The Pallottine Foundation of Buckhannon has awarded 18 nonprofit organizations that serve Barbour, Lewis, Randolph, Upshur, and Webster counties with grants totaling $117,162 through its Healthy Communities Initiative.

The annual Healthy Communities Initiative supports funding requests up to $25,000 that address a variety of community needs relating to health and wellness, capacity building, spiritual and pastoral care, food insecurity, substance use disorder and tobacco use prevention and cessation.

“Our team is thankful for these organizations and their continued commitment to serving those in need,” said Laura Boone, Executive Director of the Pallottine Foundation of Buckhannon. “They provide services and resources that are vital to the health and well-being of people living in our community and we look forward to partnering with them in the coming year.”

The following organizations have received Healthy Communities grant funding:

• Barbour County Senior Center ($5,656) – The Barbour County Senior Center in Philippi will purchase and install five computers for its administrative staff members.
• Catholic Charities West Virginia ($7,000) – Catholic Charities West Virginia will purchase food items for its Webster Springs food pantry.
• Elkins United Christian Community Center ($7,000) – Elkins United Christian Community Center will use funds to purchase raw food and disposables for its Lunch with Neighbors program, which serves lunch to community members in need three times each week.
• Free Meals Appalachia Foundation ($4,000) – Free Meals Appalachia Foundation will purchase food, equipment, and packaging to increase the capacity of its community meal program, which serves Upshur County residents. The organization also will reimburse its volunteers for mileage incurred from meal deliveries.
• Highland Community Builders ($3,500) – Highland Community Builders in Elkins will build raised-bed gardens at its YouthBuild location and incorporate gardening and nutrition education.
• Lewis County Senior Citizens Center ($3,175) – The Lewis County Senior Citizens Center in Weston will purchase audio visual equipment to begin live streaming its physical activity classes.
• Meals on Wheels of Randolph County ($4,000) – Meals on Wheels of Randolph County will purchase food for its senior nutrition program, which provides meals to homebound seniors in Elkins.
• Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council ($6,000) – The Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council will provide mileage reimbursement to its Senior Companion program volunteers.
• One Unique Recovery House ($7,723) – One Unique Recovery House in Buckhannon will purchase new beds and bedding for residents in its recently established men’s house. The organization also will purchase two new laptops, a desktop computer, and printer. These additions will help the organization satisfy requirements set by the Office of Health Facility Licensure and Certification.
• The Committee on Aging for Randolph County ($8,000) – The Randolph County Senior Center will purchase food for its nutrition program, which provides meals for senior residents outside Elkins.
• Tyrand Cooperative Ministries ($4,500) – Tyrand Cooperative Ministries in Mill Creek will purchase proteins for its annual holiday food packages for families in Randolph County.
• Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department ($6,000) – The Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department will provide free vaccines, testing services, and food handler cards to those experiencing financial difficulty. The organization also will use funding to support its community outreach efforts.
• Upshur Parish House ($8,250) – The Upshur Parish House in Buckhannon will purchase food items for break bags, which will be provided monthly to Head Start students in Upshur County.
• West Virginia Alliance for Creative Health Solutions ($9,000) – The West Virginia Alliance for Creative Health Solutions will support the implementation of Appalachian Pulmonary Health Project’s CATCH My Breath evidence-based vaping prevention program across Barbour, Lewis, Randolph, Upshur, and Webster counties for students in fifth through eighth grade.
• West Virginia Caring ($4,500) – West Virginia Caring will establish a volunteer training program for its Randolph County facility to provide aid to family and visitors.
• West Virginia University Foundation ($12,800) – West Virginia University (WVU) Foundation will support the training of two nurses in Webster County to join WVU School of Nursing’s Faith Community Nursing program.
• Wonder & Grow Mindful Nature Experience ($7,950) – Wonder and Grow, in partnership with Randolph County Outdoors, will provide activity days for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Students will learn how to pair healthy activity with nature, mindfulness, and cultural knowledge.
• Youth Health Service ($8,108) – Youth Health Service will purchase equipment for its Parent Child Interaction Therapy rooms at its Elkins and Mill Creek locations. These upgrades will enable therapists and parents to communicate and record sessions for more in-depth review.

To learn more about the Pallottine Foundation of Buckhannon, visit www.pallottinebuckhannon.org.