Grants Awarded

April 2012 Approved Grants

Refugee Medical Program
Submitted by: St. Cloud Area Somali Salvation Organization
This project offers assistance to new refugees to the many resources available to them for employment, education and medical resources through staff that speak their language.

Advance Directives Program
Submitted by: Light the Legacy
This project will bring Honoring Choices to Central Minnesota to allow the people of our community to discuss and document their choices for medical treatment at the end of life.

Living at Home/Block Nursing Program
Submitted by: Foley Area C.A.R.E.
This project assists seniors to remain living in the home of their choice with the services the program offers including; transportation, homemaking services, chore services and respite care.

Health Career Service Academy
Submitted by: St. Cloud Area School District 742
This project offers a two week summer academy that includes career exploration, e-mentoring, academic skill development and service experiences to participants to plan for and pursue a career in healthcare.

Health Improvement Plan program
Submitted by: Helping Hands Outreach
This project will allow for additional staff time to meet face-to-face with at least 40 older adults and adults with disabilities to help them set personal health goals and monitor their progress.

February 2012 Approved Grants

St. Cloud Area Crisis Nursery
Submitted by: Lutheran Social Service
Funded by CCHF in 2007, 2008, and 2010. This project seeks local funding to support the number of emergency child care placements needed to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Rural Stearns Faith in Action
Submitted by: Assumption Community Services
This grant would be used to reimburse volunteer drivers for mileage. The volunteers provide transportation to seniors in our rural areas for medical appointments, physical therapy, occupational therapy, eye care, and mental health appointments.

Lucas Chest Compression System
Submitted by: Tri-County Health Care
This grant would allow Tri-County Hospital (TCH) to purchase a Lucas Chest Compression System. The goal is to enhance care given to victims of cardiac arrest throughout the TCH EMS service area.

CPR Training
Submitted by: CentraCare Clinic, Family Medicine Department, Sports Division/Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon
In honor of a runner who died on the course, the grant is requested to train up to 40 event volunteers in CPR. 

Minnesota Health Care Outreach Program
Submitted by: St. Cloud Area Legal Services
This grant will allow project staff to help low-income families obtain health care coverage including Minnesota Care and Medical Assistance. Outreach will be conducted at the Mid-Minnesota Family Practice Clinic and at sites including libraries, Casa Guadalupe, health fairs, and other community events.

Youth Frontiers Courage Retreat for Seventh Graders
Submitted by: Rocori Middle School
This grant will be used in an effort to eradicate bullying and build communities of positive peer interaction among middle school students, ROCORI Middle School would like to offer 7th graders the opportunity to participate in a day long retreat sponsored by Youth Frontiers.

Centering Pregnancy Program
Submitted by: Lakewood Health System
The grant would allow Lakewood Health System to afford the training and a portion of the certification expenses associated with establishing a Centering Pregnancy Program. The Program is designed to serve expectant mothers, as the number of birth per year has risen in the area.

Parenting, Health and Wellness Program
Submitted by: CURA Center, Inc., d/b/a New Beginnings
The organization is requesting grants to support their Parenting, Health and Wellness Program that provides health and wellness education and support to at-risk pregnant and parenting mothers ages 16-21.

2012 Bernick’s Family Fitness Series
Submitted by: St. Cloud Area YMCA
The goal of the program is to improve the health of the community through a series of fun, educational and activity-based seasonal family friendly fitness events that promote healthy living, youth development and social responsibility.

September 2011 Approved Grants

Chemical Health Consultant
Submitted by: West Central Area Learning Center
This grant would help fund a part time chemical health consultant which would give fifty high risk teens access and on-going support from a chemical health consultant. Services would include addiction from education, identifying a substance abuse problem, accessing treatment, and support for parents to continuing care services for youth who have been in treatment.

Reach Out and Read Program
Submitted by: CentraCare Clinic Women and Children
This grant would help fund the Reach Out and Read program that recruits primary care providers to advocate literacy and promote school readiness during well-child visits for children ages 6 months to 5 years.

Seizure Smart Schools Initiative
Submitted by: Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota
This program works with schools throughout the West Central region to ensure that kids with seizures have the best possible school experience.

HIV Education and Outreach Program
Submitted by: Rural AIDS Action Network
This program targets high risk populations for HIV transmission; utilizing free HIV testing and risk reduction strategies. This program’s targeted approach will strengthen the organization’s ability to provide education and testing in areas of greatest need and reach HIV positive individuals who need services and care.

Family Bereavement Support Project
Submitted by: St. Cloud Hospital Family Bereavement Support Project Committee
This grant would help to continue funding for the Gift of Hope Grief Box Project, which touches many people a year and promotes our mission statement by giving as Christ would do to those going through a very difficult time in their lives. These boxes contain items to help family members heal after the loss of a loved one.

July 2011 Approved Grants

Healing Touch Therapy Program Training
Submitted by: Good Shepherd Foundation, Inc.
Healing touch therapy is a complementary, energy-based approach to healing. The goal of healing touch is to restore balance to the human energy system with the use of contact and non-contact touch. This grant would offset costs incurred in the training and subsequent certification of three staff members in healing touch therapy.

A Matter of Balance and Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs
Submitted by: Central MN Council on Aging
This grant would fund prevention programs of A Matter of Balance and Chronic Disease Self-Management proven to improve population health and reduce health care costs that improve health status and reduce the use of hospital care and health care costs.

St. Cloud Technical and Community College Foundation
Submitted by: EMS and Para-Medicine Program Technology and Equipment
The St. Cloud Technical and Community College Foundation is dedicated to providing students with state of the art equipment to prepare them for future careers. The purpose of this project is to fund the purchasing of equipment to be used by the EMS and Para-Medicine students in preparation for their certification exams and degrees.

Scrubs Camp
Submitted by: Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program, Inc.
Scrubs camp is a regionally recognized training concept that was first developed in Minnesota to serve job seekers looking for employment in the healthcare sector and healthcare employers looking to find a better applicant for the growing need for a qualified workforce. This grant would fund a four day Scrubs Camp for adults in Brainerd, MN in August 2011.

Franciscan Community Volunteers Program
Submitted by: Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, MN
This grant would be used for general operating expenses (namely transportation) for the Franciscan Community Volunteers Program, a ministry that allows young adults the opportunity to serve the poor and experience the Franciscan way of life.

Wellness Recovery Action Plan
Submitted by: Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Network of Minnesota
This grant would help expand the St. Cloud Regional Resource Center services o include Wellness Recovery Action Plan groups in five Central Minnesota counties. WRAP teaches people with mental illness self-help skills for dealing with the physical and emotional symptoms of their illness; helping consumers to identify what makes them well and then create a plan to actively maintain their wellness.

Oromo Refugee Medical Interpreter Program
Submitted by: Midwest Oromo Communities, Inc.
This grant would help fund the training of volunteer staff so that they can develop knowledge and skills necessary for effective interpretation in healthcare settings. The goal is to equip their staff with the skills they need to become a medical interpreter for patients and health care providers.

ARMER Radio System Compatible Radios
Submitted by: Sullivan Lake First Response
This grant would help purchase new radios that are compatible with the state’s ARMER radio system. Morrison County is switching to the ARMER system and they will need new radios to communicate.

Educational Classes
Submitted by: NAMI Minnesota
NAMI Minnesota is seeking funding to carry out nine educational classes for families who have a loved one experiencing a mental illness, professionals and the general public.

Spanish and Somali Childbirth Education Program
Submitted by: St. Cloud Hospital Women & Children’s Center
This grant would help cover the cost of set up, materials and wages for the new Spanish and Somali Childbirth Education program for the area’s diverse population. The lesson plan for the classes would include instruction, hands on practice of labor techniques and activities, discussion and Spanish DVD’s on childbirth and breastfeeding.

April 2011 Approved Grants

Anna Marie’s Onsite Clinic
Submitted by: Anna Marie’s Alliance
This grant would provide funding for the on-site clinic at the Anna Marie’s emergency shelter, which provides women experiencing abuse an opportunity to address health care concerns safely and confidentially. 

