Pallottine Foundation of Buckhannon awards over $87,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations

News Release
March 24, 2023

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – The Pallottine Foundation of Buckhannon has awarded 13 nonprofit organizations that serve Randolph, Upshur, Barbour, Lewis and Webster counties with grants totaling over $87,707.90 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 prevention and cessation.

“We are pleased to have several new organizations from our five-county region apply for Healthy Communities grants this year,” said Janell Ray, Executive Director of the Pallottine Foundation of Buckhannon. “Many of the projects approved for funding address food insecurity or health and wellness while others help build the nonprofit organization’s capacity to serve the community.”

The following organizations have been awarded Healthy Communities grants:

Barbour Community Health Association ($2,900) – Barbour Community Health Association will purchase blood pressure cuffs and journals to distribute to patients for improved management of elevated blood pressure levels.
Catholic Charities West Virginia ($7,500) – Catholic Charities West Virginia will purchase food for its Elkins and Webster Springs WellnessWorks food pantries.
Chapel Hill United Methodist Church ($5,000) – Chapel Hill United Methodist Church will purchase food to use in preparing its weekly community meal.
Elkins United Christian Community Center ($5,000) – The Elkins United Christian Community Center will purchase food to support its two community meal programs at Elkins First United Methodist Church and Woodford Memorial United Methodist Church.
Free Meals Appalachia Foundation ($4,220) – Free Meals Appalachia Foundation will purchase food for its community meal program and provide fuel reimbursement to volunteers who deliver meals. The organization also will partner with Stockert Youth and Community Center and the Buckhannon-Upshur Health Department to host a food handler training for volunteers.
Highland Community Builders ($6,005) – Highland Community Builders will purchase computers for its YouthBuild program and will host health and wellness workshops for YouthBuild participants.
Lewis County Senior Citizens Center, Inc. ($5,158.69) – The Lewis County Senior Citizens Center will continue its Still Keeping It Physical (S.K.I.P.) program, which encourages physical activity among senior citizens.
Mid Ohio Valley Regional Council ($13,000) – The Mid Ohio Valley Regional Council will provide mileage reimbursement to Senior Companion program and Foster Grandparent program volunteers.
Mountain CAP of WV, Inc., a CDC ($3,110.71) – Mountain CAP Child Advocacy Center will support trainings for staff from its Child Advocacy Center and Asset Building and Collaboration programs.
Randolph County Children’s Advocacy Center, Inc. ($3,263.50) – Randolph County Children’s Advocacy Center staff members will attend trainings that address secondary trauma in child maltreatment professionals.
The Committee on Aging for Randolph County ($7,500) – The Committee on Aging for Randolph County will purchase raw food for its Senior Nutrition Program.
Upshur Parish House ($10,050) – The Upshur Parish House will purchase turkeys and hams for its holiday food basket program.
West Virginia University Foundation, Inc. ($15,000) – The WVU School of Nursing will pilot a Faith Community Nursing program to implement nurse-led mental health screening, education, and advocacy services in Barbour County.