The Jefferson Foundation set a new record for the most grants awarded by the organization at one time.
The foundation gave out 119 grants to 114 recipients for a total of $3,213,011.54 in its first round of grants for this year.
Those 119 grants surpassed the previous high of 108 grants that were doled out in the first round of funding in 2021.
For its latest round of grants, which were announced in May, the foundation received 155 applications requesting just more than $8.2 million, said Missy Endres, the foundation’s executive director.
She said the foundation awarded the higher number of grants awarded this time around because many requests were for smaller amounts to address basic needs, like food and financial assistance.
Of the 119 recent grants awarded, 49 were for $10,000 or less, making up about 41.2 percent of those awarded in this round.
“With everything that is going on with inflation and high costs, those services (to cover the cost for essential needs) were prioritized a little extra this time,” Endres said.
Endres said grant recipients were expected to begin receiving checks on June 1.
The foundation began accepting grant applications on June 2 for its second round of 2022 funding, and the deadline to apply for a grant in the second round is July 20.
The foundation has awarded 1,339 grants for a total of about $57.9 million since it began administering them in 2014, Endres said.
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.
Top recipients
Three familiar organizations received the largest grants in the latest round of giving, with the Jefferson County Health Department and Upward Smiles each receiving $150,000 and the Disability Resource Association receiving $137,307.50.
■ The Health Department will use the bulk of its grant to fund direct-client services, such as family planning, dental and wellness care, immunization and STD testing and treatment, public communications officer Brianne Zwiener said.
“It helps meet the needs of some of our vulnerable population and address the health disparities among our homeless population, elderly, youth and those who are underinsured or uninsured,” she said. “We are very thankful we received funding to help us continue to provide services.”
Zwiener also said some of the grant will be used to purchase additional testing equipment to expand the Health Department’s ability to test for flu, COVID and strep. Funds also will support the Health Department’s mobile unit staff to expand mobile clinic services.
The Health Department has received more than $4.1 million in grant funds from the foundation since 2014.
“All of our grants to the Health Department have been very successful,” Endres said. “They are providing basic health services and meeting a huge need in the community. We are very happy to support that.”
■ Upward Smiles will use its grant to subsidize the cost for a dentist in the Festus office, allowing more patients to be served at the location at 660 N. Creek Drive, said Jeffrey Cauley, chief operating officer for Upward Smiles.
“A lot of the services we provide are not reimbursed by the Medicaid program, so this helps us not pass the cost on to our patients,” he said. “(The grant) is a blessing, and who knows what we would have been able to accomplish without (the foundation’s) support over the years. We are grateful for their continued support.”
Upward Smiles also has a location at 2820 Anchor Drive in Farmington. To contact the clinic, call 573-327-8010.
Upward Smiles has received more than $2.2 million in grant funds from the foundation since 2014.
“Upward Smiles provides a unique service,” Endres said. “We have heard from other agencies that support multiple counties that they send children to (Upward Smiles) because Jefferson County is the place they can find dental services for their kids. It is very good to support them and the amazing work they are doing.”
■ The Disability Resource Association (DRA) received three grants, including one for $100,000 that will support the agency’s transportation, case management, medical equipment and emergency rent, mortgage and utility assistance programs.
The DRA also received two grants to support its in-home services. One is for $27,307.50 to purchase a car for a nurse to drive to clients, as well as to purchase tablets to assist in-home clients. The other grant is for $10,000 to help cover the cost for medical equipment and household needs for in-home clients, assistant executive director Suzan Weller said.
“We are extremely grateful that the Jefferson Foundation understands what we do, and they are extremely wonderful to work with,” she said. “We appreciate their support.”
The DRA is located at 130 Brandon Wallace Way in Festus. For more information, go to dra4help.org or call 636-931-7696.
The DRA has received more than $1.7 million in grant funds from the foundation since 2014.
“They get amazing results,” Endres said. “We feel very lucky to be able to continue to support them and what they are doing.”
Providing food
Two grants will help bring more food to Jefferson Countians in need.
