HealthSpark Foundation

We hosted another Community of Practice! Last month, nearly 150 attendees representing Montgomery County’s nonprofit and community network gathered for ? "Building Community Power." ? We centered on how nonprofits and advocates can build their power to make substantive change in our communities, with themes on inclusive connections, coalition-building, shifting nonprofit culture to include advocacy, harnessing voter power, and more. Head to our website to read our recap: https://lnkd.in/evWyk6CW

"When activists try to change people’s lives, or tackle the injustices that they face, we are actually trying to change power equations." – Srilatha Batliwala Join HealthSpark Foundation for our next Community of Practice, "Building Community Power," for a day devoted to strengthening community ties and empowerment, with a focus on themes that enhance opportunities throughout Montgomery County. “Building Community Power” is centered on how nonprofits and advocates can build their power to make substantive change in our communities, with themes on inclusive leadership development, coalition-building, shifting nonprofit culture to include advocacy, harnessing voter power, and more. Register here: https://lnkd.in/e85qY326

Philanthropy has such a unique capacity to bring people together, build relationships across organizations and sectors, and harness that energy for collective change. Our convenings are an important way that HealthSpark Foundation tries to plant those seeds of connection and gratitude. Thank you to our partners who came together in June- giving us a chance to celebrate their work and provide a space for shared learning, networking, and dreaming.

In the past, HealthSpark Foundation has facilitated gatherings for grantees to exchange insights, foster mutual learning, and spark possibilities for new ideas and partnerships. We were motivated to host such an event once again! We were glad to bring together grantee partners on June 10th. ?? ?? Watch our recap video below to learn more! ? Thank you to all of our grantee partners for making this gathering special. ? Access Services, ACLAMO, Akea's Heart, Be ReZilient, Healing Through The Arts, Bethel AME, Church of Ardmore, Bucks-Mont Collaborative, Catholic Social Services Montgomery County, CCATE - Center for Culture, Art, Training and Education, Family Promise Montco PA, HOPEWORX INC, I Choose To Win, Latinos Norristown PA, Making a Difference Economically Inc. (MADE), Manna on Main Street, Neighbors Helping Neighbors on the Main Line, Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania, The Center for Loss and Bereavement, Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation, The Welcome Project PA, Theatre Horizon, Willow Grove Community Development Corporation #grantmaking #philanthropy #foundation #nonprofits #greaterphiladelphia

We are excited to share on The PALM Center for Positive Aging in our next 2024 Dr. Frank E. Boston Black Justice grantee highlight! Located in #LowerMerion and known as PALM, the organization was founded in 1974. Their mission is to improve the quality of life for active aging adults, offer a supportive environment where older adults can access resources, engage in meaningful activities, and maintain a healthy and independent lifestyle. In addition to serving older adults, PALM serves their families, caregivers, and other community members. The organization addresses need through a range of robust and innovative programs. These services promote healthy and independent living, ensuring that older adults remain active, engaged, and supported. PALM's "why" lies in its commitment to fostering a community where older adults can #thrive. The organization champions #DEI and celebrates the richness of varied experiences. By leveraging the latest technology and evidence-based programs, PALM #empowers older adults to succeed and maintain their mental, physical, and emotional well-being. The dedication to lifelong learning, health and wellness, and cultural engagement reflects PALM's deep belief in the value and potential of every older adult. The organization's work is driven by the desire to create a supportive, inclusive environment where older adults can live independently and with dignity, enriching their own lives and the lives of those around them. “We are all going to get older; that is not an option. How we age is, and PALM ensures we enjoy our lives in the process,” shared Dawn Allen, PALM’s Executive Director. “By providing exercise activities, social interaction, educational programs, arts and cultural engagement, health and wellness support, and opportunities for volunteerism and community activism, PALM helps older adults lead fulfilling lives and stay connected to their communities.” Thank you to the Center for Positive Aging in Lower Merion for your vital mission and dedicated service to our community! To learn more about the organization, visit https://palmseniors.org/ Missed our other 2024 Dr. Frank E. Boston Black Justice Fund grantee highlights? Click on our logo to get insight into the incredible work they are leading. #grantmaking #grants #nonprofit #philanthropy #HealthSparkFoundation #equity #socialjustice #GreaterPhiladelphia #MontgomeryCountyPA

