This week, we announced our December slate of grants with a convening of over 70 staff and board members from our partner organizations at Conley Pavilion within the Boggy Creek Greenbelt Park in East Austin.
The grants in this cycle focused on addressing health issues facing the area’s aging population, healthcare educational opportunities, creating healthy places to be active, and women’s health, and the standout of this announcement was the number of new groups who are receiving funding for the first time. Through our growing number of grant partners, we are excited be supporting more organizations in outlying counties that are doing new and innovative things to impact and support the health of our fellow Central Texans.
One of our new grant partners, the senior cycling group The Golden Rollers, showed up at the event with 10 of their bikes for guests to try out. The group operates out of the park where the event was held, and since its inception in September 2015, has provided training and equipment to enable seniors to enjoy time on the Boggy Creek trail, riding adult three-wheeled bicycles provided by the Ghisallo Cycling Initiative. The Golden Rollers program is receiving a first-time grant of $236,116 from St. David’s Foundation to expand the program to reach more underserved neighborhoods and residents in Central Texas.
Some other new groups receiving first-time grants include:
Affordable Central Texas will continue the launch of a major innovation in housing affordability in Austin and Central Texas through their program, with a goal of acquiring existing properties in high opportunity areas and transit corridors and preserving their long-term affordability.
Alzheimer’s Association – Capital of Texas Chapter will be using funds from their grant to build care access and awareness for highly vulnerable seniors with Alzheimer’s Disease living in underserved communities around Central Texas.
The City of Lockhart will be creating the Town Branch Trail System, a series of trails that will travel through and around Lockhart Municipal Park, connecting nearby neighborhoods with the park.
The City of Luling will be improving four parks in their city: Northside, Patton, Longer and Blanch Square. Improvements in those parks include the addition of walking trails, lighting and exercise stations.
Healthy Futures of Texas will be using the funds for the Texas Women’s Healthcare Coalition.
Kaboom! will be working with the community to build playgrounds at Stony Hill Park and McDade Elementary School to serve over 1000 children living in the area.
Texas Department of Agriculture will be taking over administration of the St. David’s Public Health Corps student loan repayment program.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler will be launching the PATH Program, documenting the experiences of underserved women in Central Texas who are navigating the healthcare system in late pregnancy to six months postpartum.
Women’s Health and Family Planning Association of Texas will be using innovative strategies including site-specific training and pilot programs to reduce teen and unintended pregnancy in Central Texas.
Young Invincibles will be doing outreach on health insurance use and reproductive health to young people ages 18-34 in Central Texas, with a goal of increasing the rates of college completion.
“We’re learning that being healthy means much more than access to care—it means access to a healthy lifestyle, and these grants aim to help everyone in our community to have these opportunities.”
Earl Maxwell, CEO, St. David’s Foundation
December 2018 Grants
