In its latest round of grant-giving, the Jefferson Foundation awarded the largest number of grants at one time in the organization’s eight-year history, said Missy Endres, the foundation’s executive director.
For the first round of 2021 grants, which were approved this month, the foundation awarded 108 grants totaling $2,707,731.97 to 106 recipients.
That surpassed the previous high of 95 grants doled out in the first round of funding in 2020.
Endres said the organization received 157 applications requesting just more than $7.8 million for the first round of grants this year.
She also said a higher number of grants was awarded this time because many of the requests were for smaller amounts than in past years.
The foundation awarded 45 grants for $10,000 or less in the latest round, and those grants made up about 42 percent of the awards, she said.
“A lot of the grants are for basic needs, which tend to be smaller grants in general,” Endres said.
“Another thing I saw is we had fewer capital requests. I would guess some of that may be because some agencies are not doing a lot of fundraising efforts and things like that, plus the cost for construction is pretty high right now.”
The latest round of recipients will begin receiving checks on June 1, 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. Since 2014, when the foundation began administering grants, it has awarded 1,141 grants for a total of about $52.1 million, Endres said.
The foundation has been awarding grants in two rounds each year since 2018.
On June 2, the foundation will begin accepting grant applications for its second round of grants for 2021, and the deadline to apply is July 21.
Top dollars
Upward Smiles, a dental agency that provides service to children from low-income Jefferson County families, received a $150,000 grant – the largest grant this round.
Jeffrey Cauley, Upward Smiles’ chief operating officer, said the grant money will help offset the salaries for a licensed dentist and full-time dental assistant at the agency’s Festus office at 660 N. Creek Drive. It also has an office at 2820 Anchor Drive in Farmington.
“We are able to say we provide the best quality care possible to each child we treat through the foundation’s continued support,” Cauley said. “They (the foundation grants) have been vital to us being able to continue to grow without compromising the quality of care.”
Upward Smiles has received $2,274,805.69 worth of grants from the foundation since 2014.
“They are the only ones really providing this service in Jefferson County,” Endres said. “We continue to hear from other agencies how important this is. We have heard from foster care agencies that because of Upward Smiles, Jefferson County is the only county they serve that they don’t have a hard time getting children in for dental services. We really feel like it is an important service, and one that we want to continue to support.”
The Jefferson County Health Department received a $145,000 grant – the second largest grant this round.
The Health Department will use those funds to support client services in Health Department offices and mobile health clinics, including vaccinations, screenings, labs, nutrition counseling, diabetes management, and basic and emergency dental care. It also will use some of the grant funds to complete a data surveillance dashboard and resource navigation tool, said Jaclyn Brown, the department’s community services manager.
Brown said the navigation tool will allow county residents to connect with resources to help meet their health-related needs.
Brown said she appreciates the foundation’s support.
“A lot of agencies, programs and individuals have benefited from funds from the foundation, she said. “I have worked with fire departments, school districts and behavioral health providers who wouldn’t be able to provide the services they have to the community without those funds. It is an incredible asset not just to the agencies but the individuals in the community.”
The Health Department has received $1,123,143.07 worth of grants from the foundation since 2014.
“The Health Department has been a wonderful partner over the years,” Endres said. “The services they provide is basic health services. We feel over the last year (because of the COVID-19 pandemic) that has been highlighted, and it is something important for us to support.”
Disability Resource Association, which is based at 130 Brandon Wallace Way in Festus, was the only other agency to receive a six-figure grant this round, getting a $100,000 grant and the third largest one awarded this round.
The DRA, which helps people with disabilities, will use the grant money to fund the organization’s transportation, emergency assistance and independent living programs, said Nancy Pope, the agency’s executive director.
“Without the funding, we wouldn’t be able to provide as many services,” Pope said. “(The Jefferson Foundation) is a great resource, not only for DRA but all of our community.”
The DRA has received $603,910.10 in grants from the foundation since 2014.
“They provide unique services to the county,” Endres said. “The transportation program they provide is the only door-through-door service in the county, and the other programs are very important to the residents.”
Unique project
The Blue Jay Foundation received a $20,000 grant to help create a grocery store and resource center for Jefferson R-7 School District students and families.
R-7 Superintendent Clint Johnston said the district will use a room in the Telegraph Intermediate School, 1265 Dooling Hollow Road, in Festus to create the store and center. He said the project will cost an estimated $80,000 to $100,000 to complete, and the district anticipates opening the space late next fall.
