Community Partnership Grants

Expanding WellSpan's Mission into the Community

Through the WellSpan Community Health Fund and Summit Endowment, WellSpan partnered with 57 nonprofit community organizations and provided $1.4 million in community grants to drive achievement of our Community Health Improvement Plan by increasing access to care and creating innovative approaches to impact social determinants of health.

Highlights include:

• Awarded two inaugural multi-year transformational Imagine Grants to fund collaborative projects that innovatively effect change in a specific focus area, which for fiscal year 2022 was food insecurity. Through three-year, outcomes-based partnerships, a mobile WIC and food-centered self-sufficiency program will be developed in Lebanon, and in York a new online food pantry order and delivery program will prioritize medically compromised and chronically ill patients. These Imagine Grants were provided to community partners in the two WellSpan counties experiencing the greatest food insecurity gap. During the past three years, WellSpan has invested nearly $575,000 to support our community partners in addressing hunger in all of our communities.
• Led in health equity with a strong focus on reducing health disparities and improving access to care for people of color. Through collaborative efforts funded by grants, we closed the gap on COVID-19 vaccine disparities. Other efforts include specialized Spanish-language training for first responders, paramedic visits to homebound patients, navigation support of a Latino Community Health Worker and job skills training and development.
• Built capacity in our community for our partners to serve families, particularly low-income families with children. Investments went to initiatives that increased access and quality of early education and childcare, increased WIC/SNAP enrollment and created access to healthy, nutritious food. About 6,000 families participate in the Get Outdoors program, a partnership with six county-wide library systems and parks that promotes physical activity through interactive and educational hiking experiences at 97 trails across our region.
• Provided Spark "Slow the Spread" Grants (under $5,000) to 31 community-based organizations in response to emergent needs as COVID-19 surged over the winter, to rapidly educate, vaccinate, implement safe and infection control practices, provide mental health support and ensure temporary shelter.