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KIRKSVILLE, MO -- A Missouri organization dedicated to funding community health activities throughout the state held an informational meeting in Kirksville.

Officials with the Missouri Foundation for Health presented information about new grants available to reduce health problems related to tobacco use and obesity.

The foundation was established back in 2000 as part of assets of the sale of Blue-Cross Blue-Shield.

The group is focused on improving the health of the environment and health of Missourians.

“We are directly helping health related efforts in filling gaps for the underserved and the poor and uninsured,” said Martha Gragg, V.P. for Programming, Missouri Foundation for Health. Non-profit organizations within the Foundation’s 84 counties are eligible to apply for funding.

Gragg also explained what Social Innovation grants are for. “That program is directed toward obesity prevention and tobacco control.  It’s a merged integrated effort of those two programs that we developed through our tobacco prevention efforts and our obesity healthy and active community efforts.  And we have matched the federal funding and just received notification of our approval in July,” Gragg says.

There will be a Pre-Application Conference September 1, 2010 at 10am and applications are due to the foundation by September 22, at 4 pm.

“Any non-profits, anyone who’s interested in those types of healthy activities and community engagement policy issues where they’re trying to look at preventable diseases such as obesity and tobacco use…preventable deaths.  Those are the most common preventable deaths…tobacco use and obesity.  So if you’re interested in that and want to engage your community and start looking at controls, that can help you prevent those issues from happening in your area, you should contact the Missouri Foundation for health,” Gragg explained.

For folks who couldn’t make the meeting, the presentation can be found at: http://www.mffh.org/mm/files/SIM%20Presentation.pdf.  For more information on the grant imitative got to: http://www.mffh.org/content/485/social-innovation-for-missouri-sim.aspx. You can also call: 314-345-5500 or  800-655-5560.