Five nonprofits receive funding to expand access to food, healthcare and housing support
(TYLER, Texas) – Five East Texas nonprofit organizations have been selected to receive grants totaling $300,000 through the CHRISTUS Community Impact Fund (CHRISTUS Fund), supporting programs that improve the health and well-being of local communities.
The recipients in the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System region are Sulphur Springs-based Carevide, East Texas Food Bank, Tyler-based Family Circle of Care, Hope Haven of East Texas and PATH (People Attempting to Help).
The organizations were recognized during the Blessing of the Hands ceremony on Aug. 25, an annual CHRISTUS Health tradition that celebrates the healing ministry of its Associates while recognizing community partners who share the organization’s mission of serving those most in need.
“The CHRISTUS Community Impact Fund is one of the many ways we live out our mission beyond the walls of our hospitals and clinics,” said Jessica Guerra, program manager for community development at CHRISTUS Health. “These organizations are making a meaningful difference every day by improving access to essential services and creating healthier, stronger communities. Through reliable community partnerships, we are honored to support their work and help make care and services more accessible.”
Hope Haven of East Texas serves the region by caring for children and families impacted by the foster care system who have suffered abuse, neglect, trauma, placement disruptions and the feeling of being overlooked as a result.
Jamie Sanders, Hope Haven’s executive director, says the CHRISTUS Fund grant will expand behavior health services for foster care youth and will aid in the creation of a community-wide training and education program designed to equip East Texans with information regarding foster care issues.
“We are incredibly grateful to the CHRISTUS Fund for investing in the lives of foster children who have experienced significant trauma. Too many children in foster care carry the invisible wounds of abuse, neglect and trauma,” she said. “This grant allows Hope Haven to expand trauma-informed mental health services so that young people in foster care receive not only a safe place to live, but also the counseling, life skills and compassionate support they need to heal, grow and build brighter futures.”
The local grants are part of a broader investment by the CHRISTUS Fund, which will provide more than $3.5 million this year to 56 nonprofit organizations across Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Latin America. The grants support programs addressing some of the most pressing needs in the communities CHRISTUS serves, including food insecurity, access to healthcare and housing insecurity.
Since its launch in 2011, the CHRISTUS Fund has invested more than $29 million into communities served by CHRISTUS Health, strengthening partnerships with organizations that share the ministry’s commitment to improving the health and quality of life for those most in need.
