A food pantry in Edison, a Trenton-based ministry, a nonprofit serving children and families in Middlesex County, a community development organization in Camden County, and a youth arts program in the Philadelphia region received support from Penn Medicine CAREs grants secured recently by Princeton Health employees.
Penn Medicine CAREs provides grants of up to $2,000 to offset the cost of supplies, resources, and other non-salary costs to support ongoing volunteer community service efforts by Penn Medicine employees. Grant awards are announced quarterly. The Fall 2019 grants, announced in early January 2020, included five to Princeton Health employees — the highest number ever earned by Princeton Health in a single quarter. The awards included:
- Arabia Laramore, office coordinator, Princeton House Behavioral Health
The grant will fund educational materials and supplies for Take Charge of Your Health, a six-week workshop provided twice a year by Innovations Ministries to help individuals and their caregivers acquire the knowledge, skills, and confidence to take an active role in their care.
- Kandice Chandler, medical receptionist, Princeton Medicine Physicians
Helping Hands Ministry, part of Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Trenton, helps to feed homeless individuals and provide clothing and hygiene items to area families. The grant will support the ministry’s efforts during the holiday season, which includes creating Thanksgiving baskets for those in need and adopting families for Christmas.
- Yisrael Kraus, vice president, physician alignment
Grant funds will support The Chaim Fund, a nonprofit striving to ensure that children receive appropriate care, especially when their families are struggling financially, emotionally, or physically. The grant will cover approximately 60 family care packages a week for 12 weeks.
- Guilherme Valladares, senior vice president and chief financial officer
This grant will purchase supplies, including practice pads and sticks, for approximately 80 students in drumming workshops offered by Musicopia, a nonprofit serving thousands of underserved children each year in schools and communities throughout the region
- Joan Casarella, patient experience coordinator
The grant will help to fund Thanksgiving baskets prepared by members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and to restock the society’s food pantry. Society members volunteer regularly at the Ozanam Family Shelter in Edison, N.J., providing case management and serving meals.
Applications for Penn Medicine CAREs grants are accepted throughout the year. The online application is available at https://tinyurl.com/uoc5qev.
Projects that fare well include volunteer efforts that can demonstrate a positive impact on the community and address a health need identified in Princeton Health’s most recent Community Health Needs Assessment, which is viewable at PrincetonHCS.org/Community.
Before the 4th quarter of 2019, 10 Princeton Health employees had received grants.
Previous Penn Medicine CAREs Grants to Princeton Health Employees:
Summer 2019
Setting Up Students for Success — assisting first-year college students to cover a variety of expenses associated with going away to school
Miyopa Little
Better Beginnings — grant funds helped to purchase equipment for a child development center serving low- to moderate-income children
Jenny Pintado
Spring 2019
Heart Safe Motherhood — funding to purchase blood-pressure cuffs for postpartum, home monitoring of mothers diagnosed with gestational hypertension or preeclampsia
Barbara Ketterer, RN
Love Your Neighbor — community mission program that helps older adults, single mothers, and disabled individuals with home repairs and supplies
Bridget Nkatta-Abongwa, APN-C
Reach Out and Read — grant funds purchased books distributed to families at two locations, including the Bristol-Myers Squibb Community Health Center
Ayda Tello (with Barbara Schmidt, Lancaster General Health)
Winter 2019
Thermometers for the Underserved — grant helped purchase 250 digital thermometers for patients of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Community Health Center
Teri Nachtman, RN
Coming Up for AIR — funding purchased materials for Attitudes in Reverse (AIR), a nonprofit that educates youth about mental health and suicide prevention
Marlene Sisti
Fall 2018
Day Laborer Outreach — funds helped to purchase safety glasses, work gloves, socks, and boots to protect day laborers from work-related injuries
Steven Bergmann, MD, PhD
Burlington Township Food Pantry — grant funded purchase of a walk-in refrigerator/freezer to provide better food storage to benefit families served by the pantry
Kathleen Hubbs, RN
Read more about the grants above at https://tinyurl.com/uuv6m9e.
Summer 2018
Senior Care Services —implemented a web-based system to streamline scheduling of volunteer drivers and seniors who need rides to medical appointments
Maureen Stemwede
Read more about Senior Care Services at https://tinyurl.com/vs5pvac.