Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Healthier Together Initiative Awards $225,000 to Nine Community-based Organizations Delivering Violence-Prevention Programs

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) announced the inaugural recipients of its Healthier Together Initiative Growing Resilience in Teens (GRIT) Grant Program, which will provide a combined total of $225,000 in funding to nine community-based organizations that offer high-quality violence-prevention services and support to youth residing in West and Southwest Philadelphia. The grant is part of Healthier Together's existing GRIT program, which provides trauma support services to children and families through CHOP Primary Care and after-school programs. In addition, CHOP, in partnership with The Scattergood Foundation, will provide capacity-building and technical assistance to GRIT grantees to support the evaluation and delivery of evidence-based programs.

The grant awardees are: Fruits of the Family Table, The ECO Foundation, The Greater Philadelphia YMCA, EleganceXtreme Inc., Ghetto Rising Entertainment, Building Healthy Communities within Families, AFRICOM, Beloved Care Project and City of Dreams Coalition.

"One of Philadelphia's greatest assets is the passion, power, and potential of its community nonprofits," said Alonzo South, Assistant Vice President of Community Impact at CHOP. "The GRIT Grant Program will bolster the effectiveness of these nine community-based organizations by providing the resources to deliver more impactful violence-prevention programming for youth."

The GRIT Grant Program supports the CDC recommendation to "connect youth to caring adults and activities," such as after-school programs and mentorships, as a protective factor against violence. The program also aligns with compelling evidence that shows a rise in nonprofits focused on building a stronger neighborhood or addressing violence leads to a decrease in violent crime.

All GRIT Grantees have been previously awarded a City of Philadelphia Targeted Community Investment Grant (TCIG), which is part of the Philadelphia Roadmap to Safer Communities to address gun violence in neighborhoods across Philadelphia.

"The City of Philadelphia is delighted to see alumni of our TCIG program diversify their funding through a GRIT Grant from CHOP," said Erica Atwood, Senior Director in the Office of Policy and Strategic Initiatives for Criminal Justice & Public Safety at the City of Philadelphia. "We have been proud to partner with CHOP during the development of this grant program and in our shared goals of creating opportunities for youth and reducing gun violence in our city."

"Scattergood looks forward to collaborating with CHOP and working closely with the GRIT grantees this year as they strengthen their capacity to continue to deliver meaningful programming to young people in West and Southwest Philadelphia," said Samantha Matlin, Senior Learning and Community Impact Consultant at the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation.

CHOP launched Healthier Together in 2019 to tackle the social determinants of health as a path to improving the health of children. Healthier Together focuses on some of the most pressing needs in West and Southwest Philadelphia identified in the Community Health Needs Assessment: housing, hunger, trauma, and poverty, all of which contribute to overall health. By supporting programs proven to work through rigorous research, CHOP is committed to building partnerships that aspire to give every child a fair chance at a healthy future. Healthier Together partners with community groups, nonprofits, and government agencies to learn from each other and multiply our collective impact. More information on Healthier Together can be found here.

About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: A non-profit, charitable organization, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, the 600+ bed hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. The institution has a well-established history of providing advanced pediatric care close to home through its CHOP Care Network, which includes more than 50 primary care practices, specialty care and surgical centers, urgent care centers, and community hospital alliances throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as a new inpatient hospital with a dedicated pediatric emergency department in King of Prussia. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.

Contact: Joey McCool Ryan
(267) 258-6735
[email protected]

SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia