Healthier Glades Mini-Grants De-Stigmatize Mental Health

Healthier Glades “Mini-Grants” Promote Wellness and De-Stigmatize Mental Health

January 31, 2023

Funding puts the power of change in the hands of residents and nonprofit agencies.

Healthier Glades, a Palm Health Foundation Healthier Together initiative, is beginning 2023 by investing in nonprofit organizations and residents to provide a range of programs to support behavioral health in Palm Beach County’s western communities, including Belle Glade, Canal Point, Pahokee, and South Bay.

Mini-grants ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 were awarded to nine residents and four nonprofit organizations to implement their ideas for impacting behavioral health in the region. Each awardee received a congratulatory letter from Florida State Representative Rick Roth who is supportive of the program. Healthier Glades has awarded $99,000 in mini-grants since 2019.

Healthier Glades’ unique approach to behavioral health brings together residents, grassroots initiatives, and organizations to unlock community strengths, elevating and investing in the ideas that the community believes hold the most promise to change lives and the narrative around mental health.

“We believe behavioral health is how we cope with life stressors and what it means to be healthy and well physically, emotionally, and spiritually,” said Annie Ifill, Healthier Glades project director. “We work with the Glades communities by beginning with the area’s natural assets and resources, including family, faith, and friends.”

Healthier Glades mini-grant awardees will provide services in the following areas:

Promoting Health and Wellness

Bettye Lawson, Belle Glade, Decreasing Risk of Metabolic Syndrome through Education, Screening, and Health Promotion Activities among Rural Glades Residents will test interventions such as neighborhood walking clubs and Zumba classes to increase physical activity, which has been shown to help delay cognitive decline.
Jinga Oglesby-Brihm, Empower Healthcare, Pahokee, Walking In Your Joy Despite Diabetes will provide QuantaFlo testing to determine whether a patient has Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) within a matter of minutes.
Gertavian Blake, South Bay, Stand Firm Outreach Healthy Meals Project will serve youth and adults hot, nutritious meals to promote health and wellness, cultivate positive relationships, inspire storytelling, and reduce crime rates.
Yvette Branch, Pahokee, Village at the Glades, Food Pantry Supplies will expand the types of meals available to shelter guests with the addition of a juicer, blenders, and air fryers, allowing guests to diversify the types of meals they are able to make.
Derrek Moore, Belle Glade, Emergency Preparedness & COVID-19 Prevention Program will provide homeless residents and youth aging out of foster care essentials for proper hygiene through partnerships with churches and local organizations.
Ashley Davis, Belle Glade, Human Indulgence With Ashley will host health and wellness sessions that include food preparation as well as stress and relaxation techniques.

Storytelling and Changing the Narrative

Lester Finney, Belle Glade, Glades Youth Exhibition of the Arts will provide students with artistic skills and talents the opportunity to channel their energy in a positive way and receive recognition by displaying their talents in music, spoken word, visual arts and/or performance arts.
Kevin Brown, Belle Glade, Burn Down Media Group will teach youth audio/visual equipment operations and video production and create job opportunities for the youth to perform audio/visual services for organizations and non-profits.
Veree Jenkins, Federation of Families, South Bay, Finding Your Super Powers Podcast is an extension of the Super Powers Support Group program. The podcast will be operated by residents of the Glades to shine a light on local health and wellness programs and testimonies of recovery and success in cooperation with the Glades STAR Community Partnership Group.

Developing and Nurturing Participation Channels

Khadeidra Willis, Belle Glade, #WORK21 Townhall for Student-Athletes and Parents will host two events for student-athletes and their parents about the requirements needed for their successful journey to a professional athletic future/career and the importance of athletes maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including physical and mental wellness.
Stephanie Dort-Brown, Belle Glade, Period Talk will increase awareness, educate, and inform pre-teens and teenage girls about the anatomy of the woman’s reproductive system, highlighting priority areas such as health, wellness, advocacy for teenage girls, and storytelling.
Barbara King, Belle Glade, Children Business Fair will offer sessions to teach children how to be entrepreneurs and host a fair/showcase for the community and possible investors to support our youth businesses.
Jinga Oglesby-Brihm, Empower Healthcare, Pahokee, PEARLS to End Loneliness will address social isolation of older adults in the Glades. PEARLS (Program to Encourage Active Rewarding Lives for Seniors) improves social and physical engagement through one-on-one coaching to build the skills to live happier, healthier, and more independent lives.

