Baystate Wing Hospital Awards $42,000 in Grants to Local Agencies
PALMER — Baystate Wing Hospital recently announced an investment $42,000 in grants to benefit local community-based nonprofit organizations.
“As part of our continued commitment to address social determinants of health and reduce health disparities in our region, we are proud to partner with area community agencies who know and understand the unique needs and challenges of our community and can help us create local solutions,” said Michael Moran, president and chief administrative officer for Baystate Health’s Eastern Region, which includes Baystate Mary Lane and Baystate Wing Hospital.
Programs supported by the hospital’s grant investments include:
• Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp. (QVCDC) and its Quaboag Connector Transportation Initiative ($30,000). This transportation service addresses the serious lack of transportation to employment, education, healthcare, workforce training, shopping, and benefit services within and outside the region. The service provides close to 900 rides monthly, due in part to $120,000 that Baystate Wing Hospital and the Baystate Mary Lane medical staff have invested in local transportation over the past three years.
• The Ware High School Fire Science class ($3,200). The grant awarded to students attending the Ware High School Fire Science program led by Edward Wloch, acting chief of the Ware Fire Department, will assist them in reaching their goal of providing emergency medical service (EMS) care in the region by enrolling in an EMT-B course at the HCC E2E satellite facility in Ware. The Financial Literacy program conducted in collaboration with Country Bank will help these high-school students plan and save for the EMT-B course.
• Jubilee Diaper Ministry ($5,000). The Jubilee Diaper Ministry distributes diapers to families that are struggling financially and face the challenge of the cost of diapers. In addition to providing families with diapers, the Jubilee Diaper Ministry offers “Keeping Baby Safe” classes, including infant CPR and other infant health safety training, “Healthy Eating” classes, and, starting in the fall of 2019, certified babysitting classes, at no cost to local families.
• Top Floor Learning ($2,000). The grant awarded to Top Floor Learning will boost its mission to provide adult literacy and education services for people living in the Pioneer Valley and the Quaboag Hills region. Top Floor Learning staff and volunteers help with basic reading, writing, and math tutoring. In addition, the funds will help to further the organization’s work to offer high-school and college tutoring, high-school-equivalency preparation, basic skills development for the workplace, and job-search assistance.
