MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Tonight the Superior Health Foundation hosted the ‘Fall Grants Celebration’ at the Holiday Inn in Marquette.
The SHF awarded over $739,000 in health-centered grant funding to pilot and equipment projects, fall grants and food insecurities. According to the SHF, throughout its 10 year history, they have awarded more than 5.2 million in grant dollars to non-profit organizations across the Upper Peninsula.
“With COVID and all the things non-profits are going through, we feel really honored and blessed to be in a position to be able to provide grant funding to these non-profits with our programs,” Jim LaJoie, executive director of Superior Health Foundation, said.
Through the proactive year 2 grants to address food insecurities in the Upper Peninsula, the SHF was able to award over $500,000. This initiative is striving to address access, distribution and delivery of healthy foods across the Upper Peninsula.
“You know as long as it aligns with our health-centered mission and it is proven the health and wellbeing of people, you know we are all over it,” LaJoie said. “We are thankful to be in this position to help these organizations.”
In addition to helping the region with food insecurities, the SHF was also able to help with other non-profit organizations throughout the Upper Peninsula such as HOPE Animal Assisted Crisis Response.
The HOPE AACR team provides emotional support when partnering with mental health and emergency response agencies through dogs and handlers.
HOPE AACR was awarded $10,000 from the SHF at tonight’s celebration.
“This has enabled us to deploy and train crisis-response canines throughout the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, so we are incredibly grateful for the foundation for their support throughout the years,” Nicholas Meier, midwest regional manager for HOPE Animal Assisted Crisis Response.
Applications for the springs grant cycle will be accepted from December 15 until Jan. 16, 2023.
For more information about funding and how to apply, visit SHF on their website at superiorhealthfoundation.org.