President and CEO of Palm Health Foundation Patrick McNamara sees the value of investing in the people and organizations closest to community. “We humanize health when we recognize that residents often have solutions for their own communities, they just need a little support to get them off the ground,” he said. “The Healthier Glades awardees have a wide range of unique assets and expertise for promoting brain health and well-being from youth to seniors.”

About the Healthier Together Initiative
Healthier Together is a resident-led, community-driven grantmaking approach developed by Palm Health Foundation, Palm Beach County’s community foundation for health. This strategic initiative convenes residents to address a variety of social, economic, and environmental factors that affect health outcomes. Healthier Together engages residents in creating their own solutions to make positive, healthy changes in the neighborhoods where they live, work and play. To learn more, visit healthiertogetherpbc.org.

About Palm Health Foundation
Palm Health Foundation is Palm Beach County’s community foundation for health. With the support of donors and a focus on results, the foundation builds strong community partnerships, respects diverse opinions, advocates for its most vulnerable neighbors and inspires innovative solutions to lead change for better health now and for generations to come. The foundation supports health equity for Palm Beach County residents of all backgrounds, heritage, education, incomes and states of well-being. Palm Health Foundation has invested more than $91 million in Palm Beach County health since 2001. For more information about Palm Health Foundation, visit palmhealthfoundation.org or call (561) 833-6333.

< Older Post Newer Post >

CVS Health Foundation grants Palm Health Foundation $1 million as Part of its New Healthy Aging Initiative

January 29, 2025

What if I become ill? What if my loved one does? How will we manage?

Digital Vibez’ “Let’s Move” Campaign Expands to Year-Round Programming

January 29, 2025

Let’s Move Encourages at least 30 Minutes of Activity Daily for Physical, Mental, and Emotional Health

Healthier Glades Celebrates Six Years of “Unlocking Our Community Strengths” through Mini Grants

January 29, 2025

Healthier Glades , a Palm Health Foundation Healthier Together initiative, proudly marked six years of empowering the Glades community through its Mini Grant Program with the recent announcement of four grant awards to recipients in Belle Glade and Canal Point, Florida. Through the Mini Grant Program, Healthier Glades invests in promising programs to promote health, wellness, and youth engagement. The initiative has awarded over $140,000 in mini grants to 52 residents and organizations fostering lasting community impact since 2019. The four innovative grants exemplify Healthier Glades’ ability to unlock community strengths by elevating and investing in the ideas that the community believes hold the most promise to change lives and the narrative around mental health. “The programs highlight the creativity, passion, and dedication of Glades’ community members,” said Annie Ifill, Director, Healthier Glades. Mini grant recipients began program implementation on January 1, 2025. Mini Grant Recipients

Together, We Can Lead Change for Better Health

January 3, 2025

Mark Twain wrote, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” I realized many years ago that the lessons I learn may be for me alone in the moment, but they are not mine to hoard—they are to be shared with others.

Hospital Conversion Foundations are Connected to Community Needs

December 20, 2024

Hospital conversion foundations are unique and powerful forces in advancing community health. These charitable organizations are born when non-profit hospitals are sold and converted to for-profit entities. A foundation is then established from the proceeds of the sale or “conversion.”

Giving Tuesday 2024

December 2, 2024

Giving Tuesday is About Giving Chances to Someone Like Me.

