The Heinz Endowments has made a significant grant to the Jewish Healthcare Foundation to help launch two new programs in 2019: $100,000 for the Grandparent Activist Network (GRAN) to strengthen the connections between the regions seniors and youth, and $200,000 for the WHAMglobal Community Fund to establish an innovative collaborative for maternal health service providers to ensure that services are coordinated and meeting the needs of all moms and babies. Both programs exemplify JHF's long-standing efforts to improve the quality of life and impact the overall wellness of seniors and women.
GRAN will empower our city's oldest citizens to engage and actively participate in creating an open and inclusive society by harnessing the power of these seniors to pass knowledge, lessons of inclusivity, and acceptance to the next generation. The intergenerational programming and civic trainings will combat intolerance in the Pittsburgh area, increase cultural and racial competence among pre-school and early elementary school-aged children, and provide training and skills to empower seniors to become activists in the community.
While GRAN addresses social disparities and quality of life improvements for seniors, the WHAMglobal Community Fund aims to improve the outcomes of expectant mothers. The Community Fund will be made up of organizations that are committed to maternal health across our region who will collaborate and distribute funds for non-medical purposes to small safety-net organizations that provide maternal health services. A learning collaborative will be established to provide a forum for collaboration and training on topics such as quality improvement, marketing, communications, and strategic planning. The intent of the Fund is to provide support to under-resourced Maternal Child Health organizations who are trusted in their communities and are providing important services and supports to mothers.