The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation has awarded $275,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations statewide in support of eight projects that address the health of young children.
Grantees are expected to focus on early childhood development, affordable housing, the environment and healthy eating.
"We focused these grants on Minnesota communities that had poor health outcomes as reported in the recent County Health Rankings: Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health," said BCBS Minnesota Foundation President Marsha Shotley. "Several organizations will work together in each project to make their communities healthier by helping young children, families and neighborhoods."
Grants were awarded to:
- The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (Minneapolis) – $100,000 in support of the Healthy Legacy campaign, which raises awareness about the dangers of children's exposure to toxic chemicals.
- Bagley Public School (Clearwater County) – $25,000 to improve the health and development of young children and their families, with a focus on nutrition in two early childhood programs.
- Greater Mankato Area United Way (Blue Earth and Nicollet counties) – $25,000 for the "First Steps Collaborative," a cross-agency home visiting program for first-time, at-risk parents, offering education on early childhood development and healthy home environments.
- Heartland Community Action Council (Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker and Renville counties) – $25,000 for the "Promoting Healthy Children Project," a partnership to link children with high blood toxin levels and their families with appropriate resources.
- Open Cities Health Center (Ramsey County) – $25,000 to assess children's readiness for school, the health and safety of home environments and access to healthy food for families with young children living in the areas immediately surrounding Maxfield Elementary and Jackson Magnet School.
- Minnewaska Area Schools (Pope County and potentially Swift, Morrisson, Grant and Douglas counties) – $25,000 to identify policies that improve community conditions, focusing on early childhood development, healthy eating and active living.
- St. Cloud State University (Benton, Sherburne and Stearns counties) – $25,000 for a community-university collaboration to improve community conditions for immigrant families with young children.
- Twin Cities Local Initiatives Support Corporation (Hennepin and Ramsey counties) – $25,000 for the "Building Sustainable Communities Project," which focuses on strengthening neighborhood engagement, better housing and increasing access to quality preschool in the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul and Blake Road Corridor in Hopkins.
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