Greene County Health and Wellness Foundation supports county residents
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Over the past 16 years, Greene County Health and Wellness Foundation has given out more than $2 million in grants.
“Our mission is to raise money and provide grants to nonprofits doing health care initiatives,” said David Jones, the executive director of the nonprofit.
The foundation invites nonprofits that provide a health care need or service to the community to apply for grants, and the list of organizations that have benefitted runs the gamut.
GCHWF has supported a volunteer fire department with funds to purchase advanced lifesaving technology and purchased more than 50 automatic defibrillators for churches and school districts. Grants have also helped to fund the nursing program at Greene County Career and Technology Center, the purchase of a 15-passenger van to transport adults with developmental disabilities, and provided financial support to Cornerstone Care’s mobile dental unit.
They also support the health care industry by encouraging local youth to join the field.
“We have granted $350,000 in scholarships to students interested in nursing and physician careers. There are five school districts in Greene County, and we give $10,000 away every year to these students,” Jones said.
The causes and organizations selected for grants vary, but all have one thing in common: each is giving Greene County an opportunity for better health, better community and better opportunities, Jones said..
Several years ago, GCHWF did a feasibility study to learn what the community felt was missing and chose to build a recreation center, which opened in November 2017.
EQT Corp. was the $8 million project’s naming sponsor. In addition to that donation, more than 25 local corporations and individuals contributed nearly $3 million to the project, including the Jack Buncher and Richard King Mellon Foundations.
The 60,000-square-foot EQT Rec (Recreation, Education and Community) Center offers a rubberized walking track, conference rooms, fitness facility, soccer field and basketball or pickleball courts.
“It was never intended to just be a soccer field. There’s a social aspect for our community. Seniors enjoy visiting and there’s a game room. We’re trying to fulfill a lot of needs with the rec center,” Jones said. “When we first opened, membership grew quickly to 3,000, and that’s 10% of our county population, so I think it was a much-needed thing.”
In the future, the nonprofit will continue to look for various ways to serve the community.
“We want to continue to grow, be good stewards of our money, raise funds and provide as much support to this county as we can,” Jones said. “We want to partner and work together and combine resources.”
Each year, GCHWF hosts a golf benefit fundraiser in the summer and a Harvest Ball in the fall, and every dollar raised goes back into the community they support.
For more information, visit https://gchwfoundation.org/.