TWIN TIERS (WETM) — Four nonprofit organizations in the Twin Tiers have been awarded grants to support different programs that address community health improvement.
The Donald Guthrie Foundation Community Benefits Committee has awarded $47,500 in grants to seven organizations in total, four of which are in the Twin Tiers, as stated in a release. The funds will support a variety of programs that tackle urgent community health needs, like obesity prevention and expanded access to mental health services.
Listed below are the organizations that received funding for accessible mental health/trauma support programs, according to the release:
Neighborhood Transformation Center ($5,000): Funding will support the Friday Community Connection Program, a weekly, prevention-focused initiative in Elmira that offers nutritious hot meals, a weekend food pantry, structured social activities, and on-site navigation of community resources for seniors, adults with disabilities, and low-income individuals in Chemung County.
Supporting Area Families Everyday ($5,000): Funding will support the launch of SAFE Legacy, a monthly grandparent support group in Bradford County, Pa., offering trauma-informed education, peer support, and connections to mental health resources for grandparents raising grandchildren due to parental substance use.
Samaritan Counseling Center of the Southern Tier ($15,000): Funding will support the creation and equipping of a dedicated Youth Behavioral Health Prevention and Group Intervention Space for adolescents ages 12 to 18 in Broome and Tioga counties, N.Y., expanding structured early-intervention programming for youth experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma-related stress, and early substance use risk.
Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeast Pennsylvania ($7,500): Funding will strengthen and expand trauma-focused mental health services for child victims of abuse in Wyoming and Susquehanna counties in Pennsylvania. The grant supports implementation of a secure electronic health record system, purchase of standardized trauma-specific assessment instruments, and creation of child-friendly therapy spaces at the organization’s satellite locations in Tunkhannock and New Milford.
Seven Valleys Health Coalition ($7,000): Funding will expand the Doula Partnership of Cortland County, N.Y., increasing capacity to serve low-income families during the postpartum period and supporting specialized bereavement training for doulas working with families experiencing pregnancy or infant loss.
According to the release, the remaining funds are going to organizations with programs focused on combating obesity/promoting a healthy lifestyle, which can be found below:
Corning Family YMCA ($5,000): Funding will expand the organization’s Teaching Kitchen initiative into a structured, eight-week nutrition education and cooking program offered year-round to youth and families in Steuben County. Family-centered classes led by a certified nutritionist will focus on affordable, healthy meal preparation and building long-term healthy habits at home.
Wyoming County Community Health Foundation ($3,000): Funding will support Get Out! Tunkhannock, a partnership with the Tunkhannock Area Recreation Association, that provides free, inclusive recreational and healthy-eating activities for children and families in Wyoming County, Pa. Programming includes physical activities such as biking, hiking, soccer, and paddling, as well as a Food Explorers component that introduces children to healthy foods.
The grants are part of the foundation’s Community Health Needs Assessment, which presented access to mental health services and obesity as the top health concerns across the region. According to the release, the foundation awards grants to nonprofits whose programs directly address those priorities in communities served by Guthrie.
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