TULSA, Okla . – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma (BCBSOK) has selected 15 deserving 501c3 organizations to receive a combined total of more than $500,000, through funding from the Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® (HKHF) initiative, managed and coordinated by BCBSOK.
Created in 2011, HKHF supports nonprofit organizations that provide a variety of health-related services, with proven sustainable and measurable programs, The HKHF program provides funding for programs that reach children and their families in four key areas: nutrition, physical activity, preventing/managing disease, and supporting safe environments.
“Moving the needle in Oklahoma’s health rankings is a community approach and requires partnership and commitment across all sectors. Providing this funding to deserving organizations who are making Oklahomans healthier, makes a difference for our state now and in the future,” said Joseph R. Cunningham, M.D., president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma
Some of the grant recipients include:
Western Oklahoma
- A Chance to Change Foundation, Oklahoma City: A Chance to SUCCEED program provides adolescents a safe place to turn to and receive group counseling and education on mental health and substance-related topics.
- Christ Community Health Coalition, Oklahoma City: Pediatric Clinic’s initialization to expand the clinic to a full-time operation to serve both uninsured and Sooner Care patients.
- Family Builders, Oklahoma City: Keeping Kids Safe Community Education & Outreach Program will reduce child abuse and neglect in Oklahoma by educating children and adults about how to identify child abuse and neglect before it happens and how to report it if it does occur.
- Reach Out and Read, Oklahoma City: Support medical providers and staff to help families regularly read with their children at American Indian Health Care sites in Oklahoma.
- Wings of Hope Family Crisis Services, Stillwater: Funds nutrition support services and movement instruction to women and children who reside in the Wings of Hope domestic violence shelter.
Eastern Oklahoma
- Amplify Tulsa, Tulsa: The program will create research-identified strategies to better address teen pregnancy issues for students with disabilities.
- The Boys & Girls Club of Sequoyah County, Sallisaw: Get in S.T.E.P. (Safety Takes Every Person) initiative to build a 10-foot chain fence around their playground for safety to enhance fitness activity.
- Domestic Violence Intervention Services (DVIS), Tulsa: In support of their outpatient counseling and program for children.
- Iron Gate, Tulsa: Evaluating operational models for the recent expansion that allows for understanding of how the dedicated pantry space can best function for future sustainability.
- Mental Health Association of Oklahoma, Tulsa: Long-term sustainability of their Community Response Team joint project which includes Tulsa Fire Department, Tulsa Police Department and Family & Children’s Services, a successful model to de-escalate mental health crisis situations and divert individuals from the criminal justice system to appropriate mental health resources in the community.
Statewide
- Alzheimer’s Association, Tulsa: The Alzheimer’s Project ECHO (Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes) Line, a collaborative model of medical education and care management that empowers clinicians in rural and underserved communities to provide specialty care to more people right where they live.
- Connected Kids, Tulsa: Supports access to training programs and research-based trauma-responsive education for Oklahoma educators and program evaluation.
- Healthy Schools Oklahoma, Oklahoma City: The program will start incorporating kinesthetic learning pieces in individual classrooms settings across the state.
- Hunger Free Oklahoma, Tulsa: Increase access to fruits and vegetables for low-income and food-insecure Oklahomans by incentivizing produce purchases at a variety of SNAP retailers in rural Oklahoma.
- NewView Oklahoma.Tulsa: Vision clinic expansion to reach rural populations.