ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI -- Press Release from Missouri Foundation for Health

Five northeast Missouri nonprofits have received a total of $576,390 in grants from the Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH).  Grant funding supports nonprofit organizations that work to improve the health of thousands of Missourians.
The local grants are part of a $5 million round of funding approved by MFH’s board.

One grant was made through MFH’s Healthy & Active Communities (H&AC) funding program.  H&AC supports programs that encourage healthy lifestyles by improving physical activity and providing access to nutritious foods.  The grant was awarded to:

City of Kirksville, $295,727.  Grant funding helps the northeast Missouri city improve its walkability and bikability in the main business district; educate drivers about safely sharing the road; and promote a Complete Streets policy.
 
Two grants come through MFH’s Mental Health & Substance Abuse (MHSA) program.  It currently supports nonprofits’ quality improvement activities to integrate mental health and substance abuse treatment services inside their organizations.  Recipients of these grants are:

Mark Twain Behavioral Health, Kirksville, $10,000.  Funding assists the northeast Missouri organization in training staff and enhancing treatment planning for clients with co-occurring disorders.

Preferred Family Healthcare Inc., Kirksville, $10,000.  With funding, the northeast Missouri organization is enhancing client assessment and staff training activities.

MFH’s Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Initiative (TPCI) is a multi-year effort to reduce tobacco use in the state through a variety of funding strategies.  MFH awarded TPCI grants to:

Hannibal Regional Hospital, Hannibal, $115,252.  Funding helps the northeast Missouri hospital provide education and programs to help tobacco users quit.

Truman State University, Kirksville, $145,411.  The northeast Missouri university plans to use grant funding to reduce faculty, staff and student tobacco use through cessation programs, policy change and education.

Established in 2000, MFH is the largest nongovernmental funder of community health activities in Missouri.  MFH is in its eighth year of grantmaking, having issued more than $390 million in grants and awards to date.  It is dedicated to improving the health of unserved and underserved residents in 84 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis.