Foundation awards more than $1M

WASILLA — The Mat-Su Health Foundation has decided to hand out $1,011,750 to area nonprofits.

According to a foundation press release, the largest grant will go to the Salvation Army to build a new community center at King’s Lake. The lake is north of Wasilla off of Wasilla-Fishhook Road.

The foundation says the Salvation Army plans to consolidate operations there, using the facility as a food and clothing bank, a place to help recovering addicts, store disaster relief supplies and offer job counseling.

Twin $200,000 grants will go to help nonprofits cover operational costs for the year.

Set Free Alaska offers outpatient drug and alcohol treatment. Valley Residential Services develops low-income housing.

On the other end of the spectrum, three nonprofits received grants of less than $50,000.

Alaska Legal Services will receive $46,750 to help improve Medicare and Medicaid service. The nonprofit will work with attorneys and other nonprofits to reduce the rate of denied claims with the government health care services.

The Boys and Girls Club of Alaska will get $35,000 to continue its program promoting healthy habits.

And, finally, the Parent-Teacher Association at Snowshoe Elementary will receive $30,000 to renovate the school’s playground equipment.

None of the grants will cover the full costs of any of the projects.

“All these grants were just a piece of the funding required for the various projects. These grantees will stretch and leverage these dollars to assist our community members in need. We’re grateful for their partnership,” the foundation’s board chair, Teri Namtvedt, said in the press release.

Past efforts from the foundation have been bigger or smaller than this cycle of grants. The money has gone to projects as varied as the Sutton Library and the Nugen’s Range substance abuse treatment center, which secured nearly $2 million from the foundation through two years of grants.

The foundation is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-SU Regional Medical Center. Smaller $15,000 grants are awarded throughout the year.

Projects hoping to secure funding in the next round of larger grants must submit pitches by 4 p.m., June 3.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.