The Cook County Public Health and Human Services Board allocated Public Health grant funding to eight local community organizations for the 2024 calendar year - a combined total of $150,000 in awards, grant requests totaled $227,839.  

A grant review subcommittee of the Public Health and Human Services Advisory Council convened multiple times in the past months to review reports from past grantees, outreach for the 2024 grant opportunity, the grant application materials, the applications themselves, and to meet with applicants to hear more about their grant requests. Only 501c3 nonprofit agencies serving Cook County residents, whose work aligns with the priority health areas in the current Community Health Improvement Plan were eligible for funding. These priorities include:

• Access to specialty medical services
• Behavioral health
• Safe and stable housing
• Services for elders
• Services for families with young children
• Substance Misuse

“The grant review subcommittee has worked hard to develop a fair and transparent process for recommending grants to the Public Health and Human Services Board,” states Pat Campanaro, the Chair for the Public Health and Human Services Advisory Council and participant on the grant review subcommittee. She added, “These grants are helping to meet critical needs to help our community thrive.”

Following are the recommendations of the grant review subcommittee, the Public Health and Human Services Board voted at its August meeting to allocate funding to the following eight area organizations:

Birch Grove Community School- Community Service Branch

• $20,000 to support the general operations of the programs that run out of the Birch Grove Community School Community Service Branch. These programs include: the Saplings/Summer Saplings preschool program (excluding staff wages/benefits), summer programming for school-aged kids (Campsite Kids), and before and after school care (Birch Buddies).

Care Partners

• $12,000 to support companion, chore, delivery, and ride programs. Specifically, funds will be used to pay for volunteer promotion & recognition, staff time for training & coordination, and volunteer mileage reimbursement for both companion and rides volunteers.  

Cook County Council on Aging (the Hub)

• $62,000 to support general operations with a focus on staff compensation and facilities-related costs. Staff work on creating/distributing a monthly newsletter, running the meal program, and offering a variety of services and programming targeted to serve seniors and persons with disabilities. 

Cook County Higher Education

• $15,000 to support professional development aligned with priority health areas and healthcare training by reducing the costs of attendance for participants through scholarships.

Cooperation Station

• $5,000 to support staff professional development. 

ISD 166 Community Education

• $10,000 to support youth programming, including scholarships for participation for children from low-income families in programs including youth sports, youth safety classes, summer programming for school-aged kids and after school care (many programs are a collaboration with the YMCA).

Great Expectation School

• $20,000 to support staffing to further student health and well-being through health education, team building/mental health education, and music/movement education.

Violence Prevention Center

• $6,000 to support a software system that improves client safety and support while simplifying data entry and communication among staff.

Beginning in 2018 the Cook County Board of Commissioners granted authority to the Public Health and Human Services Advisory Council to review and evaluate applications for county funding for those organizations that serve the Public Health and Human Services mission: "supporting the health, safety, and well-being of our community." The final award of grant funds is contingent on the approval of the final levy by the Board of Commissioners in December. For more information on the Cook County Public Health Fund, visit the Public Health and Human Services website: https://co.cook.mn.us/government/departments/public_health_and_human_services/public_health/grants.php

About Cook County, MN 

Cook County encompasses the sovereign nation of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; the City of Grand Marais; the Townships of Lutsen, Tofte and Schroeder; and unincorporated areas in the easternmost part of Minnesota’s North Shore. Cook County Government values transparency and strives to deliver superior services and programs in a fiscally responsible way. We value the dignity of all County residents and seek to create a community that provides opportunity for all. Many of our offices are in the Cook County Courthouse at 411 W 2nd St, Grand Marais 55604. Other departments and facilities, such as the Airport, Community Center, Highway and Sheriff are located nearby. Call 218-387-3000 or visit: https://co.cook.mn.us.

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Contact:  Alison McIntyre, Director, 218-387-3620, or [email protected]