The Jefferson Foundation awarded 112 grants totaling $3,158,305.79 to 111 agencies in its first round of grant funding this year.
One agency, OATS Transit, received two grants for a total of $189,000 to support its transportation services and to provide funds to purchase new buses.
Missy Endres, Jefferson Foundation executive vice president, said the foundation received 164 grant requests for a total of $12,515,729 for the first round.
“I feel like we did a lot around transportation this time,” Endres said.
Along with OATS, the foundation provided grant funding to five other organizations that provide transportation services.
■ The American Cancer Society received $15,000 to support its call center and transportation and lodging services for county residents diagnosed with cancer.
■ The Boonslick Regional Planning Commission received $10,000 to support transportation services.
■ Disability Resource Association Inc. received $100,000 to help fund its emergency assistance, transportation and independent living programs.
■ The Jefferson Franklin Community Action Corporation received $25,000 to support transportation services.
■ Pink Ribbon Girls received $25,000 to provide meals and rides to treatment to people and families dealing with a breast or gynecological cancer diagnosis.
“I feel these grants will have a great impact on the community.” Endres said.
OATS received the most grant funding in this round, followed by the Jefferson County Health Department, which received a $175,000 grant, and Upward Smiles, which got $125,000.
The foundation doled out $100,000 or more to six agencies, with CHADS Coalition for Mental Health receiving $110,000 and the Curators of the University of Missouri receiving $100,000.
In total, the foundation awarded $799,000 to agencies receiving $100,000 or more, accounting for about 25.3 percent of the grants given in the first round.
The foundation also awarded 37 grants for $10,000 or less, which totaled $292,022.80 and accounted for about 9.2 percent of the first-round grants.
“It is based upon requests,” Endres said of how grants are awarded, noting many of the grants for $10,000 or less go to agencies like the St. Vincent de Paul Society chapters that provide direct support for basic needs, such as food, clothing and funds to cover utility bills. “I think they (grants for $10,000 or less) have a huge impact. Those agencies are meeting basic needs in the community. They also are great stewards of the dollar. They really do try to get the best prices if they are buying food for a food pantry, and they collaborate with other agencies to help people and stretch a dollar.”
The foundation was created with the $154 million the Mercy health system paid in 2013 when it acquired Jefferson Regional Medical Center (now Mercy Hospital Jefferson) in Crystal City. It has been awarding grants in two rounds each year since 2018.
Endres said first-round recipients were notified on May 1 about the grants they received, and checks were mailed on June 2. The foundation started accepting second-round grant applications on June 4, and agencies have until July 17 to apply for grants.
The foundation will notify second-round recipients on Nov. 3 about the grants they received, with checks scheduled to be mailed on Dec. 1.
Endres said the foundation’s current account balance is $196,020,258, and it has awarded 1,985 grants for a total of about $73.9 million since 2014.
Top recipients
■ OATS received a grant for $100,000 to help fund its two cross-county bus services and ride program, which both provide county residents with transportation to work, medical appointments, shopping and other community resources.
The agency also received an $89,000 grant, which it will use to help purchase four new buses, OATS administrative director Jill Stedem said.
She said OATS purchases buses through the Missouri Department of Transportation’s state contract, and she expects the agency to receive the new buses in 2026.
“We have federal grants for capital funding that cover 80 percent of the cost of the vehicles,” she said. “We are able to utilize the Jefferson Foundation funds for the local match, which is 20 percent. That is roughly $20,000 for each vehicle.”
Jefferson County residents wanting to schedule a ride may call OATS at 636-933-9380. Schedules are posted at oatstransit.org/jefferson.
■ The Health Department will use most of its $175,000 grant to help fund direct services, such as screenings and vaccinations, at either a reduced cost or no cost to patients, said Brianne Zwiener, Health Department public communications officer.
Zwiener said the $175,000 grant the Health Department received from the foundation in 2024 was used to provide 2,770 direct client services totaling a little more than $83,000 spent to aid residents who otherwise would not have received treatments.
“It helps sustain our programing and a little of our staffing cost is covered,” she said of the foundation’s grant. “It is amazing we have this support from the foundation. Without it, we would have hundreds of folks who would not get services.”
