Health Foundation Grants $1.2 million to Area Nonprofits

San Angelo Health Foundation Board Chair Mike Boyd recently announced that the Foundation has granted $1,269,788 to fund projects for six area non-profit organizations. These latest grants constitute one of the largest quarterly commitments in the history of the Foundation.  Since its inception nineteen years ago, the San Angelo Health Foundation has approved and awarded grants totaling $42,915,359, benefitting the Concho Valley region through funding to approximately 186 organizations for 421 worthy projects.

Grants Chair Marilyn Aboussie said the following applications for funding were approved:  

Alcohol & Drug Abuse Council for the Concho Valley was awarded $1,000,000 toward construction of a $4.9 million residential treatment facility and Detox Center.  Organized in 1960, the Council provides residential substance abuse treatment services to adult males and females, outpatient treatment, youth education/prevention programs in the schools and community education.  Detox services have not been available in San Angelo for many years. 

Concho Valley Home for Girls/Children’s Emergency Shelter was awarded $49,788 for improvements and furnishings for the Children’s Emergency Shelter.  The Children’s Emergency Shelter provides temporary shelter for children removed from their homes by Child Protective Services due to abuse or neglect.   Last year twenty young women lived at the Girls Home and over 70 children were housed in the Emergency Shelter. 

New Horizons was awarded $30,000 toward foster placement services for children from the San Angelo area.  The State of Texas recently mandated that foster placements be made within 50 miles of the child’s home.   SAHF funds will help establish a New Horizons office in San Angelo and assist in treatment costs for San Angelo children in their care. 

Odeon Preservation Association was awarded $25,000 toward renovation of the Odeon Theatre in Mason, Texas.  Built in 1928 the Odeon may be the oldest operating movie theatre in West Texas.  The theatre is used to show movies, live musical performances, meetings, symposia, poetry readings, one-man theatrical events and other venues. 

San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts was awarded $15,000 to establish an En Plein Air competition in San Angelo.  The museum provides programming and educational activities to 22,000 students and over 65,000 visitors annually.  The planned competition will bring in 30 recognized artists who will paint around the area over the course of one week, complementing the successful National Ceramic Competition and National Sculpture Competition. 

Young Life San Angelo was awarded $150,000 over three years in organizational support and to establish a program for teen mothers.  The new mentoring program, YoungLives, will pair volunteer adult mentors with teen mothers with a goal of helping the mothers become healthier and stronger young women and mothers, making positive choices for their future. 

Grant application and financial information can be found at www.sahfoundation.org.