areas in which HFNJ works to fulfill its mission of improving the health and well-being of individuals in Newark and its environs and the Jewish community of Greater MetroWest, NJ.  Programs providing vision care for children; dental care for veterans; care for individuals experiencing homelessness; the provision of healthy foods; and more will be supported by the grants awarded this quarter.

The largest grant of the cycle is a $500,000 award to the South Ward Alliance to fund the creation of South Ward Wellness Center – a new Federally Qualified Health Center in the heart of Newark’s South Ward neighborhood.  The building will also provide spaces for a fitness center, social services, maternal health care, and community programs at one easily accessible location.

Newark’s University Hospital will receive $400,000 for the purchase and operation of a new a 40-foot customized mobile screening van and 3D mammography system that will travel to multiple locations within the hospital’s service area to provide mammograms to underserved women who would not otherwise receive a screening.

Behavioral health – a term encompassing mental health and substance abuse – remains a key focus area for the Foundation in 2023.  Of the 20 grants awarded this quarter, seven address an aspect of behavioral health. With a $77,696 grant, the Family Service League will provide quality, affordable, and accessible mental health counseling services to individuals, couples, and families in response to an increased demand for therapy.  A $125,000 grant to Imagine A Center for Coping with Loss will support an innovative effort to embed programming on overcoming grief and loss resulting from a death in the family for students, staff, and families at six Newark public schools.

Three grants will particularly address behavioral health needs in the Jewish community of MetroWest, NJ.  A $164,534 award to Golda Och Academy will fund the expansion of mental health services for students.  NJ Y Camps will receive $110,000 to fund a Community Care Coordinator position, and additional enhancements to make NJ Y Camps a national model for how camps can serve as a year-round mental health resource to their communities.  And Jewish Family Service of MetroWest will receive $46,998 to expand legal services through the Rachel Coalition – an effort to combat domestic violence which has been supported by HFNJ for more than 25 years.

“The multiplicity of different ways The Healthcare Foundation of NJ supports better health for all in our area is on display in this quarter’s diverse set of grants,” said Michael Schmidt, Executive Director and CEO. “As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, we are especially pleased to be able to support our youth and families who are facing a myriad of behavioral health challenges.”

The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey operates on a quarterly grant-making cycle. The grants awarded in the third quarter of 2023 are:

• South Ward Alliance, South Ward Wellness Center– $500,000
• University Hospital Foundation, Mobile Breast Cancer Screening Program – $400,000
• Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central and Southern NJ, Abortion Patient Navigation Program (Year 2) – $259,500
• Rutgers University Foundation,VETSmile and Holocaust Survivor Program (Year 2) – $225,000, plus up to an additional $25,000 in matching
• Golda Och Academy, Refuat Hanefesh: Post Pandemic Expansion of Mental Health Services at Golda Och Academy (Year 2) – $164,534
• New Jersey Healthcare Quality Institute, Mental Health Education for Perinatal Community Health Workers (Year 2) – $130,757
• Imagine a Center for Coping With Loss, Building a Culture of Compassion and Empathy for Grief in Newark School (Year 2) – $125,000
• Prevention Links, The Recovery Ecosystem: Integration of healthcare and recovery support services (Year 2) – $124,149
• NJ Y Camps, Refuat HaNefesh: Healing the Soul (Year 2) – $110,000
• Bridges Outreach, A Holistic Approach to Ending Homelessness (Year 2) – $100,000
• Make the Road States, Addressing Mental Health Challenges Among Low-income Immigrant Communities in NJ (Year 2) – $100,000
• Kindersmile,Workforce Development for KinderSmile Oral Health Program (Greater Newark) – $90,000
• Family Service League, Promoting Mental Health Through Quality Counseling (Year 2) – $77,696
• Greater Life, Family Resource Center LifeLine to Health for Youth and Families of Newark, NJ – $75,000
• JFS of Central NJ, Adult Day Care (Year 2) – $62,887
• Greater Newark Conservancy, Improving Access to Healthy Foods Through Sustainable Farmers Markets and Food Stands in Newark – $50,000
• Vision to Learn, Eye Exams and Prescription Glasses for Title I Schoolchildren in Newark New Jersey – $50,000
• Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, Sustaining Rachel Coalition’s Legal Services (Year 2) – $46,998
• Table to Table, Food Equity for Newark’s most vulnerable populations (Year 2) – $45,000
• Covenant House, Physical Wellness Advisor for Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness (Year 3) – $41,000