
“Health care now and in the future is about keeping people healthy through community-based programs.”
Cindy Bernard, Board President, ACH Foundation
With the expansion of the ACHF mission in 2022, we were able to broaden our reach to include the neighboring cities of Talent and Phoenix. Among our seven grant recipient organizations in 2022, six offer services to the Talent and/or Phoenix communities.
Talent Maker City received an ACHF grant for their Rise Up + Rebuild Workshop Series 2.0, which promotes recovery from the Almeda Fire. The workshops support socio-emotional wellness, group collaboration, community building, and effective communication. They are also designed to spark interest in career pathways. Workshop participants build essential items for families impacted by the fires such as bed frames, tables, and staircases.
“We are absolutely thrilled about this partnership to support the health of our community in creative and innovative ways,” said Alli French, Executive Director of Talent Maker City. “We see first-hand how creative activities can alleviate anxiety, elevate mood, and help people connect with one another. When we are making together, we are building community together. To be able to provide this programming for our community is an honor and we’re so grateful for the support from ACHF.”
Rogue Valley Farm to School (RVF2S) received funds to support their Digging Deeper program in Phoenix-Talent Elementary Schools, allowing school-based health providers to join the nutritionist, RVF2S staff, and school administrators to identify goals and metrics to measure the program’s impact on students.
Funds granted to Rogue Valley Mentoring will boost the social and emotional wellness of middle school students in the Phoenix-Talent School District by expanding mentoring circles. The program will grow to serve all 300 6th- and 7th-grade students, with two circles available for 8th-grade students.
La Clinica was awarded a grant to expand school-based health center hours at the Phoenix Elementary School to keep the center open year-round for all children and families enrolled in the Phoenix-Talent School District. The extended hours support the increased need for behavioral health services, well-child visits, and sports physicals.
A grant to Mercy Flights launched their innovative Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) program for the Ashland, Talent, and Phoenix communities. The grant supports hiring a dedicated MIH practitioner to provide customized care to individuals just discharged from area hospitals.
Partnering with United Way of Jackson County’s In This Together Initiative, a grant was awarded to support mental wellness and suicide prevention in the area. The grant will benefit their Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training and bring two free training sessions to serve the Ashland and Talent communities.
Tiffanie Lambert, Phoenix-Talent Schools Assistant Superintendent, said, “As an ACHF board member, I am proud to support community health grants. It is especially exciting to see some of the grants go to our school district partners that provide wellness to our students and their families.”
ACHF will open its next grant application cycle in January 2023.