More than 80 area agencies received early Christmas presents this year.
The Jefferson Foundation doled out 90 grants to 83 agencies for a total of $3,141,017.26 in its latest round of grant-giving, said Missy Endres, Jefferson Foundation executive vice president.
The foundation has been awarding grants in two rounds each year since 2018 with organizations being notified if they have received funding in May and November.
Eight of the latest grant recipients were awarded grants of $100,000 or more, including Upward Smiles, Mercy Health Foundation Jefferson, the Peace Pantry, St. Louis Counseling, Lafayette Industries, the Jefferson College Foundation, Angels’ Arms and Oats, Endres reported.
“We frequently don’t do as many six-figure grants,” she said. “There were some special projects this round that we felt are important and wanted to support.”
Those large grants, which total $1,436,067.92, accounted for about 45.7 percent of the money the foundation awarded to agencies in this year’s second round of grant giving.
Enders said the foundation received 117 grant applications requesting $6,918,895 this time around.
“We don’t look at the balance as much as where the needs are in the community,” Endres said of eight organizations receiving just less than half of this round’s grant money. “We felt these larger projects will provide good services and meet the needs of the community. We still had a lot of smaller grants, and I think we had a good balance. A lot of the larger grants are one-time grants, and they will not be ongoing expenses.”
The foundation was created from the $154 million the Mercy health system paid in 2013 when it acquired Jefferson Regional Medical Center (now Mercy Hospital Jefferson) in Crystal City. Endres said the foundation’s current account balance is $161,054,698, and it has awarded 1,429 grants for a total of about $60 million since it began administering them in 2014.
Top recipients
Upward Smiles, Mercy Health Foundation Jefferson and the Peace Pantry received the largest grants this round with the three entities receiving a total of $725,000.
Upward Smiles chief operating officer Jeffery Cauley said the $250,000 grant will be used to help purchase 1.2 acres of land south of the organization’s Festus location, 660 N. Creek Drive.
He said Upward Smiles, which provides dental services to uninsured and under-insured children, will use that land to create an approximately 11,000-square-foot lot that will provide additional parking spaces and an area to park the organization’s mobile unit, which began operating in August. He said the clinic currently has 40 parking spaces, half of which staff use.
“We are hoping to close (on the property) by the end of January,” Cauley said. “I would say it will take about three months to get the parking lot done.
“It should have ample space for more parking, and we will be able to run power to the mobile unit. Down the line, we have the possibility to expand our office to that land in the future.”
Upward Smiles also has a location in Farmington at 2820 Anchor Drive. The clinic can be contacted at 573-327-8010.
The Mercy Health Foundation Jefferson will use its $250,000 grant to help purchase a Da Vinci robotic surgical system for Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City. The system allows surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgeries.
“We are grateful the Jefferson Foundation recognizes the benefit of this request for our entire community,” said Andrew Held, executive director of Mercy Health Foundation Jefferson. “Their grant is a major first step toward adding this surgical equipment to better position Mercy Hospital Jefferson to successfully recruit surgeons who are trained to operate this advanced technology. Mercy Health Foundation Jefferson is eagerly developing a plan to make this technology a reality at Mercy Jefferson.”
Linda Schroeder, the Peace Pantry’s board president, said the group will use its $225,000 grant to help purchase a 2024 Volvo VNR-300 truck. She said the truck is expected to cost $242,704.82 and likely won’t be available until February 2024.
Schroeder said the pantry has been told the price may increase before the truck is available.
“The truck we are replacing is a smaller, single-axle 2012 truck with 250,000 miles,” she said. “We will likely donate the older truck to another pantry. Refrigerated trucks are hard to come by, so rather than sell it, we will donate it to another pantry.”
New services
Endres said the foundation is excited that grant money given to Lafayette Industries and the Jefferson College Foundation will be used to provide new services in the county.
She said Lafayette Industries, which received two grants for a total of $165,067.92, is partnering with Cool Beans Cafe, 316 Locust St., in Hillsboro to offer a training program to people with disabilities learn customer service skills and other skills.
“We are anxious to see it is implemented and how it goes,” Endres said.
The Jefferson College Foundation was awarded two grants totaling $146,000, with $86,000 to be used for housing scholarships at Jefferson College.
“We have helped them with academic scholarships since 2014,” she said. “They told us they are seeing a need for housing scholarships. They said they are hearing from some students who will not be able to continue with college without help with housing. We are excited about that to help students continue their education.”
Second home
Angels’ Arms received a $100,000 grant, its second grant from the foundation after receiving $75,000 last year to purchase a home to be used by a foster family.
Bess Wilfong, founder and executive director of Angels’ Arms, said a family moved into the first home the organization constructed in mid-November, and the second home is currently under construction and expected to be completed early next year. The homes are in Festus.