Palm Health Foundation Scholarship Reception Filled with Gratitude

November 22, 2024

Palm Health Foundation ’s Scholarship Reception on November 2, 2024, brought together nursing and behavioral health scholars with their donors for an inspiring evening at the stunning Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens (ANSG) in West Palm Beach, FL. Over 190 guests attended the event to celebrate 92 scholarship recipients, the largest group of scholars in the history of the foundation due to a generous gift from Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network (SEFBHN). Frances Fisher generously underwrote the reception at ANSG where she serves as chairwoman. ANSG’s natural gardens and monumental sculptures served as the perfect setting for scholars and their donors to meet each other, all expressing gratitude. Guests and donors thanked the scholars for their dedication to the healthcare workforce of South Florida, and scholars thanked donors for their generosity that enabled them to continue their education. “The scholarship recipients here tonight are not only the future of South Florida’s healthcare system, but also the heart and soul of our community,” said Fisher. “I am inspired by their dedication, and I am grateful to our donors who are helping to shape a brighter, healthier future for all.” The $530,000 awarded in needs-based scholarship funds will help address significant shortages in the nursing and behavioral health care workforce. Donor funding will also help humanize health by advancing the careers of healthcare professionals with lived experience and cultural competencies to serve South Florida’s diverse population, a need echoed by Abigail Goodwin, executive vice president of Palm Health Foundation, in her address to scholars. “Your ability to bridge languages and cultures is critical to providing quality care for our dynamic South Florida communities, making our entire region healthier and stronger,” Goodwin said. “You are here today because you’ve demonstrated dedication, perseverance, and a true desire to serve your neighbors. Palm Health Foundation is proud to support, honor, and uplift you as you continue your journey.” Goodwin closed the event by announcing another gratitude opportunity to donors. From December 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025, Palm Health Foundation is matching every donation to The Nursing Advancement Fund and all nursing scholarship funds—dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000. Palm Health Foundation nursing scholarships support students with financial need in LPN, undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate programs in Palm Beach County. “Through our charitable funds and with the collaboration of donors, residents, and partners, we are building a culture of health for all in our community,” said Dr. Marsha Fishbane, chair of the Palm Health Foundation Board of Trustees. Notable attendees at the event included: Frances Fisher, PHF Trustee and scholarship fund holder; Dr. Marsha Fishbane, Palm Health Foundation chair, and trustees Dr. Naelys Luna, Barbara James, Clovis Moodie, and Nathan Nason; scholarship fund holders Debra Coffman Howe, Ann Berner, Dr. Alina Alonso, Denise Bober, and Carrie Browne and Donald Smith-Browne; and Tim Snow, president of George Snow Scholarship Fund. To make a gift or create a donor advised fund to support health professions scholars, please contact Carrie Browne, director of stewardship and strategic partnerships, (561) 837-2281, carrieb@phfpbc.org .

Palm Health Foundation and Partners Unveil The Brain Coast: A Vision for South Florida

November 22, 2024

Palm Health Foundation marked its eighth annual Train the Brain community health campaign during October 2024 with the unveiling of a significant collaborative initiative. On October 24, 2024, over 95 guests gathered at the Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute at Florida Atlantic University for the launch of The Brain Coast: A Vision for South Florida , an aspiration endorsed by six Palm Beach County brain health and science visionaries who believe that shared vision, determination, science, education, collaboration, and investment can transform a region and change the world. The launch partners included: Palm Health Foundation Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute at Florida Atlantic University Stiles-Nicholson Foundation The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network Many more have committed to advancing this exciting vision with imagination, curiosity, and desire to push the boundaries of brain science and its promise. Guests at the event were eager to learn about the vision for The Brain Coast, which partners compare to President John F. Kennedy's ambitious goals for American space exploration that accelerated Florida's Space Coast. Evening highlights included ambitious initiatives demonstrating The Brain Coast Vision’s promise and the inspirational journeys that led local scientists, including Palm Health Foundation Computational Brain Science and Health Graduate Fellows, to dedicate their lives to advancing treatment for brain disorders as varied as depression, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and more.

Palm Beach County Visionaries to Unveil “Brain Coast” Vision During October’s Train the Brain Month

October 7, 2024

Leaders believe shared vision, determination, science, education, collaboration, and investment can transform the South Florida region and change the world.