Health foundation hands out $744,000

The Richmond Memorial Health Foundation recently awarded grants totaling $744,000 to nine organizations focused on women and children's health; aging and Alzheimer's disease; and nursing and health education.

The foundation's total grants this fiscal year topped $2,046,000 despite the economy, said Jeffery S. Cribbs, RMHF president.

"Our investment pool has experienced some declines over the last year, as [has] everyone's," he said. "Our board felt that now is not the time to curtail our gift commitment to the nonprofit community. For this year, it's probably greater than the most recent past."

Recent awards went to:

• Jewish Family Services: $60,000 over three years to support home-care and care-management services that help seniors live safely and independently in their own homes.

• ChildSavers: $180,000 over three years for staffing expenses in the Guidance Clinic's Play Therapy Suite, which is used to evaluate and treat children and adolescents with mental, behavioral or emotional health problems.

• Alzheimer's Association: $60,000 over two years for respite assistance to family caregivers of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's and other dementia diseases.

• Rx Partnership: $60,000 over three years for medications for Richmond's uninsured.

• YWCA of Richmond: $35,000 to support the Sexual Assault Outreach Program that provides immediate crisis intervention services such as hospital accompaniment and follow-up by YWCA volunteers.

• SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now): $25,000 for the Child Abuse Advocacy Center that provides free medical examinations, comprehensive forensic interviews, case-management services and intensive mental-health services to victims of physical and sexual abuse.

• Daily Planet: $104,000 over two years for a new part-time family nurse practitioner and to expand clinic hours.

• John Tyler Foundation: $190,000 over two years for a new full-time faculty member for the online-based Commonwealth Nursing Program at John Tyler Community College.

• Access Now: $30,000 to support a new part-time Care Coordination and Referral position to assist uninsured patients in accessing specialty care.

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Hospital Hospitality House of Richmond has received $5,000 from the MDRT Foundation thanks to James A. Jacobs, a 36-year member of the Million Dollar Round Table organization for financial professionals.

Jacobs, a hospitality house board member, nominated the organization for the award. The foundation awarded more than $1 million in grants to more than 100 charities across the country.

. . .

Salem Christian School in Crozier in Goochland County has received a $10,000 grant from Red Robin restaurants for middle schoolers' efforts to bring kindness into their schools and communities.

The Red Robin Unbridled Acts of Kindness program, called U-ACT, seemed like "a great opportunity to exemplify Christ even if nothing comes of it," Principal Susan Washburn said. "We explained it to the parents and kids, and we started doing it."

The 34 middle school students collected backpacks for the homeless, did yardwork for a cancer patient and helped with the fall festival.

"Anytime a teacher witnessed a student doing a random act of kindness, the teacher would submit it in writing. The PTO president put the book together to submit," Washburn said.

"It was pretty awesome. The great thing about it was it gave our students the chance to do these things, to be involved in community service. They really enjoyed it."

The U-ACT Award of Excellence also gives students a special school spirit night at a local Red Robin restaurant. The grant money will be used to supplement teacher salaries, Washburn said.

Contact Katherine Calos at (804) 649-6433 or . Send notices for Notable Gifts to .