NVRH Awards Seven Community Health Fund Grants

The Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital Board and staff, as well as a committee representing the community, awarded just over $18000.00 in grants to Northeast Kingdom Community Action, Northeast Kingdom Human Services, Northeast Kingdom Youth Services, Lyndon Institute, Rural Edge and the St. Johnsbury School on Tuesday, December 10, 2019. These recipients will provide a range of programs and services for children and families in the upcoming year.

“We award these grants, which come out of our Community Health Fund, for programs and services that address our health priority areas and our goal that people in our communities will be well nourished, well housed, mentally healthy, physically healthy, and financially secure,” NVRH VP Marketing and Community Health Improvement Laural Ruggles said.

The health priority goals were confirmed by the hospital’s 2018 community health needs assessment. Rebecca Lowe, a teacher and lacrosse coach at Lyndon Institute, said the funds will purchase equipment.

“I am so delighted the girls will get to benefit from this generous donation and we can begin to build this program,” Lowe said.

“NVRH created this fund in 2012 to continue the hospital’s ongoing commitment to improve health,” NVRH CEO Shawn Tester said. “We depend on our strong community partners to meet our mission to improve the health and well-being of all who live in our region.”

NEK Youth Services was funded to support teen parents.

“This extremely vulnerable population will surely benefit from this added resource,” Executive Director of NEK Youth Services Connie Sandahl said. “I can’t adequately express how grateful we are for this additional resource to support these young families.”

The NVRH Community Health Fund is funded by donations from the community earmarked for community health improvement initiatives. For more information about the NVRH Community Health Fund and the projects funded this year visit www. nvrh.org.