November 2023 - Issue #8

As reported by the Worcester Business Journal, MassNonprofit News, and The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts recently awarded 10 grants totaling $1,063,451 through its Activation Fund program, which provides capacity-building support for organizations working to address community-identified health issues. 

The 10 recipients represent a diverse mix of organizations located throughout the region, five of which are receiving Activation Fund grants for the first time. 

The Health Foundation's Board Chair Judge Timothy M. Bibaud said, “The Activation Fund and related community outreach efforts are the primary vehicles through which the Board and staff receive information about community needs and barriers to accessing health-related programs and services. The Health Foundation is honored to partner with these ten organizations striving to fill critical gaps and support historically marginalized populations in our community.”

Two of this year's recipients, Abby's House and the Worcester Housing Authority, recently held events related to their projects which you can read about below.

Abby’s House recently hosted a groundbreaking event to mark the beginning of work to renovate its shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness, which was covered by the Worcester Business Journal.

Abby’s House Executive Director Julie Orozco, project partners, and honored guests at the shelter groundbreaking ceremony on October 24, 2023. (photo courtesy of Abby's House)

Worcester Housing Authority Opens Facility Designed for Unhoused and Low-Income Residents

As reported by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, the Worcester Housing Authority recently opened the "A Place to Live" housing facility that will provide permanent housing for 24 members of Worcester's chronically homeless population as well as wraparound services to help them improve their lives. The Health Foundation provided funding for furniture, appliances and supplies for the facility. 

The opening of A Place to Live at 38 Lewis Street. (photo courtesy of Worcester T&G)

"This building is so much more than a roof, walls and windows. I know that simply providing an apartment without services doesn’t solve the underlying issues. We will provide those services and help our new residents find permanent housing here at 38 Lewis Street. For some it’s A PLACE of REBIRTH, for others its A PLACE TO GROW but for all, it’s A PLACE TO LIVE." - Alex Corrales, CEO, Worcester Housing Authority.

Artist Housing Project Breaks Ground in Fitchburg

Two vacant schools and a former horse stable will be transformed into housing for artists in Fitchburg. ICON Architecture has created the rendering of the project. (photo courtesy of Fitchburg Art Museum)

In 2014, Making Opportunity County (MOC) was awarded a Synergy Initiative grant from The Health Foundation for an innovative and collaborative approach to transform the North of Main neighborhood of Fitchburg, an area plagued by poverty and vacant buildings, into a vibrant community where people want to live, work and invest. The area was re-envisioned as a “Gateway to Arts and Culture.” 

The result was the ReImagine North of Main project. Joining many other funders including the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the City of Fitchburg, and state government, The Health Foundation provided over $2 million for the project from 2015-2020. The project focused on three key areas: Neighborhood Development to increase the quality of neighborhood life; Economic Development to increase the number of viable main street businesses; and Community Engagement.

Part of the project was the transformation of the vacant B.F. Brown building into artist housing. The official groundbreaking for the artist housing took place on November 2 as reported by WBUR. The project will provide 68 units of affordable housing for artists and include studio, gallery, rehearsal and performance spaces.

The Health Foundation is excited to see this next phase of the project get underway.

On November 16, the Massachusetts Public Health Association will host its annual conference and meeting. This year's event, "Beyond Buzzwords: Actions for Health Equity," will feature The Health Foundation's President & CEO Dr. Amie Shei as a panelist for the “Data in Action” session. Experts on this panel will delve into real-life examples in which public health data is driving action for equity.

Joining Dr. Shei will be Fifi Diop, MD, MPH, Associate Commissioner for Health Equity at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and Sarita Hudson, MTS, Senior Director of Strategy and Development at the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts.

Hundreds of public health professionals, community members, advocates, academics, and more are expected to gather virtually to hear leading experts from local and state government, advocacy, and community organizations discuss their strategies and vision to advance health equity for all residents in the Commonwealth. 

On December 14, UMass Memorial Health will host a free one-day event aimed at advancing prescriber education and opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment in primary care settings throughout Central Massachusetts. This 8-hour educational session will offer training for physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners regardless of their clinical affiliation. The course will also allow prescribers to meet current educational requirements while providing guidance in diagnosing and treating OUD in their patient populations.

The first training will be held on December 14 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Beechwood Hotel, 363 Plantation Street, Worcester and will also be offered via Zoom. Subsequent sessions will be held in other parts of the region to facilitate participation from more rural parts of the region. In addition, Project ECHO modules will provide another opportunity for providers to present and learn from clinically-based vignettes regarding OUD and overdose prevention.

The Health Foundation, in partnership with Reliant Foundation and RIZE Massachusetts, recently announced $153,824 in combined grant support for this UMass Memorial Health project.

Over 100 have already registered for the training, so don't delay and register below now!

Dr. Shei was invited to provide the keynote address at the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) annual conference in Boston on October 17, serving as a last-minute replacement for Massachusetts Director of Rural Affairs Anne Gobi. Approximately 300 guests attended from RCAP affiliates from across the country.

Dr. Shei, President & CEO of The Health Foundation speaking at the RCAP annual conference (photo courtesy of RCAP)

• Listen4Good offers an 18-month equity-based capacity-building program that helps nonprofits survey their clients to improve outcomes and impact. Through the New England Equitable Access Fund (created with pooled funding from the Barr Foundation, GMA Foundations, the Nord Family Foundation, the Boston Foundation, and the South Coast Community Foundation) New England nonprofits have the opportunity to participate in Listen4Good's program at no cost. To register for one of the upcoming information sessions and learn more click here.

• The Organization for Nonprofit Excellence (ONE) Worcester partners with area nonprofits to provide business skills training. Click here to learn about and register for upcoming seminars and trainings on media and marketing and HR for nonprofits during the month of November.  

• UMass Memorial Medical Center’s Determination of Needs Committee recently announced a Request for Proposals for $4.8M in funding for 1-year and 3-year projects addressing needs identified through the 2024 Community Health Assessment. Priorities areas include Healthcare and Public Systems Navigation, Mental Health and Housing. Geographic Focus Areas includes the City of Worcester, Grafton, Shrewsbury and West Boylston. The application portal opens on November 15, 2023 and the deadline is January 12, 2024. Click here for the full announcement and guidelines.  

Given the importance of MassHealth redetermination to health and health care in Massachusetts, The Health Foundation continues to raise awareness and share information about the MassHealth redetermination process, which began on April 1. Over the past year, The Health Foundation has awarded grants and hosted a health equity breakfast aimed at supporting partnering organizations like Health Law Advocates and Health Care For All with their critical direct service and advocacy work.

Many resources are available for individuals and organizations that may be affected by MassHealth redetermination. Please visit these websites for more information:

If you are interested in supporting this work, The Health Foundation Fund, Inc. is the 501(c)(3) fundraising affiliate that supports the purpose and mission of The Health Foundation through donations, memorial contributions and gifts of life insurance. Thank you for your consideration.

© 2023 The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts