Health-centered, non-profit awards more than $650,000 in grants.
The Superior Health Foundation (SHF) in Marquette awarded more than $650,000 in health-centered grant funding at its Spring Grants Celebration on Tuesday evening at the Holiday Inn in Marquette. The event was proudly presented by 44 North.
The Superior Health Foundation awarded $108,167.50 in spring grants, $33,900 in indigent care grants and $18,387.45 in pilot-project and equipment grants. In addition, in funding partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, Michigan Health Endowment Fund, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the Michigan Health & Hospital Association and Upper Peninsula Health Plan, the Superior Health Foundation awarded $490,000 in grants for “Supporting the development and growth of substance use disorder recovery communities in the Upper Peninsula.”
In its 10-year history, the Upper Peninsula-wide, non-profit organization has awarded more than $4.5 million in grant dollars to health-centered, non-profits in the U.P.
“In a time of great hardship for many non-profit organizations, we’re incredibly honored and humbled to provide much-needed, health-centered grant funding to a wide array of deserving organizations across the peninsula,” said Jim LaJoie, executive director of the Superior Health Foundation. “The needs have been pronounced during the pandemic and we’re hopeful that this funding will make immeasurable differences in the health of people across the Upper Peninsula.”
Grants were awarded to four community organizations dedicated to addressing gaps in service for individuals and families facing substance use disorder and supporting the development and growth of recovery communities in the Upper Peninsula. These grants included:
- Eastern Upper Peninsula Opioid Response Consortium ($150,000): Support a peer recovery specialist who will serve inmates, treatment court teams, support behavioral health professionals and enhance community-wide education that reduces stigma and creates trauma-informed communities.
- Great Lakes Recovery Centers, Inc. ($150,000): Provide connections to professional development such as interview skills and resume building, vocational profiling and job readiness reviews, and connecting participants to a network of recovery-friendly employers.
- Western Upper Peninsula Health Department ($150,000): Reconnect people with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) to their families and communities by improving understanding of SUD, reducing stigma and developing easy access to treatment by bridging gaps in services through family education and support, women’s specialty services and jail-based services.
- Superior Housing Solutions ($40,000): Support the workforce development and recovery community organization project manager with the addition of another social worker to help see its mission through.
At the event, the SHF awarded $108,167.50 in spring grants to five non-profit organizations in the U.P.:
- Community Foundation of Marquette County ($50,000): The Community Foundation distributes grants across Marquette County with branches in Negaunee, Marquette, Gwinn and Greater Ishpeming. SHF provided funding to its “Kids Cove Playground – Playground for All” project to fund the Proprioceptive Zone. The equipment in this zone is designed to provide a fun experience while encouraging motion. This includes a trampoline that is accessible to a caregiver and a wheelchair user to use together, which is something that would be rarely found outside of Kids Cove.
- Chippewa County Family Project ($22,800): The Chippewa County Family Project was established in 2015 to provide a group home in Sault Ste. Marie for boys and girls ages 14-18 who lack stable foster care, are considered too old for adoption, or simply can’t find foster care in Chippewa County. It opened the Arfstrom Faunt Teen Foster Home in 2022 and can accept up to 12 foster children. SHF provided funding for personal supplies, two personal computers and startup costs.
- Marquette County Habitat for Humanity ($17,000): Marquette County Habitat for Humanity is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and worldwide through constructing, rehabilitating and preserving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. SHF provided funding for two new portable ramps in Marquette County. These ramps will help individuals arriving home from the hospital, rehab facility or other care facility who find themselves in need of an immediate, temporary ramp to safely access their home.
- Healthy Youth Coalition of Marinette & Menominee Counties ($15,600): The Healthy Youth Coalition of Marinette & Menominee Counties is a youth-driven, youth-led organization devoted to promoting healthy lifestyles among youth and their families throughout Marinette and Menominee Counties. It has partnered with administration at each local school district in Menominee County to install vape detectors in high school locker rooms, bathrooms and other locations where vape and e-cigarette use often goes undetected. SHF provided funding for 16 vape detectors.
- 906 Adventure Team ($2,767.50): 906 Adventure Team is committed to empowering youth to become the best version of themselves through outdoor adventure. It provides adventure-based programs open to all children ages 5-17 in rural U.P. communities. The 906 Adventure Team is expanding into Iron River in 2022 and costs for the expansion includes backpacks and radios, which ensure the volunteer leaders have all the tools they need for a safe ride. SHF provided funding to purchase 15 radios with external microphones, as they are a key safety feature of the backpacks.
At the celebration, SHF announced the four award recipients for its Indigent Care grants:
- Cancer Care of Marquette County ($10,000): Cancer Care of Marquette County was awarded funds to provide patient care services to those with a cancer diagnosis who are unable to respond to the catastrophic healthcare costs caused by this disease and its treatment.
- Care Clinic ($3,900): Care Clinic received funding for training fees for two employees to attend ultrasound training. Ultrasounds to confirm pregnancy are essential for clients to receive Medicaid.
- Great Lakes Recovery Centers, Inc ($10,000): GLRC was granted funds for its Compassionate Care Fund. This fund aims to help individuals who are uninsured, under insured and not eligible for community or governmental funding and do not have the means to pay for it on their own.
- Hospice of the Eastern U.P. ($10,000): Hospice of the Eastern U.P. was awarded funds to assist with costs to cover much needed medical and volunteer training supplies, bereavement materials, patient care items, medical equipment upgrades, groceries, travel, additional staffing and community outreach.
The Superior Health Foundation also awarded pilot project and equipment grants to the following organizations:
Gogebic County Forestry & Parks Commission, Gogebic Medical Care Facility, Lake Superior Life Care & Hospice, Mercy EMS, Inc., Powell Township School, Project Jade, and Superior Housing Solutions.
The Superior Health Foundation’s mission is to “assist with unmet healthcare needs, with health education, and with programs and research on preventing illness and promoting health throughout the Upper Peninsula.”
SHF accepts grant proposals monthly for pilot project and equipment grants. Applications for the fall grants cycle will be accepted from June 1-July 1. To learn more and apply for funding, visit www.superiorhealthfoundation.org