Submitted by Chuckanut Health Foundation
Chuckanut Health Foundation (CHF), the Whatcom County funder focused exclusively on investing to strengthen and advance individual and community health, recently awarded $397,000 in grants to 20 local nonprofits.
“The 20 grants we made this year are in addition to the $19,500 in scholarships and grants to nursing students we awarded recently,” Sue Sharpe, Executive Director, said. “We have invested more than $16 million in direct grants to organizations focused on improving health in our community since 1983.”
Many of this year’s grant recipients provide essential services throughout Whatcom County, as well as Bellingham. One example is the Bellingham Mountain Rescue Council. Its primary focus are the Cascade Mountains of eastern Whatcom County. President Eric Beamer said, “We are all mountain climbers and backcountry people who joined Mountain Rescue to help others. Over the last six years, we’ve raised over $50,000 in anticipation of replacing our 21-year-old rescue vehicle. Trying to raise funds for such a large ticket item is a big challenge for us, and it takes away from how we can really help the people of Whatcom County that get into trouble in the mountains. So we are extremely grateful for the matching grant award that now makes a new rescue vehicle a reality.”
Other grant recipients regularly serve communities beyond Bellingham. The Whatcom County Council on Aging delivers nutritious meals to seniors living in the county. Another food-centric grant was awarded to the Northwest Indian College for its food sovereignty project. Grants for organizations like the ALS Association for its Caregivers Day Off and the Whatcom Volunteer Center for its Chore Program both reach out to clients countywide. Through this year’s 20 direct grants, CHF has impacted thousands of people in Whatcom County.
This year’s grant recipients include the following:
- EMS (Emergency Medical Services), $2,000 for its 33rd annual Conference on Pre-Hospital Medicine
- Sun Community Services, $29,293, repairs to Sun House, its assisted living facility
- ALS Association (Alzheimer’s Association), $5,000, Caregivers Day Off
- Northwest Indian College, $10,000, Food Sovereignty Project
- Whatcom Volunteer Center, $5,000, Chore Program
- Bellingham Technical College, $22,746, dental training equipment
- Bellingham Mountain Rescue Council, $54,000, new vehicle
- Whatcom Community College Foundation, $17,500, baby simulator equipment
- Whatcom County Council on Aging, $30,000, Senior Nutrition Project
- Whatcom Taking Action, $31,400, single entry access to services for special needs children
- Bellingham Food Bank, $50,000, challenge grant to support capital projects
- Sean Humphrey House, $9,500, fencing project
- Hearing, Speech & Deafness Center, $5,000, education and outreach services
- Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Advancement, $60,000, intensive care management and end of life matching grant
- Elder Service Providers, $5,000, support of annual conference
- Brigid Collins, $2,400, matching child abuse prevention training
- Treehouse Fund, $5,000, support services for those who lose a loved one
- Mt. Baker Dental Society, $500, dental access fundraiser
- United Way, $7,000, Project Homeless Connect
- Whatcom Rowing Association, $1,582.40, fundraising breakfast sponsor
Chuckanut Health Foundation awards major grants twice a year. Deadlines to receive applications are October 1 and April 1, for grants awarded in 2015. Mini grants of $500 or less are considered throughout the year.
The Eleanor and Henry Jansen Foundation, a supporting organization of CHF, also accepts grant applications through CHF four times a year. For information on grant applications, visit www.chuckanuthealthfoundation.org or call 360-671-3349.
Chuckanut Health Foundation, with a leadership board of members with deep roots in Whatcom County, shares a bold vision of a community where every child gets a healthy start and every person receives the care needed throughout their lifetime. It invests now for a healthier tomorrow.