Next up in our 2024 Dr. Frank E. Boston Black Justice Fund grantee highlights is the George Washington Carver Community Center (GWCC) in #NorristownPA. GWCC has been open to the public since 1960. The establishment of the community center was a direct response to a tragic event: in 1944, two African American children drowned in the swimming hole behind the Norristown State Hospital grounds. The children were there due to the segregation experienced by Norristown's African American community, which prevented them from swimming at public facilities. Now, GWCC’s pool is the only public one in Norristown. GWCC is committed to enhancing the quality of life of community members through its recreation, social and cultural opportunities. They offer programming for school-aged children, adults, and older adults at low or no cost to ensure equitable and inclusive access. Charmaine Bazemore, who has lived in Norristown for over 20 years, joined GWCC as Executive Director last year, and is leading the organization in a wave of new ideas. “I am fulfilled here. I came from corporate America. The sense of purpose the children of our community give me - when I see them take what we are teaching them and apply it to their lives - it makes it worth it. To know you are leaving an imprint on someone’s life is the most satisfying feeling,” Charmaine shared. We express our gratitude to GWCC for serving as a vital hub within the Norristown community for 64 years and counting! #grantmaking #grants #nonprofit #philanthropy #HealthSparkFoundation #equity #socialjustice #GreaterPhiladelphia #MontgomeryCountyPA Photos sourced from: https://lnkd.in/eDPNZ5bP

Last week, we announced our 2024 Dr. Frank E. Boston Black Justice Fund grant recipients! We are sharing the story behind each grantee daily, right here on our LinkedIn page. Click on our logo icon to see highlights from last week! Today’s grantee feature is Be ReZilient, Healing Through The Arts, founded by Denise Williams. Established in 2019. Be ReZilient initially began by hosting workshops tailored for corporations to empower their leadership teams. Over time, the organization expanded its reach by also conducting workshops in schools, women’s shelters, and within the broader community, while building partnerships with other nonprofit organizations. Since then, Be ReZilient has crafted their mission to helping individuals identify and express their trauma through art, and to fostering unity and collaboration. "Be ReZilient emerged during a time in my life marked by loss, uncertainty, and fear, when embracing resilience felt more daunting than the challenges before me,” Denise shared. “The spelling 'ReZilient' with a 'Z' symbolizes the reality of overcoming life's barriers, contrasting with the smoothness implied by the traditional spelling with an 'S.'” Some of Be ReZilient’s signature projects include supporting Pottstown Juneteenth celebrations, an internship program that connects Pottstown BIPOC students with mentors who reflect their backgrounds, and The REACH Wellness Initiative, which provides tangible support by distributing wellness boxes to students in addition to addressing their mental health needs. “It is imperative for human services organizations to adopt a different approach to supporting individuals to create generational impact. This approach involves helping clients connect with their emotional barriers, fostering intentional collaborations, and focusing on long-term impacts. I find great fulfillment in this work, especially when witnessing the transformation in clients as they connect with the emotions behind their barriers. Seeing these barriers begin to move and hope emerge is incredibly rewarding,” Denise said. Thank you Be ReZilient, Healing Through The Arts for advocating and continuously working towards creating a more resilient and supportive community for all in #MontgomeryCountyPA! #grantmaking #grants #nonprofit #philanthropy #HealthSparkFoundation #equity #socialjustice #GreaterPhiladelphia

Our next grantee highlight of the 2024 Dr. Frank E. Boston Black Justice Fund is KB Foundation Inc. founded by Kirk Berry. Mentoring is at the core of KB Foundation’s mission. During his childhood, Kirk was nurtured by his mother and grandmother, who offered him the best care and support possible for success in his situation. Kirk's mother enrolled both him and his younger brother in a mentoring program, but they were not paired with mentors because of a lack of representation. This was crucial to Kirk's mother, who wanted her sons to have mentors that looked like them. It has been Kirk's mission to make sure he can help a few youth not have the same story. In 2017, Kirk founded KB Foundation, Inc. and organized the KB P.O.W.E.R. Boys Mentoring Camp, the first program developed by the foundation. The program is a weekend-long camp experience designed for youth ages 11-13. The message Kirk shares through the camp is full of P.O.W.E.R: Positivity. Opportunity. Wisdom. Encouragement. Responsibility. It is for anyone who may find themselves in difficult and often overwhelming circumstances. Nine youth attended the mentoring camp. By 2022 the mentoring camp grew in size, with 60 campers attending. Kirk has since expanded the programming offered by the KB Foundation to include fun educational learning experiences and workshops that support the youth social and emotional well-being in #GreaterPhiladelphia. The youth associated with the KB Foundation purposefully engage with a diverse group of positive adult #mentors spanning various professions. This strategic approach aims to expose young individuals to a multitude of opportunities, providing concrete and applicable examples they can model. Such exposure enables them to envision a future beyond their current circumstances, fostering aspiration and ambition. One of the ways KB Foundation has approached #powerbuilding, #storytelling, and #leadershipdevelopment – core elements of the Dr. Frank E. Boston Black Justice Fund, is education abroad experiences for youth. Last year, KB Foundation, with the help of the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Eagles' Quarterback Jalen Hurts and Truist, sponsored a trip to the Ivory Coast, Africa for nine youth. The trip included an itinerary of educational immersion and cultural opportunities. When asked about the trip’s impact, 14-year-old, Rahim Gardner stated, “Sometimes books don’t explain the full thing. But since I’m there, I can ask my own questions. I can really get them to elaborate in a way that I can understand it.” Read more about the trip here: https://lnkd.in/eDAwUURV Thank you, KB Foundation Inc., for “transforming, advancing, and changing the minds and hearts of young people to be empowered to be their best selves.” #grantmaking #grants #nonprofit #philanthropy #HealthSparkFoundation #MontgomeryCountyPA #equity #socialjustice

