Addressing Key Priorities
MemorialCare has awarded nearly $200,000 in grants to the recipients of MemorialCare’s Community Benefit Grants Program for fiscal year 2024.
The company said that each of the 17 grant beneficiaries went through a rigorous evaluation and review process, focused on addressing key health priorities identified by MemorialCare’s four hospitals, which include Long Beach Medical Center, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach, Orange Coast Medical Center, and Saddleback Medical Center.
The applications were reviewed and voted on by each hospital’s Community Benefit Oversight Committee.
Grant winners are Century Villages at Cabrillo, My Sister My Friend Breast Cancer Support, Lutheran Social Services of Southern California, The LBGTQ Center Long Beach, Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach, BreastfeedLA, Long Beach Bar Foundation, The Guidance Center, Tichenor Clinic for Children, Casa Teresa, Hope Harbor, Meals on Wheels Orange County, Orange County Rescue Mission, Camino Health Center, Casa Youth Shelter, The Foundation of Laguna Woods and Western Youth Services.
“Supporting organizations that are closest to our vulnerable communities that may likely become patients, helps them provide health education around preventative care, such as routine screenings like mammographs and the importance of flu shots,” said Barry Arbuckle, Ph.D., president and CEO, MemorialCare. “All of (these) can help change and even save a life.”
Keeping Communities Healthy
In December, Kaiser Permanente Orange County announced that the organization had distributed more than $602,000 in community health grants to local organizations in 2023, including Abound Food Care, Mercy House Living Centers, Friendship Shelter Inc., Goodwill Industries of Orange County, Wellness & Prevention Foundation and AIDS Services Foundation Orange County.
“Kaiser Permanente is committed to creating healthier communities in Orange County,” said Payman Roshan, senior vice president and area manager, Kaiser Permanente Orange County.
“Through our Community Health Program, we’ve invested millions of dollars throughout the years to local organizations whose missions are in close alignment with ours, which aim to improve the quality of life in our communities.”
The funds provide disadvantaged populations with access to free high-quality health care services; strengthen medical and supportive services for individuals living with and affected by HIV and make available healthy nutritious meals for those who live with food insecurity.
In addition, the money also helps homeless adults seeking resources, education, and support that will result in a housing placement; and improved mental and behavioral health services.
Partnering for Empowerment
Mountain View Services Inc. (MVS), a supplier to healthcare facilities based in Newport Beach, has partnered with Junior Achievement Orange County & the Inland Empire (JA) to provide the nonprofit with free office space.
The open-ended donation of the space, which was initiated in 2023 and has an estimated yearly value of $20,000 plus expenses, supports JA programs offered throughout both the Inland Empire and Orange County, including teaching teens and young adults how to make smart financial decisions through hands-on experiences, establishing a core foundation of skills while inspiring students to dream about their futures.
The partnership between MVS and JA is poised to play a crucial role in JA’s goal to expand its services to include the Inland Empire in addition to Orange County, extending beyond physical office space to symbolize a shared commitment and community support for youth empowerment.
“The collaboration with MVS exemplifies collaborative efforts between businesses and nonprofits, investing in the education and future of Inland Empire youth, aligning with Junior Achievement’s overarching mission and vision,” said Burgandie Onekea, regional vice president and executive director, JA.
In addition to MVS’s donation of office space to JA, company president and CEO, MVS, Eric Goodman, an active JA supporter since 2023 and frequent speaker at various school sites across Orange County, will expand his presentations in 2024 to include students at high schools in the Inland Empire.
Bits & Pieces
Illumination Foundation’s new family emergency home serving unhoused families, the Shah Happiness Home, supported by the Shah Happiness Foundation, opened in Orange County on Jan. 10 with a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony.
It will operate as a safe place for families experiencing homelessness to receive supportive services such as case management, connections to primary care, health screenings, parenting education, tutoring and other enrichment programming in a home setting on their journey to permanent housing. …
Orange County United Way has opened the Varanasi Equity Workspace, a new resource sponsored in part by Ingram Micro, Ware Malcomb, ViewSonic and Tangram Interiors, that will provide opportunities for organizations to meet, advance their purpose and capacity, and work together to affect equitable change in the community in a modern ADA-compliant space with room for up to 50 people and hybrid meeting technology for both in-person and virtual options. …
In celebration of National Mentoring Month, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire has announced its finalists for 2024 Bigs & Littles of the Year and 2024 Mentors of the Year, among them mentor Ivy Goodman, training specialist, The Walt Disney Company and mentor Tyler Castro, senior manager, business integration, Disneyland Resort, as well as Bigs & Littles of the Year from the broader community, local high schools and colleges.