Operation Food Search in St. Louis, which provides food and necessities to 330 communities in Missouri and Illinois, received $35,000 to purchase and distribute food to 12 Jefferson County food pantries.
“We are really excited about this one,” Endres said. “There will be two food pantries from Jefferson County that go to St. Louis to pick up food, and they will deliver it to five other food pantries. It will save time and gas money for the other food pantries. It is an efficient way to bring food to our food pantries.”
Food Outreach in St. Louis received $20,000 to expand its food delivery service in Jefferson County. The organization provides meal delivery and nutrition counseling for county residents who have been diagnosed with cancer, HIV and uncontrolled diabetes.
Justin Kralemann, senior director of development and strategic initiatives, said the organization currently serves 50 people in Jefferson County. He said 14 of those clients receive food deliveries to their homes.
“We are looking at all clients in Jefferson County to see if anyone needs home delivery who is not currently receiving it,” Kralemann said. “The Jefferson Foundation (grant) will allow us to launch a second delivery route in Jefferson County. We would be able to serve more people because the maximum capacity for a route to serve is 15. We will be able to serve up to 30 clients with home delivery.”
For more information about Food Outreach, go to foodoutreach.org or call 314-652-3663.
2022 Approved Grants – Round 1
■ ACPD (Austin Christopher Paul Deno): $45,000, to increase access to substance abuse treatment services for Jefferson County residents.
■ Aging Ahead: $11,095, to provide assistance with nutritional supplements and incontinence products.
■ All For Family: $15,000, to provide program support and assist with expanding the supervised visit program.
■ Alzheimer’s Association Greater Missouri Chapter: $20,000, to provide Alzheimer’s education, outreach and ongoing care support to Jefferson County residents.
■ American Cancer Society: $10,000, 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: $27,500, to support grief services for children and families in Jefferson County.
■ Arnold Food Pantry: $13,050, to make repairs to the agency’s parking lot.
■ Big River Ambulance District: $40,000, to purchase chest compression devices.
■ C-6 Educational Foundation: $5,000, to purchase a vision screener for the school district.
■ CHADS Coalition For Mental Health: $60,000, to provide family support services and school-based programs, including Signs of Suicide and Social-Emotional Mentoring.
■ Champion Life Foundation: $44,000, to purchase a food trailer.
■ Cherish: $7,000, to support grief services for Jefferson County residents.
■ Christian Family Services: $50,000, to provide program support for foster care, maternity counseling and adoption and counseling services.
■ City of Byrnes Mill: $8,003, to purchase emergency medical equipment.
■ City of De Soto: $100,000, to add a water feature at the De Soto Athletic Complex.
■ City of Herculaneum: $5,000, to purchase emergency rescue equipment.
■ City of Hillsboro: $10,000, to purchase emergency medical equipment.
■ Court Appointed Special Advocates of Jefferson County: $15,000, to support advocacy services for children who are in the foster care and family court system in Jefferson County.
■ Criminal Justice Ministry: $50,000, to provide mental health and financial assistance services to Jefferson County residents who are involved with the criminal justice system and have mental illnesses.
■ De Soto School District: $5,264.65, to provide trauma informed training to staff.
■ De Soto School District: $75,063.25, to hire a counselor for the Innovative Learning Center.
■ Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments: $15,000, to provide program support for services to children with a medical diagnosis of blindness or visual impairment and their families.
■ Dental Health Theatre: $5,000, to provide free admission to the health museum for Jefferson County children.
■ De Soto Food Pantry: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ Developmental Disability Advocates: $40,000, to replace the roof of the building that houses the Service Coordination Department and NextStep for Life’s day program.
■ Disability Resource Association: $100,000, to provide program support for the emergency assistance, transportation and independent living programs.
■ Disability Resource In-Home Services: $10,000, to provide clients of the in-home care program with medical equipment and emergency care.
■ Disability Resource In-Home Services: $27,307.50, to purchase vehicles and tablets for the in-home care program.
■ Dunklin R-5 School District: $5,000, to provide program support for the Bright Futures basic needs program.
■ Emmanuel Baptist Church Food Pantry: $10,000, to purchase food and to assist with general operating expenses.
