For immediate release
Oct. 31, 2018
Skaggs Legacy Endowment awardsmore than $700K in health and wellness grants
22 projects made possible through Skaggs Legacy Endowment grants
During a special presentation today, Skaggs Foundation awarded$702,722 in Skaggs Legacy Endowment grants to area agencies committed to improving the health and wellness of Stone and Taney County residents.
Skaggs Legacy Endowment is a restricted endowment fund made possible by a generous gift from CoxHealth in 2013. Since that time, Skaggs Foundation has awarded more than $4.3 million to organizations dedicated to improving lives in our community.
“This year, we are honored to award 22 grants to local organizations truly making adifference,” says Meghan Connell, Skaggs Foundation president. “Through these grants, we’ll impact the lives of more than42,500 people in our community, people who are our friends, our co-workers and our neighbors.”
Faith Community Health received two of the 22 grants today: a $60,000 matching grant for FaithCare and a $5,000 grant for mental health services.
“FaithCare will enable us to scale up to help meet the need for healthcare for the 13,000 people in our workforce who have no health insurance, in a way that is sustainable for our ministry,” explains Faith Community Health Executive Director Kenn Tilus. “We are grateful for the support of the Skaggs Foundation to help accelerate the FaithCare expansion and are happy to once again be able to offer mental health counseling services on a limited basis, thanks to the Helping Hands grant.”
Branson School District received a two-year $86,024 grant to expand mental health services to students.
“As with all public schools, we are extremely limited, both by funding and areas of expertise, when it comes to serving students who are affected by mental illness and substance issues,” says Brenda Romine, communication director for the Branson School District. “We believe we need outside assistance in this area in order to meet the needs of our students. Funding through the Skaggs Legacy grant will provide us with outlets for services that would not have been possible within the confines of our current budget.”
Skaggs Foundation’s volunteer board of directors manages the endowment, utilizing only the investment proceeds of the Legacy fund to support the health and wellness initiatives in Stone and Taney counties.
“Each of our grantees are committed to improving the health of Stone and Taney County residents,” says Skaggs Legacy Endowment Grant Committee Chair Nita Jane Ayres. “We believe we are partnering with some of the best agencies in our community and are eager to see the positive impact they will make with these funds.”
2018 grant recipients include: Cox Medical Center Branson for the Stone and Taney Counties Substance Use Initiative; College of the Ozarks for Senior Nursing Student Scholarships; Branson School District for Mental Health and Wellness; Faith Community Health for FaithCare: Partnership to Provide Healthcare Services for Uninsured Employees; Ozark Technical Community College for EMS Simulation Program; Cox Medical Center Branson for Cardiopulmonary Rehab Scholarships; Cox Medical Center Branson for Healthier Mothers, Healthier Babies; Fordland Clinic, Inc., for School Based Dental Services; Cox College for Recruiting Nurses to Branson Through Scholarships; Branson Hollister Senior Center for Balancing Act; Branson School District for Branson High School Cents of Pride Store; Cox Medical Center Branson for Smoking Cessation; Cox Medical Center Branson for Transportation Fund; Faith Community Health for Mental Health Program; Gift of Hope for Cents of Pride Store; Taneyhills Community Library for Adding Library Titles on Health and Wellness; Village of McCord Bend for AED/CPR Program; Kirbyville School Foundation for General Wellness; Children’s Smile Center for Hygiene Kits; Cox Medical Center Branson for Telemedicine at the Women’s Center; Mark Twain School District for Hydration Stations; and Hurley School District for CPR Kits.
About Skaggs Foundation:Skaggs Foundation was established in 2002 as a primary funding source for Skaggs Regional Medical Center. In 2013 when Skaggs hospital merged with CoxHealth, Skaggs Foundation Board of Directors chose to retain the Skaggs name, carrying on the legacy of philanthropy that started the area’s first hospital in 1950. Today, through the generosity of our community, Skaggs Foundation continues to invest in the health and wellness of the people of Stone and Taney counties. Skaggs Foundation funds patient programs, supports the Branson hospital in capital improvement projects, provides student scholarships, and impacts thousands of lives annually through its community grant making program Skaggs Legacy Endowment.
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