From the North Shore Health Care Foundation - April 14, 2021

The North Shore Health Care Foundation (NSHCF) will be awarding $20,000 through its semi-annual in 2021, to community organizations and programs that contribute to equitable health care and healthy living in Cook County. Applications are due by 4 pm, May 1 and October 1. The Foundation works to address health care gaps and needs in Cook County. 

“We believe in the possibilities of people, organizations, businesses, and governments working together to cre­ate healthy communities for all in Cook County,” said Valerie Marasco Eliasen, Executive Director. “We believe health is not just the absence of illness, but that a healthy community is reflected in the health of individuals which is embodied in prevention and education regarding health; a community that maintains health through its systems of food, housing, employment, clean water, clean air, healthy exercise and social norms; and access to quality, affordable health care for all.”

In addition to the funds awarded to successful open grant applicants, the NSHCF will also issue a total of $30,000 in annual $10,000 block grants to key partners who contribute to the delivery of our core mission. These include, Care Partners of Cook County for seniors’ services, Cook County Emergency Services to build a joint Live Fire Training Center at the Colvill Volunteer Fire Department site, and Cook County Higher Education for health education. 

“Our primary contributions for creating a healthy Cook County lie in our ability to provide and leverage funding, provide educational opportunities including convening community partners to address critical health issues facing the community, and by advocating with others to help us achieve a healthy community,” said Marasco Eliasen. “Where gaps exist, the Health Care Foundation also develops and incubates programs to address critical needs. Success stories in this regard include developing and spinning off Care Partners and the Oral Health Task Force, and now incubating the Cook County MN Restorative Justice program and with the ‘Designs for Life’ free community education series.”

The total dollar amount of grants awarded by NSHCF since its inception in 1993, is over $1,100,000. In 2020, the Foundation also issued $50,000. The following programs, helping to work towards a healthy community for all, received awards in 2020:

• Care Partners of Cook County – $10,000 
• The COVID-19 Medical Response Fund – $20,000 match to community donations, to ensure health providers and emergency response units have what they need for local response
• Learning Opportunities Through Stories (LOTS) Program for early childhood education – $1,000
• Great Lunch Program at Great Expectations School to ensure all children have access to healthy food at school regardless of ability to pay, and eliminate singling out children on Free or Reduced Lunch program – $5,000
• Snacks & Packs for Kids ensures children get food on weekends, holidays and summer break. NSHCF helped feed 63 children from Tofte to Grand Portage, throughout the summer – $3,000
• Cook Co. Emergency Chaplaincy Program provides emotional support to First Responders, Law Enforcement, 911 Dispatchers, as well as victims and families on-scene during incidents – $2,000
• Great Lunch Program Phase 2 to help address additional enrollment and expand the school food program to include breakfast, five days a week – $5,000
• New Growing Families Program through Cook County PHHS supports one another through childbearing and early parenting during the pandemic and beyond – $7,100
• Trauma Exposure Training and Peer Support Counselling Training for all staff in Public Health &Human Services – approx. $5,000 

Grant applications and eligibility criteria are available at www.NorthShoreHealthCareFoundation.org