Staff Reports
In one of Simply Healthcare Plans (Simply) latest efforts to support vulnerable populations and address health inequities, Simply launched the Simply NeighborGood Challenge back in April to identify strategic partnerships and programs in communities across Florida.
Applicants were required to submit a less than two-minute video demonstrating their impact and progress toward addressing social determinants of health within the community for a chance to earn up to $15,000 in grant funding.
In order to ensure the grant funding reaches the communities where it is needed most, the Simply NeighborGood Challenge placed an emphasis on programs working to create equity in the following categories: maternal health, food is medicine, mental health, education & literacy and more.
Simply is no stranger when it comes to meaningful community investments. In fact, last year the organization invested more than $1 million into the community through various projects, initiatives and partnerships.
“Simply strives to improve the health and wellbeing of our neighbors across Florida by addressing health inequalities and strengthening our communities through strategic partnerships and programs, like the Simply NeighborGood Challenge,” said Holly Prince, President of Simply. “We are proud to offer grants to community-based organizations that support their programming and activities to enhance the health and wellness of the socially vulnerable.”
The seven winning organizations out of the more than 70 organizations that submitted a video application include:
— 305 Pink Pack (Miami-Dade) – Providing free services to women in South Florida going through cancer treatment.
— Volunteers in Medicine Jacksonville (Jacksonville) – Free outpatient primary and specialty medical services to working, low-income and uninsured individuals and families in Northeast Florida.
— HEBNI (Orlando) – Educating high-risk, culturally diverse populations about nutrition strategies to prevent diet-related diseases.
— Early Learning Coalition of Flagler & Volusia (Daytona Beach) – Working to enhance children’s school readiness by providing opportunities for quality early learning, while strengthening family stability for a healthy community.
— Sober Lyfe (Tampa) – Helping individuals through their recovery journey by providing an array of support and resources such as housing, support groups, counselors and job placement.
— Girls Inc. (Jacksonville) – Inspiring girls to be strong, smart, and bold by providing girls in the Jacksonville community with life-changing experiences and solutions to the unique challenges girls face.
— Girl Scouts of West Central Florida (Tampa) – Working to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.
In total, the seven organizations won $93,925, which the organizations will use to support and enhance the services they offer to the community.
305 Pink Pack, an organization that provides vital direct and support services at no cost to local Miami-Dade women in cancer treatment, received top marks and earned the maximum grant.
“305 Pink Pack designs a program specific to each member’s needs to ensure equitable access to their cancer care,” said Rosemary Carrera, breast cancer survivor and president of 305 Pink Pack. “Their program can include transportation for appointments, housekeeping services, groceries and childcare. The need in our community is great, and we are the only organization in South Florida that provides these comprehensive services.”
Another grant winner is Volunteers in Medicine Jacksonville, which is a free clinic in Jacksonville that provides primary care and specialty care for up to 16 specialties including mental health and vision care.
“We are making an impact on the health of our community and the funding is going to help us with our women’s health initiative,” said Jennifer Ryan, CEO of Volunteers in Medicine Jacksonville. “Two-thirds of our patients are women, and we want to keep them healthy and provide the vital screenings that they need, detecting chronic illnesses early on, keeping them healthy and out of emergency rooms.”
Kudos to the winners and the selfless work these organizations provide to ensure their community is receiving the care it needs to have an improved quality of life.