■ Eye Thrive: $25,000, to provide Jefferson County students with comprehensive eye exams and glasses.
■ Faith Community Church: $10,000, to purchase food and to help cover general operating expenses for the church’s food pantry.
■ FamilyForward: $30,000, to provide mental health services to Jefferson County children and families who are at high risk for or who have experienced abuse and neglect.
■ Feed My People: $10,000, to purchase food and to provide financial assistance.
■ Festus R-6 School District: $100,000, to construct a school-based health clinic.
■ Finding Grace Ministries: $30,000, to provide program support for the drop-in center and transitional living center.
■ Finding Grace Ministries: $36,992, to repair the transitional living center’s parking lot.
■ First United Methodist Church: $10,000, to purchase food and personal-care items for the food pantry.
■ Food Outreach: $20,000, to support the agency’s program that provides heart-healthy food for low-income Jefferson County clients living with HIV/AIDS, Type II Diabetes or cancer.
■ Fox C-6 School District: $5,000, to hold a mental health assembly for middle school students.
■ G.S.B.T.T.C. (Giving Something Back To The Community): $10,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ Gateway to Hope: $25,000, to provide support services to breast cancer patients in Jefferson County and to assist women in getting screened.
■ Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri: $25,000, to provide the PAVE (Project Anti-Violence Education) program in Jefferson County schools.
■ Girls on the Run of St. Louis: $30,000, to support the Girls on the Run program in Jefferson County schools.
■ Good Shepherd Children and Family Services: $35,000, to recruit, train, support, license and monitor foster families and homes in Jefferson County.
■ Helping Hands and Horses: $10,000, to purchase a new horse for the equine therapy program.
■ Hillsboro Christian Church: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ Hillsboro Fire Protection District: $16,207.15, to purchase emergency medical equipment.
■ Hillsboro Food Pantry: $18,140; to purchase a cooler and freezer for the food pantry.
■ Hillsboro School District: $10,000, to support the basic needs program for students in the Hillsboro School District.
■ Jefferson County Family YMCA: $30,000, to purchase program supplies for the Child Care, Health and Wellness, Aquatics and Sports programs.
■ Jefferson County Foster Children’s Fund: $10,000, to provide basic needs supplies to children in foster care in Jefferson County.
■ Jefferson County government: $25,000, to provide program support for the Treatment Court program.
■ Jefferson County Health Department: $150,000, to provide affordable and accessible safety net health services, including screenings and vaccinations, direct care and prevention education.
■ Jefferson County Pregnancy Care Center, doing business as MyLife Medical Center: $15,000, to provide parenting classes and to help families with basic needs items.
■ Jefferson County Habitat for Humanity: $37,450, to make repairs to the agency’s facility.
■ KMA Foundation: $25,000, to provide a safe-driving awareness program to schools in Jefferson County.
■ Living Faith Food Pantry: $10,000, to purchase food and to help with general operating expenses.
■ Living Faith Food Pantry: $37,354.99, to purchase a forklift for the food pantry.
■ Living Life on 2 Wheels: $14,000, to support the All Kids Bike program at local schools and to hold a camp for children and adults with special needs.
■ Living Well Village Foundation: $75,000, to make upgrades to the agency’s property.
■ Lung Cancer Connection: $5,000, to provide patient resource bags to Jefferson County residents who have been diagnosed with lung cancer.
■ Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri: $45,000, to provide mental health counseling services to Jefferson County residents.
■ Mapaville Fire Protection District: $10,000, to purchase emergency medical equipment.
■ Mary Daniels Foundation: $10,000, to provide domestic violence services in Jefferson County.
■ Maryville University in St. Louis County: $25,000, to provide program support for the KidTalk Outreach program which provides free speech-language therapy services.
■ Memory Care Home Solutions: $10,000, to provide dementia care services and education to families in Jefferson County.
■ Mercy Health Foundation Jefferson: $40,000, to provide financial assistance to patients who are undergoing cancer care.
■ Missouri Health Care for All: $15,000, to support public education programs focused on health care and insurance in Jefferson County.
