November 18, 2011

Women's Fund Awards  $18,157 in Grants

Programs Address Childhood Obesity in Girls

On Friday, November 18, The Women’s Fund at Richland County Foundation held their annual grant awards luncheon at The Westbrook Country Club. The event is celebrated each year during Community Foundation Week and for National Philanthropy Day.

The Advisory Committee of The Women’s Fund, chaired by Billie Brandon, sponsored the luncheon to present grant awards to 14 local nonprofit organizations. Nine of the grants were awarded for programs specifically developed for girls to address the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.

The Center for Individual and Family Services
Healthy Life Style Choices for Girls – is an educational program on the connection between physical health and emotional well-being for girls ages 9-12 who attend the Dewald Center after-school program.

City of Mansfield
All About Me!! – is a program for pre-teen and teen girls and includes five women mentors. They will focus on healthy lifestyle changes through field trips, journaling, and a variety of physical activities.

Community Health Access Project (CHAP)
A Healthy Start in Life! – is a program for high-risk pregnant women on Medicaid to encourage breast feeding and infant nutrition using the “Ounce of Prevention” program materials.

Culliver Reading Center
Young Sisters Standing Together (YSST) – is part of the Culliver after-school program. The goal of the program is to “plant the seeds” needed to develop a healthy lifestyle by teaching the key steps to understanding proper health and nutrition and to develop a positive body image.

Family Life Counseling
New Designs – is a program for girls from The Domestic Violence Shelter, Harmony House, and the Mansfield Area Y after-school programs to teach them about making healthier choices regarding food, exercise, and life choices that revolve around body image, relationships, emotion regulation, money management and planning for their future.

Friendly House
Girls Just Want to Have Fun Club – is an evening club for middle-school girls held twice a month throughout the school year to teach them how to become healthier and living a healthy lifestyle. They will participate in dance and art classes, healthy cooking classes, hear speakers, and earn the chance to go on field trips.

Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland Council, Inc.
Let‘s Get Growing! – is a specialized eight-session program to help teach elementary school girls lifelong healthy habits through fun activities that promote physical fitness and healthy eating choices in their daily life.

Harmony House
Got Health? – is an afterschool program for girls ages 9-14 who are current or former residents of Harmony house and experience extreme poverty. The program creates a safe place for girls to meet and learn about the basics of fitness, nutrition, self esteem, and healthy relationships to help prepare them for a better future.

Kids’ Connection of Ohio, Inc.
Healthy Me! – is a program designed for middle-school girls to address lifestyle behaviors that contribute to childhood obesity. The program will include guest speakers, a field trip, interactive website tools, cooking activities and exercises.

Grants were also awarded to support the general mission of The Women’s Fund to empower women and girls to achieve their full potential:

The Center for Individual and Family Services
Ladies in Recovery – is a program that addresses addiction and mental health issues in women that places emphasis on empowerment, self-esteem, rebuilding personal identity, and identifying relapse triggers in alcohol/drug use and mental health.
The Women’s Group – is a program for women suffering from mental illness to encourage them to try new activities, learn new skills, and meet a variety of people through exposure to various cultural and civic programs.

City of Shelby
LeaderShelby – is an all-day event for all 7th and 8th grade girls in Shelby Public Schools to encourage them to develop leadership skills and career opportunities. It will be held at the Kehoe Center where they will hear a nationally recognized woman from Shelby speak and participate in break-out sessions with other successful women in Shelby.

Emergency Pregnancy Aid Contact (EMPAC)
Successful Parenting – is a program for parents with limited resources to teach them about nutrition and parenting issues and to give them skills to provide more healthy eating choices for the entire family.

Hospice of North Central Ohio
Healing Journey Retreat – provides an overnight retreat at Camp Mowana for women who are grieving the loss of a spouse or significant other.