10 Maine groups awarded grants for children's health programs
The Sadie and Harry Davis Foundation has awarded grants worth a combined $95,00 to 10 Maine organizations through its children’s health small grants program.
The Belfast-based family foundation is dedicated to advancing Maine children's health, particularly oral health. The late Dr. Harry Davis had been a Portland pediatrician for more than 40 years until his death in 1963, according to the foundation’s website. His wife Sadie Davis, who died in 2005, established the foundation in her will.
Out of the $95,000, the largest single award — $14,000 — will go to Community Clinical Services, of Lewiston, in an initiative to increasing childhood immunizations. It will join forces with Healthy Androscoggin to boost immunization rates for two-year-olds in central Maine, where rates lag well behind key targets.
Other grant recipients
In addition to Community Clinical Services, the following organizations were awarded grants:
- Aroostook County Action Program, Presque Isle, $10,000. Improving Early Screening for Young Children: To provide early childhood specialized vision and hearing screening tools for 300 children up to age five years.
- Broadreach Family and Community Services, Belfast, $5,000. Healthy Foods, Healthy Families: To provide nutritional education and healthy foods for preschoolers and their families to increase healthy eating at school, cooking at home and provide food backpacks to ensure nutrition over the weekend.
- Community Youth Services, Auburn, $11,000. Career Pathways Initiative: To provide at-risk youth with employment experience, financial literacy opportunities, group and individual counseling and health education services.
- Environmental Health Strategy Center, Portland, $13,000. Promoting Early Childhood Health by Reducing Exposure to Arsenic: To work with affected communities and local organizations to address the 16.5% of Maine residential wells which exceed safe levels of natural-occurring arsenic linked to reduction in children’s IQ levels and bladder cancer increases.
- Furniture Friends, Westbrook, $8,500. Beds for Everyone: To increase the number of beds and cribs provided at no cost to households in need.
- Good Shepherd Food Bank, Auburn, $7,500. Youth and Families Initiative: To provide diverse range of hunger-relief initiatives for disadvantaged Maine children including meals to students and families, fresh fruits at events, food supplies from local farmers to schools while in session and for children during times away from school.
- Healthy Kids, Damariscotta, $7,000. Preventing Child Abuse: Teaching Teens about Impact of Drugs and Alcohol: To implement shaken baby and substance use disorder education programs for Lincoln County high school health classes and for teen parents classes in collaboration with school counselors, social workers and clergy.
- Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers, Waterville, $9,000. A Good Start - Prenatal Education and Support: To provide childbirth education classes and educational materials for pregnant and parent teens including support for physical and mental health of teens.
- Somerset Public Health, Skowhegan, $10,000. Skowhegan Moves Together: To support increased physical activity and reduced rates of behavioral health and substance use disorder through development of a youth after-school and summertime physical activity program (“Safe Routes to School”) implemented by Somerset Public Health, Skowhegan Police Department and local school district SAD 54.
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