WORCESTER  — The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts has awarded over $530,000 in grant money to support projects at eight area-organizations dedicated to improving the health of the region’s most vulnerable populations. 

“Since its founding, the foundation has applied a social determinants of health framework to guide its investments in nonprofit organizations working to address barriers to health equity and improve health outcomes throughout 60 cities and towns in Worcester County,” said Timothy Bibaud, the health foundation’s chairman who’s also a judge at the East Brookfield District Court.

The HFCM is a nonprofit organization that provides funding to nonprofit organizations in Central Massachusetts dedicated to improving the health of those in the area, particularly those most affected by adverse socio-economic factors.

The HFCM was formed in 1999 with the proceeds from the sale of Central Massachusetts Health Care, Inc., which at the time was a non-profit health maintenance organization (HMO). Since 2000, the organization has awarded $48 million dollars in grants to area nonprofit organizations. The HFCM currently has assets totaling approximately $95 million.

The $530,385 in grants recently issued were part of the HFCM’s “Activation Fund” grant awards. According to a release from the HFCM, the Activation Fund grants are issued to nonprofits for one-year projects that “demonstrate a creative and innovative approach to alleviate an existing community health concern or that address an emerging health challenge in the region.”

“The goal of the Activation Fund is to enable an organization to move to a higher level of capacity and to then continue to function at that higher level after the grant ends,” explained Dr. Jan Yost, the president and CEO of HFCM.

This year’s recipients of the Activation Fund grants are the following. These eight organizations were selected from 53 applicants:

Building Futures, Inc. was awarded $59,250 to purchase equipment for its “Terraponics Program.” The Terraponics Program will use tiered racks to grow organic produce year-round for Worcester Housing Authority residents. Better Futures is a nonprofit affiliate of the WHA designed to provide residents with educational programs and training to help residents achieve self-sufficiency. 

Catholic Charities was awarded $75,000 to renovate the facilities of its Crozier House recovery program, which provides residential treatment and housing to men suffering from substance use disorders. 

Community Health Connections was issued $100,000 to build four urgent care rooms at its new Community Health Center in Gardner. Community Health Connections is a federally qualified, community owned health center that provides medical, dental and mental health care in Fitchburg, Gardner, Leominster as well as over the phone and online. 

Girls Inc of Worcester, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young women, was issued $41,882 to purchase the furniture and equipment necessary to transform its large meeting hall into small classrooms in order to expand program capacity and better address the “social-emotional needs” of its participants.

Guild of St. Agnes, a nonprofit early education child care agency, was issued $90,000 for the renovation of its childcare center in Gardner.

Lovin’ Spoonfuls, a nonprofit dedicated to ending food insecurity, was issued $75,000 to purchase a refrigerated truck for its perishable food rescue and redistribution program into Worcester County.

Mount Wachusett Community College was awarded $73,903 to upgrade the sterilization equipment at its dental education clinic located in the Community Health Connections Community Health Center in Fitchburg.

Viability, Inc. a nonprofit dedicated to helping those with disabilities was issued $15,350 to purchase exercise equipment for its “Tradewinds Clubhouse” in Southbridge, which – according to the release – “provides vocational and life skills training and social support for people experiencing mental illness.”