He said the district is working with the Blue Jay Foundation and other local resources to raise more funds for the project.
“Our goal is to work with students in need by allowing them to earn resource purchases by doing acts of good will by working in the store,” Johnston said.
Students will use the resource credits they earn to purchase items from the grocery store, which will be stocked with milk, bread, cereal, canned goods, peanut butter and jelly, and fruit.
“You want to introduce kids to those things,” Johnston said. “We are trying to get kids turned onto proper nutrition and health. I would say the sky is the limit for what could be available in the store, but we will start with the staples.”
Johnston said the store also will teach students about managing a business.
The space in Telegraph Intermediate also will house a resource center to address needs beyond hunger and nutrition, Jefferson R-7 intervention specialist Steve Horn said.
“One of the keys to the project was not letting it be one dimensional,” Horn said. “We don’t want to ignore mental health needs students and families may struggle with. They will have access to mental health treatment, housing resources and things of that nature.”
Endres said foundation members are looking forward to seeing the completed project.
“It seemed like a great program,” Endres said. “We are excited we can help them get it started, and I am excited to see the results.”
Jefferson Foundation 2021 Grants – Round 1
■ ACPD (Austin Christopher Paul Deno): $40,000, to increase access to substance abuse treatment services for Jefferson County residents.
■ Aging Ahead: $9,200.38, to increase access to substance abuse treatment services for Jefferson County residents.
■ 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 Heart Association: $25,000, to implement a CPR/opioid training program in Jefferson County.
■ 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 in Jefferson County.
■ Bethany Christian Services: $10,000, to provide program support for families in crisis and to prevent cases of child abuse and neglect.
■ Birthright of Hillsboro Inc.: $7,500, to provide direct financial assistance to families in need.
■ Brenden’s Friday Backpack Program Inc.: $20,000, to purchase program supplies, including food for over 1,400 children in local schools.
■ CHADS Coalition For Mental Health: $55,000, to provide family support services and school-based programs, including signs of suicide and bullying prevention programs.
■ Cherish: $6,000, to implement two new grief support groups.
■ Christian Family Services: $45,000, to provide program support for the foster care, maternity counseling and adoption and counseling services programs.
■ Court Appointed Special Advocates of Jefferson County: $15,000, to provide program support for 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 illness.
■ Crystal City 47 School District: $5,000, to purchase food for the weekend backpack program.
■ 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.
■ De Soto Food Pantry: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ De Soto Food Pantry: $55,000, to develop additional parking for the food pantry.
■ De Soto Rural Fire Protection District: $11,000, to purchase smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors for local residents.
■ Disability Resource Association Inc.: $100,000, to provide program support for the emergency assistance, transportation and the independent living programs.
■ Emmanuel Baptist Church Food Pantry: $10,000, to purchase food and to assist with general operating expenses.
■ Eye Thrive: $25,000, to provide 120 Jefferson County students with eye exams and glasses.
■ 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.
■ Finding Grace Ministries: $30,000, to provide program support for the drop-in center and to provide financial assistance.
■ First United Methodist Church: $10,000, to purchase food and personal care items for the food pantry.
■ Food Outreach Inc.: $15,000, to support the agency’s program that provides heart-healthy food for low-income clients living with HIV/AIDS or cancer and reside in Jefferson County.
■ Gateway to Hope: $15,000, to provide services to breast cancer patients in Jefferson County.
■ 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.
■ Goldman Fire Protection District: $3,179.77, to purchase medical supplies.
■ Good Shepherd Children & Family Services: $30,000, to provide home-based counseling and case management services for pregnant women in crisis.
■ H.E.R.O.E.S. Care Inc.: $15,000, to increase storage capacity to help the agency be able to accept more donated items.
■ 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.
■ Hillsboro Christian Church: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ Hillsboro Fire Protection District: $10,000, to purchase thermal imaging cameras to help locate people during fires and in cases of missing persons.
■ Hillsboro Food Pantry: $23,775.38, to purchase an emergency generator for the food pantry.
■ Hillsboro School District: $10,000, to support the basic needs program for students in the Hillsboro School District.
■ Jeffco Subcontracting Inc. (JSI) Sheltered Workshop: $10,000, to purchase equipment that will provide employment opportunities for adults with disabilities.
■ Jefferson County Family YMCA: $10,704.87, to purchase water bottle adapters so current water fountains can be used to fill water bottles.
■ Jefferson County Foster Children’s Fund Inc.: $10,000, to provide basic needs supplies to children in foster care in Jefferson County.