The Health Department may be contacted by calling 636-797-3737 or by going to jeffcohealth.org.
■ Sherry Cauley, Upward Smiles founder and CEO, said her organization will use its $125,000 to cover Dr. Abdal Aziz Alfarra’s salary.
Alfarra is an endodontist, a dental specialist who repairs tissues inside teeth with root canals or other procedures. He started working full time for Upward Smiles in March after working about once a week for the previous six months, Cauley said.
Ever since Upward Smiles opened in 2012, only one endodontist in the area accepted Medicaid, and that dentist is in St. Louis, and as a result, many families have chosen to have their children’s teeth removed instead of treated, Cauley said.
“I never would have dreamt that we would be so fortunate to have someone who is an endodontist,” she said. “That is saving teeth. The more teeth we can save, the better for our patients.”
Upward Smiles has locations at 660 N. Creek Drive in Festus and 2820 Anchor Drive in Farmington and may be contacted at 573-327-8010.
New recipients
The foundation is providing funding to six first-time recipients in its latest round of grant giving. The first-time foundation recipients are:
■ The Area Resources for Community and Human Services FBO Kids Vision for Life St. Louis, which received $7,500 to support vision services for Festus Elementary School students, Endres said.
■ Eureka-Pacific Elks Lodge No. 2644 Care Charity, which received $5,000 to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need. Endres said the group will mainly use the money to help High Ridge-area residents.
■ Partners In-Kind, which received $50,000 to provide psychological evaluations for high-risk youth in Jefferson County.
■ Pathways to Independence received $6,000 to support services for Jefferson County residents with cognitive disabilities.
■ Special Olympics Missouri received $5,000 to support services for Jefferson County residents with intellectual disabilities.
■ Veterans Community Project, which received $20,000 to support housing services for Jefferson County veterans.
“Any time we can bring in a new service or additional services, I think that is a win for the county,” Endres said.
Jefferson Foundation 2025 Round 1 Grants
■ ACPD (Austin Christopher Paul Deno): $50,000, to provide access to substance abuse treatment services for Jefferson County residents.
■ Aging Ahead: $15,000, to support the Meals on Wheels program in Jefferson County.
■ Alzheimer’s Association Greater Missouri Chapter: $20,450, to provide Alzheimer’s education, outreach and ongoing care support to Jefferson County residents.
■ American Cancer Society: $15,000, to provide support services for Jefferson County residents who are diagnosed with cancer. Services include the call center, transportation and lodging.
■ American Red Cross of Missouri & Arkansas: $50,000, to support disaster relief and preparedness programs in Jefferson County.
■ AMVETS National Service Foundation: $10,000, to support a health and benefits fair for Jefferson County veterans.
■ Annie’s Hope – The Bereavement Center for Kids: $30,000, to support grief services for children and families in Jefferson County.
■ Area Resources for Community and Human Services FBO Kids Vision for Life St. Louis: $7,500, to support vision services for Festus Elementary students.
■ ASPEN Network Inc.: $30,000, to enhance the functionality of the ASPEN platform.
■ Barnabas Foundation Inc.: $10,000, to provide camp scholarships for Jefferson County children with special needs.
■ Boonslick Regional Planning Commission: $10,000, to support transportation services in Jefferson County.
■ Buren-Douglass Neighborhood Center: $20,000, to renovate space that will be used for fitness classes and healthy living programs.
■ Burns Recovered Support Group: $10,000, to support Jefferson County children attending the Burn Camp.
■ Canine Companion Therapy Program: $2,500, to support children and adults who have experienced a traumatic event.
■ Catholic Charities of St. Louis: $20,000, to provide financial assistance to help families and people remain stably housed.
■ CHADS Coalition For Mental Health: $110,000, to provide family support services and school-based programs, including signs of suicide and social-emotional mentoring programs.
■ Champion Life Foundation Inc.: $20,000, to support the summer meal program.
■ Cherish: $10,000, to support grief services in Jefferson County.
■ Christian Family Services: $55,000, to provide program support for the foster care, maternity counseling and adoption, counseling services and transitional housing programs.
■ City of Herculaneum: $51,673, to purchase emergency response equipment.
