PRESS RELEASE: The Foundation for a Healthy High Point Announces Fall 2024 Grant Awards

January 9, 2025

High Point, NC — The Foundation for a Healthy High Point, today announced its Fall 2024 grant awards totaling $1,056,966. The Foundation is a private foundation that collaboratively engages the Greater High Point community to transform upstream social influences that impact health and well-being. The local efforts will address Medicaid expansion, behavioral health, collective impact initiatives, early childhood development, food security, teen workforce development, and emergency relief for local nonprofits adversely impacted by Hurricane Helene.

“These grants are more than just funding. They are investments in a healthier future. By addressing urgent needs while building capacity for long-term solutions, we are laying the foundation for lasting change in Greater High Point.” – Curtis Holloman, Executive Director

The approved Fall 2024 grant recipients are:

Medicaid Expansion

• Caring Services ($50,000): Funding will support efforts to expand staff capacity to enroll and manage newly eligible Medicaid patients. The organization has seen a 100% increase in the number of patients eligible for Medicaid. This new dedicated role will focus specifically on assisting clients to navigate the Medicaid enrollment process and will follow up with clients to ensure they are accessing available services.
• GenerationEd ($50,000): GenerationEd runs the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) program, which serves first-time, low-income mothers in High Point with nurse home visitation services for High Point’s most vulnerable families. Currently, only 68% of NFP clients are enrolled in Medicaid while most if not all are eligible for the program. Funding will support a portion of a new position for a Medicaid Enrollment Specialist who will help NFP clients to complete the Medicaid enrollment process.
• Mental Health Associates of the Triad ($322,002): MHA will partner with Triad Adult & Pediatric Medicine, the Community Clinic of High Point, and Resilience High Point/The Bridge to establish stronger systems for Medicaid eligibility screening and enrollment and care coordination among the partners. Funds will support four new positions, including two positions focused on community outreach and education. This effort will be the first known partnership between these partners.
• The University of North Carolina Greensboro ($44,964): UNCG’s Center for New North Carolinians (CNNC) helps immigrants and refugees to connect with and navigate healthcare and other existing resources through its Immigrant Health Access Project. This request allows CNNC to specifically focus on increasing awareness and understanding of Medicaid expansion and eligibility for the immigrant population.

“With Medicaid expansion opening doors for so many in our community, organizations like Caring Services, GenerationED, Mental Health Associates, and UNCG are stepping up to ensure individuals can access the care they need. Together with their partners, they will work to help hundreds of residents navigate the enrollment process and connect to necessary health services, creating a healthier and more equitable High Point.” – Curtis Holloman, Executive Director

Behavioral Health

• Caring Services ($170,000): Funding will support program expansion by enabling the organization to serve three new specific audiences including: individuals who need outpatient substance use disorder services but do not need transitional housing; families who have been affected by addiction; and individuals who have had traumatic experiences or are diagnosed with a trauma related disorder. Funding will support a full-time clinician, part-time community educator, and marketing expenses

Collective Impact

• Greater High Point Food Alliance ($200,000): Funding will support this critical backbone organization during its leadership transition through a portion of staff salary/expenses for the Executive Director and additional operational expenses related to the Greater Guilford Food Finder App and distribution of the Community Resource Guide.
• Ready for School, Ready for Life ($50,000): Ready for School, Ready for Life is leading a 10-year initiative to build a system of care to support children ages zero-eight and their families in Guilford County. The organization continues to implement the prenatal to age five system across High Point and Guilford County. Funding will support professional services related to consultants that are helping to strengthen the organization’s backbone functions.

Early Childhood Development

• Growing the Distance ($25,000): Growing the Distance is an afterschool program and child enrichment center which primarily serves children from low-income families in Greater High Point – the organization currently serves approximately 200 youth (ages 5-18) annually. Funding will support start-up costs for the program to expand and offer a kindergarten preparatory program, Bright Beginnings, developed for three- and four-year-olds. Costs include educational materials, classroom setup materials (i.e. furniture, safety equipment), and a portion of staff salaries
• YMCA of High Point, Inc. ($45,000): The YMCA of High Point, Inc. seeks to expand Y Readers which helps to mitigate learning loss and support students to read at grade level by third grade. The first year of the program at the Hartley Y was highly successful. Requested funding is intended to expand the program to the Chavis YMCA in partnership with Fairview Elementary. Funding will support a portion of salary and benefits for a Program Director, Certified Teachers, and an Afternoon Enrichment Counselor.

Food Security

• A Simple Gesture ($50,000): Funding will support the creation of an awareness campaign focused on two tools that increase access to available food resources in Guilford County. The Greater High Point Food Alliance’s Greater Guilford Food Finder app is an online tool that enables community members to quickly search for food (and other) resources available to them in Guilford County. Similarly, the United Way of Greater High Point’s 2-1-1 hotline is a statewide United Way initiative that helps locate needed resources such as food, emergency housing & shelter, utility assistance, and more.  

Workforce Development

• Boys & Girls Club of Greater High Point ($50,000): Funding will support a workforce development program based on curriculum developed and tested by the national affiliate organization, paired with workshops led by local skilled professionals and job shadowing opportunities. Workshops will focus on exploring career opportunities, preparing for college, practicing for interviews, working with managers and co-workers, money management, and developing a personal plan after graduation. This new programming in High Point is part of a broader expansion plan for the organization.

Small Grants

In addition to the 11 Impact Grants, the Foundation also funded 9 small grants including:

• Sister Circle International ($10,000): Supports a job readiness and career development program for underserved women.
• Lydia House Inc. ($10,000): Provides capacity building support and to increase job readiness skills among low income, minority women.
• Caring Services ($7,367): Upgrades technology and expands program capacity.
• Mental Health Associates of the Triad ($9,800): Supports a Mental Health Matters Lunch and Learn series.
• Senior Resources of Guilford ($10,000): Provides medically tailored nutritional support to seniors.
• Greater HP Food Alliance ($10,000): Supports the Executive Director transition and recruitment.

• Guilford Adult Health ($10,000): Supports the High Point Behavioral Health Advocacy Workgroup transition and sustainability.
• Guilford Education Alliance (High Point Schools Partnership) ($10,000): Engages youth enrichment providers in a collective impact initiative.
• Partners Ending Homelessness ($10,000): Plan and hold the Igniting High Point to End Homelessness Summit.

Emergency Relief

The Foundation awarded $100,000 in emergency relief to organizations adversely impacted by Hurricane Helene. Funding will help replenish local resources that were diverted to the West in response to Hurricane Helene. Grants were awarded to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC ($60,000), A Simple Gesture ($20,000), and Backpack Beginnings ($20,000).

Last year, the Foundation funded 29 projects for $1,803,886 in new grant awards. Since its inception, the Foundation has approved nearly $19 million to support the Greater High Point community.

The Foundation for a Healthy High Point was established in 2013. Its mission is to collaboratively engage the Greater High Point community to transform upstream social influences that impact health and well-being. For more information about the Foundation for a Healthy High Point, visit www.healthyhighpoint.org

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