Live Healthy Chicago has released another round of funding to a second set of grant recipients. The funding, supported by a $5 million donation from the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation, is dedicated to supporting COVID-positive individuals and those at high risk of exposure to COVID-19, specifically in Black and Latinx communities, which have high positivity rates in Chicago. The list of first-round grant recipients can be found at livehealthychi.com.
“We’re excited to be able announce the second round of grantees. This funding will help us continue the work to keep our communities safe from COVID-19 and to address the systemic challenges that put our Black and brown community members’ lives at greater risk during the pandemic,” said Tenisha Jones, senior director of Strategy and Operations for West Side United.
Here is a list of the final grantees for the second round:
- DishRoulette Kitchen
- Fathers Who Care
- John Walt Foundation
- The Kindness Campaign
- La Casa Norte
- Mindfulness Leader, NFP
- M.E.A.N. Girls Empowerment
- Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago
- New Covenant CDC
- Shepherd's Hope
- Telpochcalli Community Education Project
- UCAN
The funding these organizations receive allows them to support their program participants through the pandemic and address specific challenges while continuing their service offerings.
“Eighty-five percent of our participants come from under-resourced households where the median income is below poverty level,” said Shatina Edwards, founder and executive director of M.E.A.N. Girls Empowerment.
“Our main goal is to provide immediate relief to our participants and their families during the COVID- 19 pandemic. We are excited to supply essentials that residents in our community may lack such as toiletries, PPE, cleaning supplies, technology support and tools, commodity boxes with a mixture of nonperishable goods and seasonally appropriate fresh items, school uniform vouchers to families in need and book stipends for college students," Edwards added.
Another grant recipient, the John Walt Foundation, echoes this need for supplemental support for the community.
“There are not nearly enough grocery stores or stores with fresh produce in the Austin area. By providing groceries to the community, we are ensuring community members will have access to items that will keep them healthy and happy in these trying times and beyond,” said Nachelle Pugh, executive director of the John Walt Foundation.
“We could not continue to do this without the Live Healthy Chicago Community grant, and we are grateful to receive it,” she added.
Live Healthy Chicago will work with the Chicago Department of Public Health and community-based organizations to slow the spread of the virus while ensuring that COVID-positive individuals have the resources they need to remain safe and get healthy.
Since the pandemic, Live Healthy Chicago has supplied PPE materials for communities on Chicago's West and South sides. Live Healthy Chicago is helping slow the spread of the pandemic by providing PPE materials to food pantries and other community organizations in conjunction with the city of Chicago’s Healthy Chicago Equity Zone program, which supports community engagement and vaccinations outreach.
About Live Healthy Chicago
Live Healthy Chicago is a community-based collaborative between West Side United, Rush University Medical Center, the MAAFA Redemption Project, My Block My Hood My City and Forty Acres Fresh Market that implements initiatives to improve the wellness of seniors and high-risk populations experiencing COVID-19 health disparities and food insecurity. With the support of the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation, Live Healthy Chicago can continue to serve and uplift communities across Chicago.