Chemical Health Consultant
Submitted by: St. Cloud Hospital Recovery Plus/St. Cloud School District 742
This grant would allow the opportunity for St. Cloud School District Senior, Junior High School sand the Area Learning Center matching funds (up to 8 hours a week) for the 2011-2012 school year.  This money will be used to cover the cost of increasing the hours of a Recovery Plus Chemical Health Consultant who will provide the participating sites with substance abuse prevention and intervention services for the students, staff and parents.  These services would include education, research based curriculum, group and individual counseling depending on the needs the school identifies.

Digital Registration System
Submitted by: Friendship Ventures
This grant would help fund a digital registration system which would eliminate their current paper system, which is normally six pages long.  This grant has been re-submitted with the data that in 2010 – 223 individuals within our service area participated in programs, which is about 16% of all of their participants. 

January 2011 Approved Grants

National Speaker Barbara Coloroso on Topic of Bullying
Submitted by: Diocese of St. Cloud/Catholic Education Ministries
The diocese of St. Cloud has booked nationally known author and speaker Barbara Coloroso to present on the topic of bullying on September 26, 2011. Her visit will include a two hour afternoon session for Catholic educators and this grant would help fund an evening session as well for parents and community members to attend.

Canoe Library
Submitted by: Friends of the Sauk River
The idea of this project is to provide free access to a quality supply of equipment for individuals and groups to canoe and explore the Sauk River. This funding would supplement other grant funding they have received and help purchase canoes, trailers, paddles and life jackets.

Advanced Directives in Central Minnesota
Submitted by: St. Cloud Area Advance Directives Initiative Coalition
This committee’s mission is to improve the quality of advanced care planning for patients in Central Minnesota.

U-Choose Alcohol Prevention Program
Submitted by: St. Cloud State University
SCSU would like to research models of collegiate recovery programs for implementation on the campus of St. Cloud State University. The research would involve attending a national conference and doing two campus site visits to formulate what is the best model for implementing in our community.

Take Heart St. Cloud Area
Submitted by: St. Cloud Hospital Central Minnesota Heart Center/Take Heart St. Cloud
This organization is asking for funding to expand and develop a Regional Network for pre- and in-hospital care and treatment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and to start up the Take Heart systems-based initiative to significantly impact the survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest in the greater Alexandria, Little Falls and Willmar areas and all towns within a 25-mile radius of St. Cloud Hospital.

Leadership and Clinical Nursing Experience Program
Submitted by: St. Cloud State’s Center for Continuing Studies
This funding would cover room and board for three Chilean nursing students from February 1st – March 11th, 2011 under the SCSU student housing plan. During their stay these students will be working not only in the classroom to further their education, but also out in the community to extend services to our Hispanic community.

October 2010 Approved Grants

St. Cloud Area YMCA Wellness Director
Submitted by: St. Cloud Area YMCA
This organization would like to strategically develop programs and offerings and add evidence-based programs to encompass whole family wellness and address obesity in children and adults. To accomplish this they would like to have a dedicated full-time director to develop and implement programs that will strengthen our community partnerships and establish new ones.

West Central Area Learning Center Prevention Consultant Position
Submitted by: West Central Area Learning Center
This grant would help fund a part-time chemical dependency counselor which would give fifty high-risk teenagers access and on-going support to a CD professional that they otherwise would not have. Services would run the entire spectrum of addiction, from help in identifying a problem, to how to get an assessment to aftercare for kids getting out of Recovery Plus.

Lutheran Social Services Crisis Nursery
Submitted by: Lutheran Social Services
This grant would help support the increase of emergency childcare placements needed to prevent child abuse and neglect. The program is receiving more parent calls requiring placement of their children for E.R. visit, mental health situations and hospital stays.

July 2010 Approved Grants

Apollo High School Smoking Cessation Program
Submitted by: Apollo High School
This program includes proven smoking cessation programming for the 2010-2011 school year, which would include a 5-10 week course through the American Lung Association. The program would provide 6 hours per week for the full 9 months of the school year and would include individual tobacco counseling, classroom tobacco education and all school displays to reduce tobacco cons.

