Marian Regional Medical Center Announces Community Grants - KCOY Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo - News

Marian Regional Medical Center Announces Community Grants

This year, the MRMC Community Grants will be awarded to the following local organizations:

Alliance for Pharmaceutical Access, Inc. ($10,000) To expand its model of providing prescription medications for chronic medical conditions to targeted populations (the uninsured, under-insured, seniors, low income, and other disenfranchised) in Santa Barbara County. APA is now able to offer the APA Diabetes Supplies Program which offers free and discounted diabetes supplies.

Eric Okerblom Foundation Clinic ($2,500) Provides care to the group of people who "fall through the cracks." These people do not qualify for subsidized health care, such as, MediCal and the MIA program. The population group includes part-time employees, minimum wage employees, contract employees, college students, unemployed, in-home caregivers and the self-employed.

FoodBank of Santa Barbara County ($13,032) Provides direct-to-client programs and food distributions that address diet-related disease prevention among at-risk, low-income populations.

Guadalupe Family Service Center's ($15,000) Supports participation in local recreational programs for children ages six to 18 and the provision of fitness and nutrition classes for children ages three to 12 that will run concurrent to parent trainings and workshops. Implementation of a Parent Academy will link together all existing parent training in Guadalupe and creating a catalog that is inclusive of all available parent workshops encouraging continuous parent participation throughout the year. The Parent Academy will address mental health by contracting certified counselor interns to provide workshops topics on family relationships, child development, discipline, coping with mental health disorders. 

Good Samaritan Shelter's Treatment Slots for Homeless Individuals ($30,000) To provide outpatient drug and alcohol treatment to the homeless and those without Medi-Cal benefits. In addition mothers with MediCal insurance have their benefits suspended at the point they lose custody of their children through child welfare services and at times they need treatment but there is not a funding source that can cover the cost of these services. Funding will allow Good Samaritan to provide outpatient drug and alcohol treatment services to women without their children and homeless individuals needing substance abuse treatment in order to become self-sufficient.

People for Leisure and Youth, Inc. (P.L.A.Y.) ($12,500) The funding will allow P.L.A.Y., Inc. to carry on the work started in FY 2012. Programs will provide a matrix of opportunities to reduce the risk of chronic disease in children and families through a combination of education, outreach, and interventions to target community members who do not currently participate in recreation programs due to financial hardship or their own uncertainty about how they can access these services focusing on families living below the poverty level. In addition to the health education outreach at ASES and special events, we will host two week-long day camps for the children whose parents have successfully completed the Healthy for Life Nutrition Lecture Series offered in partnership with MRMC.

Doorway to Health's Mixteco Client Navigator Project ($6,127) To provide monolingual Mixtec women with free services of a bilingual, bicultural (Spanish/Mixtec) Mixtec Client Navigator to assist them to obtain and complete their breast and cervical cancer screening appointments and diagnostic care. Services will include helping them to make appointments, telephone calls, completing paperwork, interpreting at appointments for follow-up care, and if diagnosed, appointments at Mission Hope Cancer Center. CDP Health Education staff (promotoras) will provide community education on breast and cervical cancer along with referrals to CDP primary care providers. The Client Navigators will provide a bridge between the initial educational encounter in the community and the clinical services needed to complete the woman's medical care.

FISH – MEALS ON WHEELS ($15,000) Delivers nutritious meals five days a week directly to clients' homes by a volunteer drivers serving up to 80 meals a day. Without the delivery of these meals, clients would have to be placed in county or private care programs. The program's population is primarily low-income elderly or those under 65 who cannot provide their own meals and require a medically-prescribed diet. It is the only agency in the area that serves home-delivered, medical diet meals.

Transitions – Mental Health Association ($5,000) The Friendship Line is a newly established peer-to-peer service for Santa Barbara County residents with mental illness who need active listening, friendship or possible referral to free meal locations, support groups or crisis prevention services. The Friendship Line's current staff consists of four trained Peer Support persons and one Program Coordinator. Grant funding will allow Transitions to increase hours making the friendship line.