Recipients have been selected for the 2009 Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks Community Grant Program.

The grant program, which was open to community and school organizations in Metro Nashville’s 16th Council district, received 17 applications this year requesting more than $126,000 in grants. A grant review committee narrowed down this list and awarded a total of $25,000 to six organizations.

“All of the proposed projects were very worthwhile and beneficial to the community,” said committee member Janice Smith, R.N., chief administrative officer for Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks. Joining Smith on the committee were: Anna Page, Metro Council representative for the 16th district; Mary Pat Teague, Vanderbilt associate director of Community, Neighborhood and Government Relations; Christine Bradley, Vanderbilt assistant vice chancellor for Community, Neighborhood and Government Relations, and Gail Williams, Vanderbilt associate director for Community Engagement in Community, Neighborhood and Government Relations.

Projects that were selected are:

Conexión Américas, a non-profit organization promoting social, economic and civic advancement of Latino Families in Middle Tennessee, has been awarded a $5,000 grant to forge a working partnership between Latino parents and schools through the Parents as Partners Program. The goal is to ultimately improve children’s academic achievement. The Parents as Partners program will begin its third round at Glencliff High School and area corresponding middle schools, Cameron and Wright.

First Steps Community Outreach Program, a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and care for special needs children alongside their typically developing peers in inclusive environments and with support of their families, has been awarded a $3,000 grant to be utilized to aid work in conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Education’s public awareness campaign known as “Child Find.” First Steps conducts regular visits at community daycare and homecare centers to conduct screenings of children ages 6 weeks to 35 months to evaluate their attainment of age-appropriate, development milestones and benchmarks. First Steps efforts in the 16th District are further recognized by their Ayudando Ninos (“Helping Children”) program, which employs bilingual teachers who work with Spanish speaking families.

Nashville Public Broadcasting, Nashville Public Television is Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky’s public television station, and has been awarded a $5,000 grant to be utilized to conduct community engagement conversations in the 16th Metro Council District around the discussion of “What kind of city do we want Nashville to become? How do we get there? What are the obstacles?” In addition, a portion of the grant will be used to provide literacy summer camp using The Electric Company literacy curriculum.

Neighborhood Resource Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting Nashville residents in the formation and development of neighborhood-related organizations, has been awarded a $5,000 grant to aid residents of the 16th Metro Council District to expand neighborhood watch programs. This will be implemented in part by working one-on-one and at neighborhood meetings to address the concerns and issues of the individual neighborhood, by providing geographic information system (GIS) services to assist watch groups mapping out reported crime, and building a strong relationship with South Precinct Police.

Second Harvest, a non-profit organization whose mission is to feed the hungry and work to solve hunger issues in our community, has been awarded a $2,000 grant to be utilized to purchase a commercial freezer that will be housed at New Song Christian Fellowship to serve the people of the 16th Metro Council District. In addition, funds will be used to purchase non-perishable, easy-open, no-preparation items that will be made available for individuals or families regardless of their access to refrigeration or cooking facilities.

Shade Tree Family Clinic, a free health clinic run by Vanderbilt medical students, has been awarded $5,000 to be utilized to implement a vaccine outreach program in the 16th Metro Council District, with emphasis on immunization of homeless and uninsured. This program includes a broad spectrum of the community support. Spanish speaking student volunteers will attend each vaccine administration day.

Media Inquiries:
Jerry Jones
Assistant Director
Vanderbilt Medical Center - News and Public Affairs
Phone: 615-322-4747
Email: jerry.jones@vanderbilt.edu
http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/npa