■ Cornerstone Mission: $5,000, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ Court Appointed Special Advocates of Jefferson County: $35,000, to support advocacy services for children in the foster care and family court systems in Jefferson County.
■ Crisis Aid International: $25,000, to support services for Jefferson County children and their families who have experienced or are at risk for child sexual exploitation or trafficking.
■ Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments: $15,000, to provide services for Jefferson County children who are visually impaired.
■ De Soto Food Pantry: $10,000, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need and to purchase food for the food pantry.
■ Disability Resource Association Inc.: $100,000, to provide program support for the emergency assistance, transportation and independent living programs.
■ Disability Resource In-Home Services: $35,000, to support the in-home care program and to provide medical equipment to individuals with a disability.
■ Easterseals Midwest: $10,000, to purchase supplies and equipment for the Jefferson County clinic and for an earmold lab.
■ Emmanuel Baptist Church Food Pantry: $15,000, to purchase food and to help cover general operating expenses.
■ Eureka Pacific Elks Lodge No. 2644 Cares Charity: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ Eye Thrive: $35,000, to provide Jefferson County children with comprehensive eye exams and glasses.
■ Faith Community Church: $23,000, to purchase food and help cover general operating expenses.
■ FamilyForward: $50,000, to provide trauma services and assessments for Jefferson County children in foster care.
■ Feed My People: $10,000, to increase security of the agency’s facility.
■ First Baptist Church of Festus: $40,000, to purchase a mobile shower/laundry trailer.
■ First United Methodist Church of Festus-Crystal City: $15,000, to purchase food and help cover general operating expenses.
■ Food Outreach Inc.: $25,000, to provide healthy meals to Jefferson County residents who have HIV or cancer.
■ Fox C-6 PAT: $13,179.99, to purchase vision screening equipment.
■ Gateway Food Pantry: $15,000, to purchase food and to assist with general operating expenses.
■ Gateway to Hope: $25,000, to provide support services to Jefferson County breast cancer patients and to help women get screened.
■ Get Healthy De Soto: $14,980, to upgrade the agency’s facility.
■ Girls on the Run of St. Louis: $40,000, to support the Girls on the Run program in Jefferson County schools.
■ Good Shepherd Children & Family Services: $35,000, to support foster care services in Jefferson County.
■ Hand ‘n Hand Pregnancy Help Center: $27,500, 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.
■ Hillsboro Lions Club: $5,000, to support the vision program.
■ Jeffco Shop With A Cop: $10,000, to provide program support for the Shop with a Cop program in local schools.
■ Jefferson County Foster Children’s Fund Inc.: $12,500, to provide basic needs items to children in foster care.
■ Jefferson County Foster Closet: $7,500, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ Jefferson County government: $25,000, to provide program support for the Treatment Court program.
■ Jefferson County Health Department: $175,000, to provide affordable and accessible safety net health services, including screenings and vaccinations, direct care and prevention education.
■ Jefferson County Pregnancy Care Center dba MyLife Medical Center: $15,000, to provide parenting classes and help families with basic needs items.
■ Jefferson County Rescue Mission: $20,000, to purchase food and to assist with general operating expenses.
■ Jefferson Franklin Community Action Corporation: $25,000, to support transportation services in Jefferson County.
■ Lafayette Jeffco: $50,000, to purchase equipment that will increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
■ Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: $30,000, to provide legal services to Jefferson County survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
■ Living Faith Food Pantry: $15,000, to purchase food and to assist with general operating expenses.
■ Living Well Village Foundation: $25,000, to support a day camp program for Jefferson County families who have children with autism.
■ Lung Cancer Connection: $5,000, to provide tool kits and resources for lung cancer prevention and early detection.
■ Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri: $45,000, to provide mental health counseling services to Jefferson County residents.
■ Mary Daniels Foundation: $25,000, to provide basic needs services to survivors of domestic violence.
■ Maryville University of St. Louis: $25,000, to provide program support for the KidTalk Outreach program, which provides free speech-language therapy services.
■ Memory Care Home Solutions: $15,000, to provide dementia care services and education to Jefferson County families.
■ NAMI St. Louis: $10,000, to support the Crisis Intervention Team program in Jefferson County.
