Grants Awarded

Summary of Grants Awarded 2023

Organization

Program

Amount Funded

A Chance for Therapy, dba Act4Me

Act4Me's Children's Therapy Program - Pays for free physical, occupational or speech therapy services to developmentally delayed children (resulting from a neurological or genetic disorder) who's families fall between the gap of qualifying for Medicaid & affording private health insurance.

$30,000

Bit-By-Bit Medical Therapeutic Riding Center

Physical, Speech and Occupational Therapy for Disadvantaged Children of Dade County - Physical, occupational therapy and speech language pathology services to low-income, special needs children to engage in hippotherapy - the use of the horse's movement as a therapeutic or rehabilitative treatment, especially as a means of improving coordination, balance and strength.

$20,000

Canine Assisted Therapy, Inc.

Pet Therapy for Wellbeing - Expands current programing including volunteer background screenings, mentoring, training, uniforms, volunteer tracking and management software, placement, equipment, supplies, volunteer coordination, liability insurance, training room rental, recruitment and outreach, volunteer recognition and program management to deploy new animal-assisted therapy teams to work in Miami Dade County.

$20,000

CARE Elementary School

CARE School Nurse - Supports a school nurse at the Christian Academy for Reaching Excellence (CARE) a not-for-profit Title 1 private elementary school providing education to disadvantaged minority children at no cost to their families, serving 136 students in K - 6 grades.

$25,000

Caring For Miami

Project Smile Program -Partial salary support for a dentist, one dental hygienist and some supplies for the mobile dental clinic which provides free oral health education, prevention and comprehensive restorative treatment to low income uninsured individuals in Miami Dade County.

$40,000

Casa Valentina, Inc.

Mental Health and Wellness - Supports two Mental Health Clinicians for 1-on-1 counseling for alumni of Casa Valentina, ages 18-25. All of these at-risk youth aged out of the foster care system and receive life-skills training and help finding safe affordable housing, and continued support so they can achieve and maintain self-sufficiency.

$10,000

Children's Bereavement Center, Inc.

Scaling CBC'S Support Model To Highest-Need Communities in Miami-Dade - Partial salary support to enable CBC to develop and implement free essential education and training programs to combat negative health implications related to grief specifically targeting those in our community who are most in need, including uninsured youth and families.

$25,000

Coral Gables Woman's Club 

Children's Dental Clinic - Supports dentist salaries to provide free dental care including cleaning, X-rays, fillings, root canals, crowns and fluoride treatments to needy school aged children in Miami-Dade County.

$30,000

Epilepsy Florida (EFL)

Epilepsy Services Program - Partial salary support for two experienced medical case managers who speak multiple languages, and other medical services including doctor visits, emergency medication and psychological sessions for comprehensive epilepsy care free to Miami Dade clients at or below the poverty level living with epilepsy. EFL is the only agency providing epilepsy-specific services in Miami Dade.

$25,000

Hearing Research Institute


Hearing Aids for Needy People - Provides 25 hearing aids and 5-10 special FM equipment systems for deaf children and adults who can not afford them.

$25,000

iAM ABLE

Able 2 Adapt - Provides staff salaries for mentoring and activity-based therapy programs to serve participants with paralysis in Miami-Dade, along with transportation and training and associated program supplies.

$20,000

Lucy Project, The

The Literacy Hub (TLP) - 2 learning specialists to teach Structured Literacy, an evidence based literacy intervention, to Title 1 Miami-Dade children with Dyslexia and illiteracy to improve their overall well being and mental health. Currently 61% of 4th grade students and 71% 8th grade students read below grade level.

$10,000

Miami Children's Museum, Inc.

SMART Program - Mental Health Specialist - Supports a mental health specialist serving children and families enrolled in the free SMART afterschool program offered during the school year to increase participants learning and development in STEAM, social skills, nutrition education, family engagement and wraparound services including mental health.

