Mercy Announces Healthy Neighborhood Mini-Grants Program

The Healthy Neighborhood Mini-Grants Program will use a ‘capacity-building’ approach that focuses on the inherent strengths of local citizens, associations, and organizations, in an effort to find new opportunities to apply the skills, resources, talents, and abilities that already exist in abundance within the neighborhood.

The Healthy Neighborhood Mini-Grants Program is an extension of Mercy’s Community Benefits Program.

Schools; neighborhood, civic or cultural associations; nonprofit organizations; and religious organizations that serve residents who live in the neighborhoods surrounding Mercy Medical Center are strongly encouraged to apply. Applications that target other neighborhoods in Springfield will also be considered, but preference will be given to proposals that aim to improve the health and safety of residents who live in the neighborhoods closest to the hospital.

Organizations applying for funds must be nonprofit. Other groups and associations may play an essential part in the project, but the applicant organization must have nonprofit status and take responsibility for how the money is spent. Grant requests should be in the $500 to $2,000 range.

“In the true spirit of partnership, this program will allow people, associations, neighbors and organizations to pool their skills, labor, tools, and knowledge to improve health and safety at the neighborhood or block level,” said Lewis Rudolph, manager of Grants and Community Benefit for Sisters of Providence Health System. “Much like the ‘micro-grant’ programs, we hope that one or more of the mini-grants might someday evolve into a larger, ongoing project.”