NELSONVILLE — Grants are still available to help address the disparity of healthcare facing Appalachian Ohio children.
The grant opportunity focuses on school-based healthcare and remains available from the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO) I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund and supported through UnitedHealthcare (UHC) Community Plan of Ohio. The deadline to apply is Dec 10.

“Local impact and support are critical components of promoting health equity and access,” said Kelly Reidenbach, Vice President of Strategy at UHC Community Plan of Ohio. “We appreciate the opportunity to leverage our resources and population health insights to support solutions which promote the health and wellness of children and families in Appalachian Ohio.”

Children in Appalachia face significant medical, behavioral and oral health disparities compounded by healthcare access issues, according to data released by UHC. Healthcare and the ecosystem of support in community-based settings, including schools and after-school programs, present significant opportunities to address these barriers.

FAO’s I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund seeks to address these disparities through its Health and Human Services Pillar of Prosperity, one of five areas essential to generating and sustaining transformative change in Appalachian Ohio.

Up to $50,000 is available to support collaboration and capacity-building activities related to school-based and community-based health care in Appalachian Ohio. Requests can be between $5,000 and $15,000, though requests of up to $20,000 are being considered.

Nonprofit organizations applying for the Appalachian Ohio School-Based Healthcare Grant should submit projects that discuss and analyze the data presented during the panel discussion and identify potential next steps to address that data empowering local communities. The collaboration will formulate the development of small-scale interventions focused on addressing health disparities.

To access the data presented in the Appalachian Ohio School-Based Healthcare Virtual Panel Discussion and to apply for the associated grant, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org/ schoolbasedhealthcare.

To learn more about the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio and opportunities to give, grow and create with FAO, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org or contact info@ffao.org or 740-753-1111.