In the second quarter of 2024, the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York invested in a range of partnerships and programs to advance racial and socioeconomic health equity in western and central New York. These include a unique program designed to encourage mobility and creativity among older adults as well as diverse projects through our Age-Friendly: Go Local program.
Age-Friendly: Go Local 2.0 ($312,269)
This funding enables a cohort of 18 organizations to participate in Age-Friendly: Go Local 2.0, which is designed to help neighborhood-level groups and organizations build equitable and age-friendly communities. Of the 18 participants, 12 are first-time grantees of the Health Foundation, and 10 are either led by, or center the needs of, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), including New Americans. Many in the cohort are smaller, grassroots organizations that, despite little to no formal age-friendly experience, have already been doing neighborhood-based equity work for a while.
Western New York:
- Buffalo-Niagara LGBTQ History Project ($10,000)
- Community Action Organization of Western New York, Inc. ($15,000)
- East Buffalo Development Corp. ($25,000)
- Feed Buffalo ($10,000)
- Gerard Place ($25,000)
- Hispanos Unidos de Buffalo (HUB) ($10,000)
- Ralph Wilson Parks Conservancy ($10,000)
- Slow Roll Buffalo ($10,000)
- The Metro Community Development Corporation ($25,000)
- West Side Community Services ($10,000)
Central New York:
- GLOW OUT, SAGE program – Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Wyoming (GLOW) counties ($25,000)
- Masonic Care Community ($9,983)
- Syracuse Grows ($24,566)
- Syracuse Housing Authority ($22,720)
- Syracuse Northeast Community Center ($15,000)
- Village of Holley ($25,000)
- Westcott Community Center ($15,000)
- Women of PEARLS ($25,000)
Movers and Makers Expansion ($124,300)
The Movers and Makes program is led by the Research Foundation of SUNY on behalf of the University at Buffalo. It is designed to stimulate physical and cognitive activity in older adults by offering art-making opportunities and exergaming classes using SMARTFit™ software. Exergaming, or interactive fitness, is a combination of exercise and gaming. Continued funding from the Health Foundation will expand the program through 2025. Movers and Makers will be offered at four YMCAs over the course of 24 weeks, and the funding is for a two-year period (2024-2025).
Partnership with Univera Healthcare: Health Equity Innovation Awards ($125,000)
To deepen our strategic relationship, the Health Foundation will partner with Univera Healthcare on their annual Health Equity Innovation Awards program, which was established in 2021. Both the Health Foundation and Univera Healthcare focus on addressing health disparities and improving health equity. Community-based organizations will be able to apply for one-year grants of up to $30,000 through a competitive application process. Awards will be given to community partners that demonstrate a commitment to reducing health disparities and improving health equity among underserved people with health disadvantages due to disparities based on race, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender, and/or rural location.
Small Grants ($239,250)
Each of the following projects and programs received funding in the amount of $50,000 or under during the second quarter of 2024:
- Cost of Gun Violence Conference Sponsorship ($1,750)
- Health Equity Learning Collaborative Consulting ($20,000)
- Health Equity Learning Collaborative Partner Support ($25,000)
- Help Me Grow Fall Convening ($8,500)
- Holy Cross Head Start ($7,000)
- Jericho Road Integrated Maternal Healthcare Evaluation ($50,000)
- Liftoff WNY ($50,000)
- Master Plan for Aging Town Halls ($20,000)
- StoryGrowing WNY 2024 ($30,000)
- Western New York Volunteer Respite Project ($11,000)
- Why Survive? Documentary ($16,000)