$25,000

Miami Diaper Bank

Equity and Access: Miami-Dade's First Mobile Diaper Pantry Builds Healthy Communities - Some salary support and diapers for program and volunteer event supplies used at the mobile diaper pantry for the 95% of families working that can't afford diapers. Most childcare and early education programs require families to provide a daily supply of disposable of diapers and not having them leads to missed work for the parents and unsanitary conditions for the child.

$12,500

Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Inc.

Miami Lighthouse Heiken Children's Vision Program -Continues the vision program at the nine SHI schools delivering vision care, including partial salaries for mobile unit operations, screenings, exams and glasses prioritizing students enrolled in grades 5,8,& 9, followed by grades 2,4 & 7, making a difference in the lives of students who would otherwise fall through the cracks and not receive prescription eyeglasses needed. 

$25,000

Open Door Health Center

Health Care Access Program - Salary support for the Medical Director to keep the clinic open and operating for this at-risk community who are below 200% of the poverty level.

$50,000

Shake-A-Leg Miami

We can sail and Sunday Socials for Disabled Youth and Young Adults - Covers salary/wages support for personal, equipment, space and supplies directly involved with "We Can Sail" and "Sunday Socials" programs for disabled children and young adults to have access to water activities in Miami-Dade.

$25,000

Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House Woman's Shelter

Lotus House in the Community - Elevating Health of Sheltered Individuals & Overtown - Supports a Natural Helper position (an alumni of Lotus house) who works closely with the Health and Wellness Team to assist women, youth and children at Lotus House to develop and fulfill individual success plans to improve their quality of life, as well as expand and facilitate outreach efforts in Overtown that include wellness exams, vision and dental screenings, children's vaccinations, and health education.

$40,000

Thelma Gibson Health Initiative

Leveling the Healthcare Playing Field for Minority Senior Program - Provides partial salary support for mostly social workers to provide social services, education and advocacy to 150+ vulnerable, medically at-risk economically disadvantaged minority elders in the marginalized communities of West Coconut Grove, South Miami and Coral Gables residing either in public housing or the community at-large.

$25,000

United Way of Miami-Dade

Mission United - Provides partial salary support for needs assessment, financial and legal services coaching and emergency food delivery, housing aid and other direct costs for veterans.

$25,000


Universal Heritage Institute

Connecting the Disconnected to Healthy Living - Partial salaries for clinical & ancillary services, Mcare consulting for reporting, training for EMR and Telehealth to enhance social work and case management services as well as collect data to provide free coordinated care services to the underserved population regardless of their ethnicity, national origin or sexual orientation.

$35,000

Victory Center, The

Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) - Provide partial salary support for program instructor and supervisors along with professional development seminars, equipment and supplies for instruction and therapy to adequately meet the needs of students and families affected by autism and other neurological disabilities.

$15,000

Whispering Manes Therapeutic Riding Center

School-Day And After - School Programing For Students With Diverse Abilities - Provides 36 scholarships for equine assisted activities to Miami-Dade school children with a developmental, physical, sensory, cognitive or emotional disability.

$17,665

Wounded Veterans Relief Fund

Emergency Financial Assistance to Veterans and Their Families - Used for emergency financial relief for Miami-Dade County veterans who have been assigned a disability rating by the VA and are referred by a case manager. This includes both visible (paralysis, limb-loss) and invisible (PTS & TBI) disabilities.

$25,000

TOTAL FUNDED

Cell

$600,165

SCHOLARSHIPS

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Barry University College of Health & Wellness, School of Nursing

Dr. Harold Norman Nursing Scholarship

$20,000

Florida International University Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences

Dr. Frederick Poppe Nursing Scholarship

$20,000

Miami Dade College, Leon School of Nursing

Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Nursing Scholarship

$20,000

University of Miami School of Nursing & Health Studies

Edmund Russo Nursing Scholarship

$20,000

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Dr. George E. Mekras Medical Scholarship

$20,000

Total Nursing & Medical Scholarships

Cell

$100,000

Organization: Camp Boggy Creek
Program Description:
“Family Retreat Programs for therapeutic support of Miami-Dade children with serious illnesses” grant provides retreats where the entire family can take advantage of the network of support with other families that share their experience.
Amount Funded: $20,000

