GREENFIELD — Four local nonprofits will get some help over the next two or three years from Baystate Health and Baystate Franklin Medical Center so they can focus on the “social environment.”
Baystate Franklin awarded a total of $307,000 to the four, with Community Action Pioneer Valley’s Youth Partnership for Social Change and Health Justice receiving $100,000 over two years; Just Roots’ Everyone’s Farm to Everyone’s Table program receiving $108,474 over two years; Musica Franklin’s after-school music program receiving $60,000 over three years; and Stone Soup Cafe’s Community Needs Assessment receiving $38,526 over two years.
The awards come from Baystate Health’s Better Together Grants, part of its Community Benefits Program.
“Baystate Health is proud to invest our Determination of Need (DoN) Community Health Initiative (CHI) funding in the communities served by all four of our hospitals,” Baystate Health’s Director of Communications Annamarie Golden said. “We are honored to partner with these deserving local nonprofit organizations over the next three years.”
All recipients submitted requests for proposals last fall explaining their needs. Golden said the grants will have “lasting and meaningful impacts on health outcomes, health equity and social detriments of health throughout the Pioneer Valley.”
Baystate Franklin’s Community Benefits Advisory Council chose a specific health priority for the funding, which is the “social environment.” The money awarded to the nonprofits will support projects centered around reducing social isolation, social support for youth and building connectedness to community for low-income adults, as well as social justice.
“The Baystate funding will make a big difference in our organization’s aspirations to expand programming,” Musica Franklin Associate Director Rachelle Ackerman said. “Knowing that we can rely on multiple-year funding gives us the security to plan ahead. We’re especially excited for the one-on-one assistance developing our program evaluation measures that comes with this grant. It shows a real dedication by Baystate to the organizational success of its community partners.”
Just Roots Executive Director Jessica O’Neill said local food, when made accessible, serves as a powerful connector to help bridge and celebrate cultures, introduce neighbors, engage family members and knit together communities.
“In two years’ time, Baystate Health’s Better Together award will support more than 8,000 instances of local food and community connection for 150 Franklin County families disproportionately impacted by food insecurity, isolation and health disparities,” O’Neill said.
Golden said the funding was made possible through the state Department of Public Health’s Determination of Need requirements in relation to the replacement of Baystate Medical Center’s Electrophysiology Catheterization Labs approved in November 2018. She said the project was originally unique to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, but the goal is to distribute the funds equitably among all Baystate Health hospitals.
“This is an intentional step toward health equity, recognizing that our community hospitals historically have lower likelihood of accessing DoN CHI funds,” she said.
The goal is to make communities healthier places to live while complementing Baystate Health’s offerings. In addition to awarding each of its hospitals money to then award the grants, the hospital system contracted with the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts to provide technical assistance and evaluation support over the next three years.
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Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-9591 or afritz@recorder.com.