MSHF gives $1.5 million in Healthy Impact grants

WASILLA — Mat-Su Health Foundation recently announced $1.5 million in grants for four Healthy Impact grant awards.

Valley Residential Services, LINKS Mat-Su Parent Resource Center, Camp Fire USA-Alaska Council and the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center received grants for projects to improve the health and wellness of people living in the Mat-Su Borough.

Valley Residential Services (VRS) received a grant of $925,000 to assist with the purchase of the Century Plaza office building in Wasilla. VRS manages the daily operation of rental units serving the special housing needs of 250 local tenants. VRS has been leasing 1,500 square feet of office space in the Century Plaza building for the past eight years. The idea to purchase the building came as a result of a feasibility study conducted to find ways to produce additional revenue to underwrite the operating expenses of providing special needs housing. After the purchase of Century Plaza is complete, VRS will act as landlord of the office building and supply leasing and maintenance functions there similar to what they provide for their assisted living housing units.

LINKS Mat-Su Parent Resource Center was awarded a grant of $462,270 to create the Valley’s first Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC). Links will continue to function as the Mat-Su Borough’s only Parent Resource Center serving families of special education students in the school system who have Individual Education Programs (IEP), but the creation of the ADRC expands the LINKS mission to include working with the senior population as well as all eligible individuals who experience a disability.

Campfire USA-Alaska Council received a grant for $99,092 to help build a health center and shower house at its Kenai-based Camp K facility. The health center will be used by camp participants for emergency first aid care and health needs, and will provide ADA-compliant accessible shower and restroom facilities. Over the past five years, 13.5 percent of all children attending Campfire’s summer programs have come from the Mat-Su Borough.

Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center (ANHC) was awarded $50,000 to purchase furniture, fixtures and equipment for its new health center in midtown Anchorage. About 2.6 percent of the center’s patients come from the Mat-Su.

Healthy Impact grants from the Mat-Su Health Foundation fund projects of more than $15,000 that improve the health and wellness of people living in the Mat-Su Borough. The application period for the next round of grants is open; interested local nonprofit organizations can learn more at healthymatsu.org.