Fifteen local organizations will receive funding for community projects to improve the health of the Greater Utica area from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. The AHA/ASA is proud to announce the recipients of the Greater Utica Community Impact Grant Awards.
The local chapter of the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association provides grant funding for community-based organizations in the Greater Utica area with the mission of building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
The grants were awarded to the following organizations:
- Pathfinder Village
- Bassett Healthcare Network Research Institute
- Johnson Park Center
- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County
- Masonic Care Community
- Center for Family Life and Recovery
- Mount Markham Central School District
- The Arc Oneida-Lewis Chapter, NYSARC
- The Boilermaker Road Race
- Insight house CDS, Inc
- Hart’s Hill Elementary School
- Mohawk Valley Institute for Learning in Retirement
- Elderlife, Inc.
- Notre Dame Elementary School
- Midtown Utica Community Center
Local organizations started applying for grants last December. Project proposals needed to focus on reducing cardiovascular disease and its risk factors by specifically targeting issues like childhood obesity or family health. Special consideration was also given to projects aimed at improving access to healthy foods and increasing CPR/AED training and implementation in the community. A committee of local community volunteers reviewed and ranked the grant applications by the projects’ alignment with the mission of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.
This year’s recipients received between $1,500 and $5,000, for a total community investment of $58,000.
Starting in 2011, the local American Heart Association has been able to award $258,000 with 67 grants to 42 deserving organizations who are working to improve the health of the Greater Utica area.
“We were so happy to see the level of creative projects being developed to support the fight against heart disease and stroke,” says Marolyn Wilson, chairwoman of the AHA/ASA Greater Utica Area advisory board. “There were many merit-worthy projects that would result in improvements in the cardiovascular health of our community. The decisions were not easy.”
Community Impact Grant funding will help to ensure that healthy-related activities in the Greater Utica area continue and new, creative projects are executed. The AHA/ASA wants to help create an environment where the healthy choice is the easy choice for the entire community.