■ New Directions Ministry: $20,000, to provide financial assistance and case management services to clients who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.
■ Nurses for Newborns: $55,000, to provide nurse home visits to underserved families in Jefferson County.
■ OATS Transit: $89,000, to purchase new buses for the Jefferson County transportation program.
■ OATS Transit: $100,000, to support transportation services in Jefferson County.
■ Operation Food Search: $10,000, to purchase bar coding software to increase operating efficiency.
■ Our Lady’s Inn: $5,000, to provide shelter and supportive services for Jefferson County women and children.
■ Our Little Haven: $70,000, to support the Coordination of Medical Services, Accelerated Permanency Support and Diligent Relative Search programs in Jefferson County.
■ Parents as Teachers-Festus: $30,000, to provide program support and purchase incentives to increase participation in health screenings.
■ Partners In-Kind: $50,000, to provide psychological evaluations for high-risk youth in Jefferson County.
■ Pathways to Independence: $6,000, to support services for Jefferson County residents with cognitive disabilities.
■ Pay It Forward Baby Ministry: $10,000, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ Peace Pantry: $30,000, to purchase equipment for the food pantry.
■ Pink Ribbon Girls: $25,000, to provide meals and rides to treatment to Jefferson County people and families dealing with a breast or gynecological cancer diagnosis.
■ Pony Bird Inc.: $50,000, to renovate the agency’s facility.
■ PreventEd: $60,000, to support substance abuse prevention and counseling services.
■ Provident Inc.: $90,000, to support mental health services in Jefferson County.
■ Redemption Church: $15,000, to purchase food and cover general operating expenses.
■ Rocky Creek Youth Ranch: $8,522.80, to purchase bed frames.
■ Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis: $20,000, to support services for Jefferson County families who have a seriously ill child.
■ Rural Parish Clinic of Archdiocese of St. Louis: $45,000, to support medical and dental clinics in Jefferson County.
■ St. Louis Crisis Nursery: $34,000, to support the case management and basic needs program.
■ Sneakers with Soul: $5,000, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul-Fenton: $7,500, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul-St. John’s Conference: $15,000, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need and to support the food pantry.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul at Holy Family: $15,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul at St. Anthony’s Church in High Ridge: $10,000, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish: $10,000, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul-Good Shepherd in Hillsboro Conference: $10,000, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul Our Lady Conference: $10,000, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ Special Olympics Missouri: $5,000, to support services for Jefferson County people with intellectual disabilities.
■ St Joseph St. Vincent de Paul, Imperial: $10,000, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church: $7,500, to provide program support for a prom for people with special needs.
■ St. John’s Lutheran Church and School: $20,000, to support mental health services, wellness services and the Foster Kids’ Fun Night program.
■ St. Louis Area Foodbank: $35,000, to support monthly mobile food distribution events.
■ St. Louis Ovarian Cancer Awareness (SLOCA): $5,000, to conduct an outreach campaign on ovarian cancer in Jefferson County and to provide financial assistance to ovarian cancer patients.
■ St. Patrick Center: $25,000, to provide program support for the homeless prevention program for Jefferson County veterans.
■ Sunnyhill Inc.: $50,000, to purchase generators for its assisted living facilities.
■ The Arya Foundation: $5,000, to provide adaptive equipment to Jefferson County children.
■ The Covering House: $40,000, to purchase a backup generator for the agency’s facility.
■ The Curators of the University of Missouri: $100,000, to provide psychological evaluations for high-risk Jefferson County youth.
■ The James II Project: $25,000, to provide program support and assist with expansion to a Festus location.
■ The Salvation Army-Arnold Corps: $25,000, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ Tri-County Veterans in Need Team Inc: $7,500, to provide general and financial assistance to local veterans.
■ Upward Smiles: $125,000, to support dental services.
■ Veterans Community Project: $20,000, to support housing services for Jefferson County veterans.
■ Wesley United Methodist Church: $5,000, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ Wyman Center Inc.: $15,000, to provide program support for the Wyman Leaders program in Jefferson County.
■ Zion Lutheran Church Pevely: $7,500, to support the basic needs program and provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
Total: $3,158,305.79