Our next grantee highlight of the 2024 Dr. Frank E. Boston Black Justice Fund is I Choose To Win, founded by Melonie Butler. Melonie discovered herself feeling down during a period of life transition. She decided “it starts with me” when it came to making positive life choices and exercising new habits daily to live a more victorious life - as defined by her, not the world or society. I Choose to Win was born. The organization serves BIPOC women and girls in #MontgomeryCountyPA and the #Philadelphia area, with two types of focused programming: For girls ages 13-18, I Choose to Win offers Winning Workshops and an Empowered Uth cohort. The program aims to empower participants by amplifying their voices, enhancing self-awareness, boosting confidence and self-esteem through goal-setting, and engaging in activities that result in visualizing themselves as leaders. For women 18+, the organization offers in-person and virtual programs, retreats and cohorts on a range of activities including facilitating deep introspection, leadership development and action planning towards participants' own winning journeys or aspirational goals. This often leads them toward entrepreneurship for a pathway of economic independence. “We are on a mission to strengthen the mental wellbeing, resilience and economic position of BIPOC women and girls,” Melonie shared. “It’s our vision to see more BIPOC women and girls rebuilding power and realizing their potential to be the game changers in their own lives - and in their communities, as a result. Why? We want to see more BIPOC women and girls as leaders and owners affording them the opportunity to be change agents in our world.” Thank you, I Choose To Win for empowering BIPOC women and girls and inspiring them to believe in their #power! Learn more about I Choose to Win by visiting their website at https://ichoosetowin.org/. #grantmaking #grants #nonprofit #philanthropy #equity #socialjustice #HealthSparkFoundation #GreaterPhiladelphia?

Our next grantee highlight of the 2024 Dr. Frank E. Boston Black Justice Fund is I Choose To Win, founded by Melonie Butler. Melonie discovered herself feeling down during a period of life transition. She decided “it starts with me” when it came to making positive life choices and exercising new habits daily to live a more victorious life - as defined by her, not the world or society. I Choose to Win was born. The organization serves BIPOC women and girls in #MontgomeryCountyPA and the #Philadelphia area, with two types of focused programming: For girls ages 13-18, I Choose to Win offers Winning Workshops and an Empowered Uth cohort. The program aims to empower participants by amplifying their voices, enhancing self-awareness, boosting confidence and self-esteem through goal-setting, and engaging in activities that result in visualizing themselves as leaders. For women 18+, the organization offers in-person and virtual programs, retreats and cohorts on a range of activities including facilitating deep introspection, leadership development and action planning towards participants' own winning journeys or aspirational goals. This often leads them toward entrepreneurship for a pathway of economic independence. “We are on a mission to strengthen the mental wellbeing, resilience and economic position of BIPOC women and girls,” Melonie shared. “It’s our vision to see more BIPOC women and girls rebuilding power and realizing their potential to be the game changers in their own lives - and in their communities, as a result. Why? We want to see more BIPOC women and girls as leaders and owners affording them the opportunity to be change agents in our world.” Thank you, I Choose To Win for empowering BIPOC women and girls and inspiring them to believe in their #power! Learn more about I Choose to Win by visiting their website at https://ichoosetowin.org/. #grantmaking #grants #nonprofit #philanthropy #equity #socialjustice #HealthSparkFoundation #GreaterPhiladelphia?