Health and Human Services

Below are recent grants made to Health and Human Services organizations through the Foundation's competitve grantmaking program. To view current trends and projects as reported by Health and Human Services organizations, visit the Health and Human Services Field Notes page.

Angel Flight West, Inc

Wyoming Service Expansion

$2,500                                             

With an uncertain economy, more and more people are finding themselves without a job and, consequently without health insurance. For families like these and others in need, transportation can be an overwhelming challenge.  The mission of Angel Flight West is to arrange free air transportation in response to health care and other compelling human needs. Angel Flight West links both volunteer private pilots and commercial airline partners with people in need whose non-emergency health care problems require them to travel to and from medical facilities throughout Wyoming and 12 other Western states. The costs of all flights are donated. There is never a charge for an Angel Flight West mission.  A Community Foundation grant will make Angel Flight West's services more widely available in Teton County and throughout Wyoming. Funding will underwrite the recruitment and orientation of six volunteer pilots,  outreach to 30 potential referral sources, and 30 Wyoming missions during the project period. (2008)

Community Resource Center         

Social Security Specialist Program

$11,200

The Community Resource Center provides support to local human service organizations as they struggle with the scarcity of Social Security resources.   Individuals in our community who are disabled through injury, illness or mental health issues are repeatedly denied disability benefits.  Complex and constantly changing Social Security rules, regulations and procedures make the application process so complicated that unless applicants have assistance while completing their applications, it is likely that claims for benefits will be denied. This project will use grant funds for the startup, training and first year salary and operating costs of establishing the Social Security Specialist Program. (2007)

Community Safety Network           

Junior Advocate Program

$10,000 

The Community Safety Network helps our youth  to define and encourage healthy relationships through its’ Junior Advocate Program.  This program is a youth-driven education and prevention program for youth ages 13-18 years.  The proposal states that domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking are considered by Teton County Sheriff, Bob Zimmer, and Jackson Police Chief, Dan Zivkovich, to be Teton County's most frequently committed crimes.    Funds will specifically be used to expand this existing program by adding a part-time Junior Advocate Advisor. (2007)

Curran-Seeley Foundation    

Spanish Language Program Materials

$2,474

The Curran-Seeley Foundation provides substance abuse treatment services for our community, including the  Spanish-speaking population in Teton County.   Curran-Seeley finds that their bi-lingual therapist is currently spending a tremendous amount of time translating necessary program materials from English to Spanish.  Recently, these materials have become available in Spanish. This project will allow Curran-Seeley to make much more efficient use of their bi-lingual therapist's time by underwriting the purchase of substance abuse treatment videos, handouts and textbooks in Spanish.   (2007)

Healthmap

Finding a Sustainble Solution

$9,000 

El Puente works hard to improve and ensure access to health care for limited-English speaking residents.  Access to basic health care for the immigrant population in Teton County is one of the critical issues facing our health care system.  The need for these services is being met by El Puente, but in a financially non-sustainable way.  The purpose of this project is to engage health care providers, employers and members of the Latino community in helping to solve the problem of long-term sustainability.  The project will also increase public awareness about the importance of health care access.  Funds will specifically be used to underwrite staff restructuring, salaries for interpreters, evaluation and communication costs for this project. (2007)

Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Association

Therapeutic Riding Equipment

$4,389                                            

Although the Therapeutic Riding Association currently provides services to 54 physically and mentally disabled individuals, they do not have a proper warm up area.  Many times they stretch the riders' muscles while they sit in their wheelchairs.  The movement of the horse is purely a tool that a therapist uses to improve a rider's neuromotor function.  Many of these riders are confined to wheelchairs and will benefit from having an easy accessible platform mat for stretching their muscles, allowing for immediate and optimal use during riding.  A grant from the Community Foundation will allow Jackson Hole Theraputic Riding Association to safely serve eight severely physically and mentally disabled riders during their therapeutic riding sessions. (2008)