She said the foundation’s grant will allow her agency to not only complete the second home, but also expand its services to foster families throughout the county.
“(The foundation) has been tremendous and vital for what we are trying to do to reach foster families in the area,” Wilfong said. “They have been generous and nothing but supportive. I don’t know if we would be getting a second home without their support.”
Jefferson Foundation’s 2022 grants – Round 2
■ ALIVE: $60,000 to support counseling services, transportation services and the Nights of Safety program for Jefferson County victims of domestic violence.
■ All For Family: $30,000 to provide therapeutic supervised family visits.
■ Angels’ Arms: $100,000 to open a foster home in Jefferson County and increase services to foster care families.
■ Anthropedia Foundation: $30,000 to support the wellness center in the Northwest School District and to provide workshops and seminars throughout the community.
■ Arnold Food Pantry: $10,000 to purchase food and help with general operating expenses.
■ Atlas Youth Outreach: $5,500 to provide therapeutic support groups for Jefferson County teens.
■ Bethany Christian Services: $10,000 to provide program support for families in crisis and to prevent child abuse and neglect.
■ Boy Scouts of America, Greater St. Louis Area Council: $26,338 to provide camp scholarships for Jefferson County Scouts.
■ Brain Injury Association of Missouri: $15,000 to provide services to Jefferson County brain injury survivors and their families.
■ Brenden’s Friday Backpack Program: $25,000 to purchase program supplies, including food for more than 1,400 local students.
■ Burns Recovered Support Group: $10,000 to support Jefferson County residents who attend the new Family Camp program.
■ C-6 Educational Foundation: $10,000 to purchase gift cards that will be used to provide students with necessary clothing, shoes and coats and to support prevention programs, Special Olympics and a Special Needs Prom.
■ Cedar Hill Fire Protection District: $28,145.79 to purchase emergency medical equipment.
■ Center for Hearing and Speech: $50,000 to provide hearing and screening services at Jefferson County schools and to provide the full-service audiology program for Jefferson County residents.
■ Cherish: $5,000 to support grief services for Jefferson County residents.
■ Child Center – Marygrove: $26,000 to support residential treatment services for Jefferson County children and youth.
■ City of Byrnes Mill: $2,100 to purchase emergency medical equipment.
■ Court Appointed Special Advocates of Jefferson County: $24,492 to support the agency’s marketing efforts to recruit CASA volunteers.
■ Covenant House Missouri: $10,000 to provide services for Jefferson County youth who are experiencing or at-risk of homelessness.
■ Cultural Diversity Committee: $2,500 to support the scholarship program.
■ Deaf Empowerment Awareness Foundation dba DEAF Inc.: $5,000 to provide American Sign Language instruction courses to Jefferson County organizations.
■ Dental Health Theatre Inc.: $25,000 to create a traveling health program for Jefferson County elementary schools.
■ DeSoto Rural Fire Protection District: $10,000 to purchase emergency medical equipment.
■ Disability Resource Association: $59,792.77 to support the transportation and home modification programs and to purchase equipment for the office.
■ Disability Resource Association: $34,755.60 to support the Show Me Home program in Jefferson County.
■ Easterseals Midwest: $50,000 to expand the Family Navigation and Self-Advocacy Instruction programs to Jefferson County.
■ Faith Community Church: $20,000 to purchase storage trailers for the basic needs program.
■ Get Healthy DeSoto: $15,000 to support current and expanded programs.
■ Get Healthy DeSoto: $65,800 to make repairs to the Farmer’s Market building and property.
■ Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri: $50,000 to upgrade trails at Camp Cedarledge.
■ Great Circle: $55,000 to support the Incredible Years Parent Education program for families in Jefferson County.
■ H E R O E S CARE: $10,000 to purchase new computers and software.
■ Heart of the Apostle Fellowship: $10,000 to provide support for the toy and food distribution program and the basic needs program for teens who are homeless.
■ Helping Hand Me Downs: $5,000 to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ Helping Hands and Horses: $10,000 to support the agency’s equine therapy program for people with disabilities.
■ Hematite Fire Protection District: $11,804 to purchase emergency medical equipment.
■ Hillsboro United Methodist Church: $10,000 to purchase food and other basic needs items.
■ Hope Lutheran Church: $5,000 to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ Jeffco Shop With A Cop: $10,000 to provide program support for the Shop with a Cop program in local schools.
■ Jeffco Subcontracting Inc. (JSI) Sheltered Workshop: $14,200 to purchase equipment that will provide employment opportunities for adults with disabilities.
■ Jefferson College Foundation: $86,000 to provide academic and housing scholarships and to support the food pantry program.