Organization: Caring For Miami
Program Description:
“Project Smile Program” grant provides support for a part-time Dental Hygienist and supplies to serve uninsured adults and children.
Amount Funded: $20,000

Organization: Children's Bereavement Center, Inc. 
Program Description:
“Children's Grief Support” grant provides partial salary support to create & facilitate web-based groups created in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and/or in person once their physical locations are reopened.
Amount Funded: $10,000

Organization: Coral Gables Woman’s Club
Program Description:
“Coral Gables Children’s Dental Clinic” supports the operational needs of the dental clinic for school age indigent children whose parents can not afford costly dental care and usually are ineligible for public health programs.
Amount Funded: $25,000

Organization: Epilepsy Foundation of Florida
Program Description:
“Epilepsy Medical Services Program” grant provides testing support to allow neurologists to examine and treat patients using telemedicine safely from their home.
Amount Funded: $25,000

Organization: Good Hope Equestrian Training Center
Program Description:
“Horses Helping Heroes” provides salary support for an equine instructional specialist and riding instructor along with equipment and supplies for their recovery program.
Amount Funded: $25,000

Organization: Hearing Research Institute
Program Description:
“Hearing Aids for Needy People” funds provide approximately 40 hearing aids for needy people.
Amount Funded: $25,000

Organization: Iam ABLE
Program Description: 
“Able 2 Adapt” grant provides salary and program support for a mentoring and exercise-based therapy program for participants with paralysis.
Amount Funded: $15,000

Organization: Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Program Description:
“Heiken Children’s Vision Program” continues collaboration with the nine targeted JTM schools funding comprehensive diagnostic eye examinations and delivering prescription eyeglasses.
Amount Funded: $25,000

Organization: Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine
Program Description:
“Smiles Across Miles” grant provides salary support and clinical services for JTM’s School Oral Health program.
Amount Funded: $25,000

Organization: Open Door Health Center
Program Description:
“Health Access Program” grant provides salary support for clinic to improve access to cost effective preventive healthcare and arrange for hospital services when necessary at no cost to its patients who are at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.
Amount Funded: $50,000

Organization: SSJ Health Foundation - St. John Bosco Clinic, Inc.
Program Description: 
“Ensuring Community Access to Healthcare ” grant provides salary support for an Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) to provide healthcare to uninsured low-income patients .
Amount Funded: $50,000

Organization: The Sundari Foundation
Program Description:
“Lotus House Women's Shelter” grant provides support for housing costs  for the homeless women, youth and children at the shelter.
Amount Funded: $25,000

Organization: United Cerebral Palsy of South Florida Charter Schools
Program Description:
“Speech Physical and Occupational Therapies for Children Ages Birth to 8 Years Old” funds salary support for speech, physical and occupational therapists to children diagnosed with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
Amount Funded: $25,000

Organization: Whispering Manes Therapeutic Riding School
Program Description:
“Therapeutic Horseback Riding and Horsemanship for Children with Disabilities ” grant provides scholarships and new program equipment for children with special needs.
Amount Funded: $15,000

Organization: Wounded Veterans Relief Fund
Program Description:
“Emergency Assistance for Veterans and Families in Miami-Dade” grant provides for emergency situations for veterans who have been referred by the VA and need support to pay rent to avoid eviction, utility payments to keep the lights on and/or pay for transportation to be able to get to work.
Amount Funded: $25,000

Total: $400,000

Scholarships

Organization: Barry University College of Health Sciences, Division of Nursing
Program Description:
Dr. Harold Norman Nursing Scholarship and David Wolfberg Nursing Scholarship
Amount Funded: $20,000

Organization: Florida International University College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Program Description:
Dr. Frederick Poppe Nursing Scholarship
Amount Funded: $10,000

Organization: University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Sciences
Program Description:
Edmund Russo Nursing Scholarship
Amount Funded: $10,000

Organization: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Program Description:
Dr. George Mekras Medical Scholarship
Amount Funded: $10,000

Total: $50,000