Heritage Special Olympics Team

$3,522 

The Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Association has established an eleven week therapeutic riding session for physically disabled Teton County students.  The Therapeutic Riding staff find that the physically disabled population does not have the opportunity to play competitive sports in school.  By offering these sessions at the centrally-located Heritage Arena, students will have an opportunity to learn an equine event and to compete at the Special Olympics.  Grant funds will be used to purchase a wheelchair mount, cones, barrels and poles, as well as underwrite staffing and transportation expenses. (2007)

Latino Resource Center

Informational Forum Series

$7,400                                             

The Jackson Hole Latino population is susceptible to receiving bad information from unreliable sources. This misinformation leads to immigrants not complying with regulations, creating problems within the community.  People misinterpret this lack of compliance as disrespect of local laws,  inflaming existing racial stereotypes and putting a strain on our community.  The Latino Resource Center's Informational Forum Series offers the community an opportunity to learn valuable information from experts and government officials about a variety of topics.  A grant from the Community Foundation will support those who have respect for the laws, customs and cultures of our community and are trying to understand and comply with them. (2008)

Critical Staff Additions

$10,000 

The Latino Resource Center contiues its critical service as a central community resource.  As the Latino community expands, so must the resources of the Center.  As a result of internal strategic planning the Latino Resource Centerhas innitiated a two year capacity-enhancement process.  The first step in this process is to restructure staffing, adding a full time Client Services Representative and an Assistant Director.  The addition of these two staff members means that clients will be better and more rapidly served.  This process requires additional financial support by the community.   By ensuring that the Latino Resource Center can increase its critical services to the community, the opportunity for long term sustainability for the Center also expands. (2007)

St. John's Medical Center Foundation

Diabetes Lifestyles Program

$10,898

Saint John's Medical Center Foundation provides specialized programs to help community members with diabetes maintain and improve their quality of life.   Medical Center finds that there is a growing epidemic of people in our community being diagnosed with diabetes.  Much of the burden of care may be prevented with early detection, improved care, and diabetes self-management education.   This project will provide a series of six diabetes workshops and related materials.  (2007)

Senior Center of Jackson Hole

The Green House / Phase I Planning

$10,000                                           

Advocates for the elderly, with strong support from the health care community, are developing a new approach to eldercare.  This approach moves away from institutionalized care (as provided in nursing homes and assisted living facilities) toward a more home-like alternative.  The institutionalized system of care for the aging in our country has evolved over the years based on faulty assumptions. These assumptions too readily dismiss the capacities of older adults to remain active and social, maintain some level of independence and contribute to their own well being.   With the nation's population of seniors expected to double over the next quarter century, this issue will be more and more pressing in every community.   A grant from the Community Foundation will result in 1-3 Green House homes in Teton County, offering a choice for as many as 30 elders and serving as a pilot project for the community and for the State of Wyoming. (2008)

Teton Youth and Family Services  

Kid's Club

$7,500                                             

Behaviors that result from a lack of structured activities in young people's lives include, but are not limited to, drug and alcohol use and abuse, violence & premature sexual activity.  In our community most parents work one and often two jobs, leaving children without adequate supervision or appropriate activities.  Kid's Club provides a quality and affordable afterschool experience.  In the past, this program has been funded by the 21st Century Grant Program  However, the criteria for this grant program has changed.  In order to qualify for this funding, communities must now demonstrate that they have a minimum percentage of families meeting Federal poverty criteria.  Due to the high cost of living, Jackson does not have enough families who to meet the Federal criteria to comply with new grant guidelines.  A grant from the Community Foundation will serve 120 students, improving personal, social, and academic skills, self-esteem and alleviating parental stress. (2008)

Leadership Program

$10,000

The Van Vleck House provides specialized summer programming for local youth through the Jackson Hole Leadership Program.  The agency finds that  in our community most parents work one or two jobs, leaving children without adequate supervision or appropriate activities during the summer months.  The Leadership Program is an adventure based prevention and social skills education program offered to all local 10-16 year olds in Teton County.  The program utilizes many different activities and community resources including experiential games, the Doug Walker Challenge Course, the Teton Rock Gym, canoeing on String Lake, camping near Granite Creek and whitewater rafting. (2007)