Arroyo Grande Provides $32,263 Grants to Local Non-Profits

Arroyo Grande Community Hospital (AGCH) is proud to announce it has awarded $32,263 in grant funding to five unique community non-profit organizations in San Luis Obispo County. Representatives from each organization were invited to a breakfast on January 13, 2014 where they were presented with checks to help aid in the critical health and human services they provide to county residents.

Grants are awarded through a Community Grants Program created by AGCH’s parent company Dignity Health. The intent of the annual community grant program is to help non-profit organizations with an interest in building healthier communities by improving health and living conditions. Criteria for this funding cycle were based on the following priority areas identified in the AGCH Community Benefits Plan and Community Health Assessment: Access to Healthcare/Insurance, ER Utilization, Chronic Disease and Mental Health.

This year, the AGCH Community Grants were awarded to the following local organizations: 

Five Cities Homeless Coalition  will  provide a no-cost, low-barrier warming center for homeless adults and children to be warm and dry during winter nights with predictions of temperatures at or below 32°F, or especially stormy weather (with rain forecast on two consecutive nights). There is currently no overnight shelter in South SLO County. The Center will provide dry bedding and dry clothing as needed, a nutritious dinner and breakfast to each guest, and involve other services and health-care providers to assist with additional health needs and counseling.  Funding will support operation of the Warming Center and staffing to provide street outreach and service coordination. 

Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County’s Harvest Program will provide a three-fold activity designed to help transform the eating habits of low-income community members in South San Luis Obispo County.  The first step in the program is providing access to fresh produce.  The second step is nutrition, preservation, and CalFresh education.  The third step is assessing the effectiveness of the program through a baseline survey followed by a survey in April of 2015 and October of 2015. 

SLO CAP Promotoras Collaborative members will work with the South County SLO Lead Promotora in a cooperative setting to organize the delivery of health care education outreach to underserved populations such as people living in poverty, Latinos and single mothers living in Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Nipomo and other communities in the southern region of  San Luis Obispo  County. 

SLO Noor Foundation is a volunteer-based FREE clinic, providing a medical "home" for uninsured adults countywide. This integrated health care program starts with primary care exams/treatment and management of chronic illnesses, but also delivers comprehensive services including lab services, physical therapy, vision care, dental care, social services, access to prescribed medications,  coordination of diagnostic (such as X-rays and mammograms) and specialty care services when physician advised.  SLO Noor Clinic patients themselves also actively play a role in their personalized wellness plan. This methodology has proven to be effective in elevating overall health and reducing the escalation of conditions to more serious level.

Women’s Shelter Program of SLO County – will provide Mental Health Services (counseling services) for Latina domestic violence victims at the agency’s San Luis Obispo and Grover Beach counseling centers.  The agency will offer two bilingual counseling groups throughout the week, offering clients an opportunity to access needed services, regardless of their schedules. The agency will also offer individual counseling services to clients for whom group counseling does not adequately address their relevant mental health needs.  Lastly, the agency will offer childcare during these counseling sessions. For the majority of clients the agency serves, childcare is often a resource that domestic violence victims cannot afford. Historically, lack of childcare has been identified as one of the biggest barriers to accessing services.  By offering culturally competent childcare on-site, adult victims are much more likely to consistently participate in therapy, thus, resulting in better counseling outcomes. 

About Arroyo Grande Community Hospital

Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, located in Arroyo Grande, California, is rated a top Joint Replacement Center by Blue Shield and is the exclusive provider of joint replacement care for CalPERS on the Central Coast.  The Emergency Department is one of the busiest in the County and nationally recognized for superior patient satisfaction.  The hospital also provides the only comprehensive hospital-based Acute Rehabilitation Center on the Central Coast.  Arroyo is a Dignity Health member of the Central Coast which also includes French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo and Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, CA. Dignity Health of the Central Coast is an integrated network of top quality hospitals, physicians from the most prestigious medical schools, and comprehensive outpatient services including primary care offices, premier ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers and a full service home health agency; all recognized for quality, safety and service.  Each hospital is supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to help meet the growing health care needs of our communities.