■ Jefferson College Foundation: $60,000 to purchase simulation equipment for the EMS program.
■ Jefferson County Community Partnership: $90,000 to provide program support for the Children and Families Safe program.
■ Jefferson County Family YMCA: $35,000 to expand Silver Sneakers and health programs.
■ Jefferson County Pregnancy Care Center dba MyLife Medical Center: $50,000 to expand access to medical exams and ultrasounds.
■ Jefferson County Rescue Mission: $10,000 to provide program support for the food pantry.
■ Kids In The Middle: $20,000 to provide group and individual counseling to Jefferson County children.
■ KUTO, Kids Under Twenty One: $10,000 to support school based mental health and suicide prevention services.
■ Lafayette Industries: $150,000 to expand employment services for individuals with disabilities in Jefferson County.
■ Lafayette Industries: $15,067.92 to purchase equipment for the employment training program.
■ Living Well Village Foundation: $40,000 to provide scholarships for the residential summer weight loss camp for kids.
■ Make-A-Wish Missouri and Kansas: $15,000 to grant wishes for Jefferson County children who have critical illnesses.
■ Mercy Health Foundation Jefferson: $250,000 to purchase a Da Vinci robotic surgical system.
■ OATS: $100,000 to provide program support for the JeffCo Express public transportation program.
■ Office of Job Training Programs: $40,000 to make technology upgrades that will enhance direct services to people.
■ Operation Food Search: $6,177 to purchase an inventory tracking system for local food pantries.
■ Our Lady’s Inn: $5,000 to provide shelter and supportive services for Jefferson County women and children.
■ Ozark Food Pantry: $10,000 to provide program support for the pantry.
■ Ozark Food Pantry: $4,000 to make repairs to the agency’s facility.
■ Peace Pantry: $225,000 to purchase a refrigerated truck that will be used to pick up food for several food pantries.
■ Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services: $60,000 to support the Family Solutions for Kids program in Jefferson County.
■ Quad-City Community Development Corp.: $13,816.18 to make repairs to the agency’s facility.
■ Radiant Life Pentecostal Church of God: $10,000 to purchase food and basic needs items.
■ rEcess: $2,000 to purchase program supplies for the respite program.
■ Redemption Church: $20,000 to purchase food and a forklift for the food pantry.
■ Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis: $20,000 to provide program support to help Jefferson County families.
■ Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis: $25,000 to support the construction of a new house that will be used by Jefferson County families.
■ Sacred Heart Catholic Church: $9,100 to purchase emergency medical equipment.
■ St. Louis Counseling: $200,000 to provide mental health counseling and presentations in Jefferson County parochial schools and at the agency’s office in Herculaneum.
■ Sandy Baptist Church: $3,680 to purchase emergency medical equipment.
■ Sherwood Forest Inc: $10,000 to provide program support for Jefferson County youth participating in the Quest program.
■ Society for the Blind and Visually Impaired: $30,000 to provide mobile low vision services in Jefferson County.
■ Society of St Vincent de Paul, St Rose of Lima Conference: $5,000 to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Sacred Heart - Crystal City Conference: $5,000 to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ South County Foster Closet: $10,000 to support foster care services in Jefferson County.
■ St. Louis Area Diaper Bank: $20,000 to provide program support for the diaper and period supply program in Jefferson County.
■ St. Louis Area Diaper Bank: $40,000 to purchase a van to deliver diapers and period supplies to Jefferson County partner agencies.
■ St. Louis Area Foodbank: $35,000 to support mobile food distributions in Morse Mill.
■ St. Louis Health Equipment Lending Program: $65,000 to hire a Jefferson County staff person and to purchase a used box truck.
■ St. Louis Learning Disabilities Association: $5,000 to provide early intervention screenings at early childhood centers in Jefferson County.
■ St. Martha’s Hall: $5,000 to support domestic violence services for Jefferson County residents.
■ Sunrise School District: $5,748 to purchase hearing screening equipment.
■ Support The Badge: $5,000 to provide assistance to first responders.
■ The ALS Association St. Louis Regional Chapter: $5,000 to support case management services for Jefferson County residents with ALS.
■ The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, St. Louis Chapter: $15,000 to ensure that Jefferson County children have access to life-saving asthma equipment and medication.
■ The Covering House: $30,000 to assist with general operating expenses at the long-term therapeutic home.
■ The Oasis Institute: $24,000 to provide health and wellness classes in Jefferson County.
■ Upward Smiles: $250,000 to purchase land that will be used for the new mobile unit and for parking.
■ Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis: $25,000 to provide medical equipment to children with special needs.
■ VOYCE: $10,000 to recruit volunteer ombudsmen to visit Jefferson County long-term care communities.
Total: $3,141,017.26