San Angelo Health Foundation Awards $795k to Non-Profit Organizations

SAN ANGELO, TX — The San Angelo Health Foundation awarded $795,000 to seventeen area nonprofits this quarter, Board Chair David Lupton said. Since inception, 236 organizations and 839 projects have benefitted from over $62 million in Foundation funding.

Grants Chair Steve Cecil said the following grants encompass community impact, education, mental health and wellness, health care and youth development:

Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council for the Concho Valley was awarded $200,000 for the Journey Recovery Center’s Detox Program. The Center provides a detox and rehabilitation program for up to 12 adult men and women. Since opening the detox program has served 100 clients.

Ballinger Cares, Inc. was awarded $115,000 towards the purchase of a building. Their mission is to provide sustainable items and a variety of services and resources for people who are distressed or disadvantaged in Ballinger and the surrounding area. This organization can trace its roots back to 1999 when it began as a community food pantry. They have grown to add the distribution of clothing, household items, furniture and toys.

City of San Angelo was awarded $125,000 to install restrooms at MLK, Jr. Memorial Park. Once home to Guinn Field, a minor league baseball park, it was developed into a neighborhood park in 1971. The park offers a basketball court, pavilion, tennis court, picnic area and a children’s playground.

Playland Communities Foundation was awarded $100,000 for playground equipment and surfacing for the City Park in Christoval. Established in November 2020, their vision is to increase community health and wellness through the renovation of the City Park. Other improvements for the park include an entertainment pavilion, a family pavilion, gazebo, picnic tables, game courts, ¼ mile walking trail and a restroom.

San Angelo Diabetes Coalition was awarded $200,000 to provide diabetic education to the Concho Valley. The Coalition began in 2018 after a Community Health Needs Assessment of the Poor and Extremely Poor identified diabetes as a top ten health need. Their focus is assisting their clients to find healthy and safe ways to manage diabetes through a variety of educational classes.

Water Valley Independent School District was awarded $25,000 towards the purchase of a Virtual Reality Welding Training Simulator. The simulator will be used in the Career and Technical Program. This program is designed to provide students with academic and technical knowledge as well as the skills needed to prepare for further training certifications and obtaining a vocation upon graduation.

Unsolicited seasonal assistance grants for eleven organizations totaling $30,000 were also awarded for holiday programming needs to:

• Alcohol & Drug Abuse Council for the Concho Valley,
• Boys & Girls Club of San Angelo;
• San Angelo Early Childhood Center;
• Children’s Advocacy Center;
• House of Faith;
• ICD Family Shelter;
• Early-Redwine Childcare Center;
• Salvation Army;
• Operation Blue Santa;
• San Angelo State Supported Living Center Volunteer Services Council and;
• West Texas Boys Ranch.