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March 3, 2022 – Rocky Mountain Health Foundation (RMHF) has awarded grants totaling nearly $540,000 to health-focused organizations on the Western Slope.   In the inaugural Simple Gifts Fund cycle, the Foundation considered requests of $10,000 or less by organizations offering programs and services that improve conditions for underserved, vulnerable or marginalized people in their 22-county reach. This new fund was created specifically to support Western Slope-based organizations providing services that may not be directly aligned with the Foundation’s core interest areas (providing basic needs, increasing access to and affordability of direct physical & mental health care), but are nonetheless worthwhile and important to their communities. The Simple Gifts cycle was also an option for organizations who do provide services tightly aligned with RMHF’s funding focus areas, but whose request was $10,000 or less. The Simple Gifts Fund featured a streamlined application, expedited timeline, and will require minimal reporting. The Rocky Mountain Health Foundation board of directors approved funding to 83 organizations from 16 Western Slope counties totaling $539,000.  Grants were awarded in the following categories: Adaptive sports, arts, or camps for people living with developmental, cognitive, or physical disabilities or trauma:  $60,000 / 12 grants Community coalitions (local organizations collaborating on a focus issue/population):  $15,000 / 2 grants Community gardens (garden space for community use that may also include nutrition education, or supply fresh food to local food pantries):  $27,000 / 6 grants Early childhood development (training & support by child specialists to enhance the ability of childcare center staff (and/or parents) in helping children achieve full cognitive, emotional, social and physical potential):  $18,000 / 2 grants Focus Area requests of $10,000 or less (providing basic needs, increasing access to and affordability of direct physical & mental health care):  $135,000 / 16 grants Housing counseling (coaching & tools to help people avoid eviction/foreclosure):  $10,000 / 1 grant Legal aid (assistance to low-income individuals/families for legal issues such as child-custody, restraining orders, landlord disputes, immigration):  $15,000 / 3 grants Mentoring (1:1 youth to adult mentorships paired for a specified length of time and which may include case management):  $28,000 / 5 grants Peer support groups (behavioral health support in a peer-group setting):  $25,000 / 3 grants Positive youth development (afterschool/summer programs that offer kids leadership opportunities, relationship & decision-making skills):  $119,000 / 18 grants Respite care (day or short-term care for elderly/medically fragile/disabled individuals):  $20,000 / 2 grants Social/emotional supports (creating social connections and alleviating isolation, especially for seniors and special populations):  $63,000 / 12 grants Workforce development (addressing the healthcare workforce shortage):  $4,000 / 1 grant As the recipient of a Simple Gifts Fund grant, Gardner Flanigan, Executive Director of Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports writes, “your generous grant to STARS will go far in helping us deliver our mission to empower and enrich lives through adaptive recreational activities.” Rocky Mountain Health Foundation was established in 2017 to improve the health of Coloradans living on the Western Slope by investing in community assets and by acting as a catalyst for new approaches.  To learn more about Rocky Mountain Health Foundation and to see a detailed list of funded projects, visit https://rmhealth.org/grant-making/funded-projects/.   Contact: Michaelle Smith, 970.644.8188, michaelle@RMHealth.org