OCD Support Group
Submitted by: Central Minnesota OCD Support Group
This group provides support group services and public education to persons with OCD and their family members. This grant would help expand their services to the northern counties served by the CentraCare Health Foundation by helping establish an OCD support group in the Brainerd area.

Senior Helping Hands
Submitted by: St. Cloud Hospital Senior Helping Hands
This program has volunteers working with older adults recovering from substance abuse and mental health issues. These funds would be used for recruitment of new volunteers, and training and mileage reimbursement in order to meet the growing demand for these cost-effective services.

Goodwill/Easter Seals Expansion
Submitted by: Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota
This organization hopes to increase access to mental health services for individuals with barriers to education, employment and independence. Their vision is to increase their capacity to serve these individuals by increasing their professional staff and their overall expertise levels.

April 2010 Approved Grants

Family Bereavement Support Project
Submitted by: St. Cloud Hospital Bereavement Support Project Committee
Each year Gift of Hope boxes are given to families who experience the death of a loved one at the St. Cloud Hospital. Each box consists of such items as a letter signed by the staff who cared for the deceased, a poem, a letter from the Hospital offering our condolences, etc. The goal of the boxes is to “live the mission” by treating others as Christ would by offering a gift and some comfort during a difficult time in these families lives.

POWER Fitness and Health Program
Submitted by: Central Minnesota Youth for Christ
This project would develop the assets of our community’s troubled and marginalized youth through sustained and monitored physical and classroom training to develop holistic health. This physical activity and training will help and encourage youth to counteract the challenges of obesity and the sedentary lifestyles they lead.

Eating Disorders Program
Submitted by: St. Cloud Hospital’s Women’s Behavioral Health Clinic
The St. Cloud Hospital’s Eating Disorders Program would like to sponsor a one-time showing of the film “America the Beautiful” at a local theatre (Paramount). The film would be an educational event open to the public in the St. Cloud area, which would document America’s obsession with beauty and its negative impact on the health and well-being of Americans.

St. Cloud Skate Plaza
Submitted by: St. Cloud Skate Plaza
The St. Cloud City Council has approved a skate plaza to be built at Heritage Park for skaters to be able to have their own place to skateboard.

Adult Scrubs Camp
Submitted by: Central MN Jobs & Training Services
This four day camp will introduce participants to health care careers and provide CPR and First Aid Certification. The purpose is to help develop a pipeline of healthcare workers and to offer an opportunity for adults to have hands-on experiences while learning about a wide variety of career options.

Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future Matching Grant
Submitted by: Central MN Area Health Education Center
This grant would match dollars for a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future grant that they were awarded along with their collaborative partners from West Central Initiative and the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. The long-term goal of this project is to increase the number of registered nurses that are competent in providing nursing care to elderly persons in a variety of institutional and community-based settings in Central Minnesota.

January 2010 Approved Grants

Nursing Assistant Certification
Submitted by: Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict
This grant would enable twenty nursing assistants to become certified so that they can provide more professional and knowledgeable care to retired sisters. In future hiring, St. Benedict’s will only consider individuals who are already certified nursing assistants, but at this point would like to provide certification for twenty current nursing assistants who are not.

Fall Prevention Program
Submitted by: Central Minnesota Falls and Home Safety Coalition
This program is targeted to seniors living independently. It is designed to decrease the number and severity of injury related to falls through home safety assessments and educational offerings.

Community Garden
Submitted by: CentraCare Health System
This grant would pay for the start up costs to implement a community garden on the CentraCare Health Plaza’s property. Plots would be available to refugees, recent immigrants, the general public and community organizations with the goal that community members have access to affordable fruits and vegetables. Four plots will be set aside for the BLEND coalition.

Caregiver Support Programs
Submitted by: Memory Care Clinic
This grant would provide support programs for caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. Support program include education, coaching/counseling and support groups (for both caregiver and persons with memory loss).

Project Name: Reach Out and Read Program
Submitted by: CentraCare Clinic – Women & Children
This program consists of giving age appropriate books from six month to 5 years at well-child visits to encourage ongoing literacy. Emphasis of the CCHF grant dollars would be on economically challenged patients and children of diverse backgrounds.