Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma (BCBSOK) has awarded grants to 20 organizations across the state, through the 2017 Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® (HKHF) initiative.
HKHF is part of an ongoing commitment to invest in and partner with non-profit organizations that offer sustainable, measurable programs to reach children and their families in four key areas:
- Nutrition
- Physical activity
- Preventing and managing disease
- Supporting safe environments
"While Oklahoma faces many health challenges, we are fortunate that we have so many nonprofit organizations that are creating effective new ways to support positive health outcomes. Our Healthy Kids, Healthy Families grant program allows us to invest in successful efforts that benefit children and families across the state," said Ted Haynes, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma. "This year's grant recipients cover a range of issues, from early childhood brain development to food security and nutrition. We are working with partners in both rural and urban areas in our state because we know that health challenges are impacted by environment, access to resources, economic status and cultural traditions."
The HKHF grant program received numerous applications from organizations across Oklahoma. Each application was individually evaluated on impact, feasibility, capacity, collaboration and sustainability. All grant recipients are community partners that share BCBSOK's vision of improving the health and wellness of Oklahoma children and their families.
BCBSOK's collaboration with 20 community organizations in 2017 include grants to:
- Central Oklahoma American Indian Health Council, Inc in support of the expansion of the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic Pharmacy to build a better space to support the critical work of the pharmacy team.
- Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma to continue the Clinical Based Food Pantry System Pilot and launch the Mobile Food Pantry Project. This grant includes clinic-based food pantries and the launch of a rural multi-stop Mobile Pantry pilot that provides fresh produce, bakery items and shelf-stable food for families in rural, underserved areas.
- Community Service Council and Child Care Resource Center for the Healthy Women, Healthy Futures Oklahoma project to improve the health of underserved non-pregnant women of childbearing years in Tulsa County and help with the expansion of a peer training model.
- Oklahoma Caring Foundation’s implementation of a new cloud-based data system that allows for better integration of information, data outcome reporting and more timely information available for state and community partners.
- Funds for the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation’s FitQuest for Kids program which provides students across the state with access to the health and wellness physical activities at the Boathouse District.
- Expansion of Reach Out and Read, Inc.’s Prescription for Literacy program, which is a pediatric clinic based literacy program that works with physicians to provide age and culturally appropriate literacy resources for families to encourage early brain development in children who, due to economic circumstances, are at high risk of falling behind developmentally.
- And funding to support the building of Special Care’s Clyde Riggs Education Garden and Trails that will provide a fully accessible education garden and bike trail for special needs students and the community.
Other grantees include:
- Tulsa Area United Way and United Way of Central Oklahoma – Annual Campaign
- Boys & Girls Club of Oklahoma of Wilson Inc. – Triple Play Program
- CATCH Global Foundation – Oklahoma City Public School CATCH Coordinated School Health Initiative
- Domestic Violence Intervention Services (DVIS) – Parent Child Interaction Therapy Equipment for Children’s Therapeutic Counseling Program
- Emergency Infant Services – Food and Formula Project
- Family Healthcare Clinic – Access to Care, Cancer Prevention and Teen Pregnancy Prevention
- Fields & Futures – Program Sponsor
- Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma – Creating Safe Spaces for Girl Scouts to Take Healthy Risks and Try New Things
- Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits – Rural Outreach
- Oklahoma State Department of Health – FITNESSGRAM
- OKC Harvest – School and Community Garden Maintenance
- OSU - Oklahoma City – Student Scholarships