■ Missouri Kids Unplugged: $5,000, to support healthy outdoor events for Jefferson County families.
■ Mothers Against Drunk Driving: $10,000, to support the Victim Services program in Jefferson County.
■ NAMI St. Louis: $10,000, to support the Crisis Intervention Team program in Jefferson County.
■ Nightlight Christian Adoptions: $25,000, to provide program support for the foster family recruitment and training program.
■ Nurses for Newborns: $50,000, to provide nurse home visits to underserved families in Jefferson County.
■ Office of Job Training Programs: $75,000, to enhance employment services for Jefferson County residents.
■ Operation Food Search: $35,000, to purchase and distribute food to 12 Jefferson County food pantries.
■ Our Little Haven: $70,000, to support the coordination of medical services and child treatment services for Foster Case Management programs in Jefferson County.
■ Parents as Teachers – Festus: $30,000, to provide program support and to purchase incentives to increase participation in health screenings.
■ Parents as Teachers - Northwest R-1: $15,389, to purchase vision-screening equipment.
■ Peace Pantry: $10,000, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ Pink Ribbon Girls: $15,000, to provide meals and rides to treatment for Jefferson County individuals and families dealing with a diagnosis of breast or gynecological cancer.
■ Pony Bird: $100,000, to assist the agency with the merger process.
■ PreventEd: $60,000, to support substance abuse prevention programs in Jefferson County schools and counseling and assessments for students at risk of substance use disorder.
■ Provident: $80,000, to support mental health services in Jefferson County.
■ Redemption Church: $15,000, to purchase food and storage solutions for the food pantry.
■ Ride On St. Louis: $10,000, to hire a consultant to help the agency plan for a capital campaign.
■ Royal Order of the US Military P-38 Can Opener Assocuiation: $9,700, to provide 20 veterans with disabilities an opportunity to attend a therapy camp.
■ St. Louis Crisis Nursery: $30,000, to support the case management and basic needs program.
■ Second Hand Heros: $5,000, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Fenton: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul - St. John’s Conference: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul at Immaculate Conception Parish in Arnold: $5,000, 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: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent DePaul Our Lady Conference: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent DePaul St. David Conference: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent DePaul St. Joseph in Imperial: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ Springhills Presbyterian Church: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church: $7,500, to provide program support for a prom for individuals with special needs.
■ St. John’s Lutheran Church and School: $20,000, to support the Care Coordination and Foster Kids’ Fun Night programs.
■ St. Louis Health Equipment Lending Program: $10,000, to provide program support for the health equipment lending program.
■ St. Louis Ovarian Cancer Awareness: $5,000, to conduct an outreach campaign about ovarian cancer in Jefferson County and to provide financial assistance to ovarian cancer patients.
■ St. Patrick Center: $20,000, to provide program support for the homeless-prevention program for veterans in Jefferson County.
■ St. Pius X High School: $40,000, to construct a walking track around the campus.
■ Sunnyhill: $12,195, to replace the roofs on buildings at Sunnyhill Adventures Camp.
■ Teen Challenge of St. Louis: $20,000, to provide operating support for the substance abuse residential facilities.
■ The Arya Foundation: $5,000, to provide adaptive equipment to Jefferson County children.
■ The Curators of the University of Missouri: $90,000, to provide psychological evaluations for high-risk youth in Jefferson County.
■ The Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition: $30,000, to support foster care services in Jefferson County.
■ The Salvation Army - Arnold Corps: $20,000, to provide program support for the food pantry and the emergency services program.
■ The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis: $84,800, to support the Student Advisor program and to provide two scholarships for Jefferson County students.
■ Upward Smiles: $150,000, to support dental services for children in Jefferson County.
■ Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church: $5,000, to support the back to school program that provides backpacks, school supplies and health screenings.
■ Western Governors University: $15,000, to support scholarships for three Jefferson County residents entering the College of Health Professions.
■ Wyman Center: $15,000, to provide program support for the Wyman Leaders program in Jefferson County.
■ Zion Lutheran Church: $10,000, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ Zion Lutheran Church Pevely: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
Total: $3,213,011.54