MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Superior Health Foundation is celebrating its spring grant recipients. The foundation awarded more than $100,000 to around 20 different organizations.
The superior health foundation has awarded $5.5 million in grants since it began in 2012. Each year, the foundation accepts applications from upper peninsula healthcare providers and awards grants to support health organizations in the area. The foundations Executive Director, Jim LaJoie, says it’s great to be able to help upper peninsula non-profits.
“There are a lot of nonprofits across The UP that have hurt since covid,” LaJoie says, “and to be able to help them and provide this needed funding is really the icing on the cake for us.”
Functional Behavior Services is a non-profit in Marquette with the goal of providing behavior analytic and therapeutic services. Tonight, the organization received $10,000 to provide families access to their behavioral services. Chiara Johnson, supervisor of clinical quality with functional behavior services, says these grants really make a difference to the families they work with.
“Generally these are families we aren’t able to help because of the lack of resources,” Johnson says, “so it means we get to have a positive impact on people we wouldn’t generally be able to serve at all.”
Despite the recent inclement weather, many recipients made the trip to celebrate the organizations that were awarded funds tonight.
“You look at what we’ve had over the last couple of days,” says LaJoie, “the winter weather, but what’s surprising is a number of people are coming, they’re happy to be here.”
Following the celebration, the foundation is now focused on the $1.1 million it has allocated over the next two years to address pediatric mental health issues. The foundation is scheduling round tables to discuss what is needed to continue to support the mental health of kids across The UP.