■ Jefferson County Government: $40,000, to provide program support for the Treatment Court program.
■ Jefferson County Health Department: $145,000, to provide affordable and accessible safety net health services, including screenings and vaccinations, direct care, group counseling and prevention education.
■ Jefferson County Pregnancy Care Center dba MyLife Medical Center: $20,000, to purchase office furniture and an ultrasound machine that will be used to expand services.
■ Jefferson County Rescue Mission: $30,000, to provide program support for the food pantry and to make necessary building repairs.
■ KMA Foundation Inc.: $24,000, to provide a safe driving awareness program to high schools in Jefferson County.
■ Living Faith Food Pantry: $10,000, to purchase food and to assist with general operating expenses.
■ Living Faith Food Pantry: $27,475.32, to make improvements to the facility.
■ Living Life on 2 Wheels Inc.: $10,000, to support expansion of cycling opportunities for Jefferson County children.
■ Living Well Village Foundation: $30,000, to make improvements to the facility.
■ 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: $40,000, to provide mental health counseling services to Jefferson County residents.
■ 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: $10,000, to provide dementia care services and education to families in Jefferson County.
■ Mercy Health Foundation Jefferson: $40,000, to purchase supplies for addressing common side effects of cancer treatment.
■ Missouri Health Care for All: $15,000, to support public education programs focused on health care and insurance 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: $45,000, to provide nurse home visits to underserved families in Jefferson County.
■ Office of Job Training Programs: $75,000, to implement a health care-focused career navigation program.
■ 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 medical case management, foster care case management and Keystone Mental Health Services programs in Jefferson County.
■ Ozark Food Pantry: $25,000, to purchase an emergency generator, hot water heater and computer equipment for the food pantry.
■ Parents as Teachers - Festus: $30,000, to provide program support and to purchase incentives to increase participation in screenings.
■ Peace Pantry: $10,000, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ Pink Ribbon Girls: $10,000, to provide meals and rides to treatment for Jefferson County individuals and families where there has been a diagnosis of breast or gynecological cancer.
■ Pony Bird Inc.: $52,956.25, to purchase an emergency generator, four-lift systems and to make improvements to the facility.
■ Precious Cargo Transportation for Children: $5,000, to purchase sanitation and personal protective equipment.
■ 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 Inc.: $75,000, to support mental health services in Jefferson County.
■ R-7 Bluejay Foundation: $20,000, to support the start-up of a grocery store and resource center for students and families.
■ Redemption Church: $10,000, to purchase food and storage solutions.
■ Royal Order of the US Military P-38 Can Opener Association: $9,640, 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.
■ Services by Design d/b/a Caring Solutions: $40,000, to implement an internship program for direct support professionals.
■ 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 of Padua 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 de Paul, Our Lady Conference: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ Spring Hills Presbyterian Church: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ St. David SVDP Conference: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ St. Joseph SVDP, Imperial: $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. Francis Community Services: $35,000, to provide support for the housing stability program.
■ St. John’s Lutheran Church and School: $10,000, to support the Care Coordination and Foster Kids’ Fun Night programs.
■ St. Louis Area Foodbank: $20,000, to support mobile food distributions in Hematite.
■ St. Louis Ovarian Cancer Awareness (SLOCA): $5,000, to conduct an outreach campaign on ovarian cancer in Jefferson County.
■ St. Patrick Center: $15,000, to provide program support for the homeless prevention program for veterans in Jefferson County.
■ St. Pius X High School: $20,000, to provide a drug education class at the high school.
■ Teen Challenge of St. Louis: $20,000, to provide operating support for the substance abuse residential facilities.
■ The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, St. Louis Chapter: $15,000, to ensure Jefferson County children have access to life-saving asthma equipment and medication.
■ The Covering House: $50,000, to support the expansion of residential services for sexually exploited and trafficked children and teens.
■ The Curators of the University of Missouri: $85,000, to provide psychological evaluations for high-risk youth in Jefferson County.
■ The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition: $30,000, to support foster care services in Jefferson County.
■ The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis: $77,300, to support the student advisor program and to provide two four-year scholarships for Jefferson County students.
■ Trailnet: $40,000, to develop a walking and biking strategy for Crystal City, Festus and Herculaneum.
■ Trinity Mt. Carmel Church of Jefferson County: $5,000, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ United Way of Greater St. Louis: $20,000, to provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
■ Upward Smiles: $150,000 to support dental services for children in Jefferson County.
■ Wyman Center Inc.: $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: $2,707,731.97