Category: Press Release

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $375K IN CORONAVIRUS GRANT AWARDS

    Wasilla, Alaska — The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) has made nine grant awards totaling $378,124 to local nonprofit service providers for coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention and response. The foundation’s Coronavirus Prevention and Response (CPR) grant program was developed over the last two weeks and will continue offering grants throughout the pandemic.

    “Our entire community is impacted by COVID-19, and we want to be there to support the organizations that provide critical services to our residents,” said MSHF CEO Elizabeth Ripley. “CPR grant applications receive expedited handling to help health and human service nonprofits experience minimal to no disruption of service.”

    In addition to offering the CPR grant program, the foundation has taken other steps to support nonprofits during this tumultuous time, including easing reporting requirements for new and existing grant recipients, and allowing for re-purposing of previously awarded grants if the money is needed for coronavirus response. Foundation staff are also working alongside Mat-Su food and homelessness/housing coalitions to assist in managing a coordinated response to meeting the basic needs of Mat-Su residents during the pandemic. In addition, the MSHF worked with Mat-Su mayors and other government officials to develop an advertising campaign to amplify the health mandates issued by the State of Alaska.

    CPR grant requests may be as high as $50,000 per nonprofit organization. Approvals are prioritized as follows:

    • Operational funding, supplies, equipment and other program costs for organizations that are trying to minimize exposure for high risk groups and meet the basic needs of the people they serve.
    • Operational funding, supplies, equipment and other program costs for organizations that are working to secure basic needs for all residents (i.e. food banks, homeless prevention program utility and rent payments).

    The first organizations to receive funding under the CPR program include the following:

    • The Children’s Place: $50,000 to support efforts to continue to provide services to emergency child abuse cases throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by developing a system to respond to cases safely using personal protective equipment (PPE).
    • CODI: $50,000 to help mitigate the effects of federal and state social distancing protocols while delivering essential behavioral mental health services.
    • Frontline Mission: $50,000 to provide emergency food assistance to those in need.
    • Kids Kupboard: $50,000 to support expanded youth meal services via mobile route distribution and home delivery.
    • Santa Cop & Heroes: $50,000 to support a coordinated effort to supply a biweekly food box to seniors in need, as well as medication delivery.
    • True North Recovery: $50,000 to support their payroll needs and to invest in developing telehealth expansion.
    • Upper Susitna Food Pantry: $42,587 to support a stable supply of much needed commodities in their rural food pantry.
    • Valley Charities: $29,536 to cover missed wages for Valley Charities staff and fixed expenses related to the closure of their thrift store, which helps fund homeless prevention efforts.
    • HeartReach Center: $6,000 to provide emergency supplies for families served.

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    Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services.  More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org .

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION TEMPORARILY CLOSES FACILITY DUE TO CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

    Wasilla, Alaska — In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) building will be temporarily closed to the general public effective Monday, March 23, 2020. This closure affects not only the MSHF office, but the conference center and the tenants in the building as well. It’s difficult to predict when the facility will reopen, but MSHF staff will be monitoring the situation continuously.

    This was a difficult decision to make, but one that is necessary to help keep employees, building tenants, and the community healthy. The building closure doesn’t mean that the foundation will stop providing the assistance that grantees and their clients count on. The MSHF team stands ready to serve, working virtually from each employee’s home to ensure business continuity. The staff can be reached via the email addresses and phone numbers online at www.healthymatsu.org.

    During the closure, many of the building’s other businesses will also be offering services in alternative ways.  Please see the list below for more information.

    Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska

    (907) 746-3413

     

    BBBS

    Kaitlyn Morrison

    Kaitlyn.morrison@bbbsak.org

    (907) 376-4617

     

    Care Coordination Resource of Alaska

    (907) 746-3445

     

    Connect Mat-Su

    373-CNCT (2628)

    specialist@connectmatsu.org

     

    LINKS/ADRC

    (907) 373-3632

    links@linksprc.org

     

    Mat-Su Health Foundation

    (907) 352-2863

    Email addresses for all staff are available online at www.healthymatsu.org

     

    Onward & Upward

    Randy Dowd

    (907) 953-5360

    randy.dowd@onwardandupward.org

     

    REACH 907

    Rachel Olson

    (907) 982-9645

    rachel@reach907ak.org

     

    R.O.C.K. Mat-Su

    info@rockmatsu.org

     

    Stone Soup Group

    Thomas Summers

    thomass@stonesoupgroup.org

    (907) 792-3413

     

    Thread

    Tamora Harding-Childs

    tharding@threadalaska.org

    Cell: (907) 355-8927

     

    VIA

    Joe DowlingSoka

    (423) 202-4436

     

    Youth 360

    Tyler Healy

    (907) 715-0121

    director@youth-360.org

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    Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services.  More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org .

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES NEW CORONAVIRUS GRANT FUNDING

    Wasilla, Alaska — The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is offering Coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention and response grants to Mat-Su nonprofit organizations. The grants are designed to support local nonprofits as they address unplanned expenses and/or lost revenue relating to the Coronavirus pandemic. Examples of things that may be funded include:

    • Support to build and develop pandemic education and prevention strategies for an organization’s staff and clients.
    • Assistance in communicating with clients about service/outreach changes due to a heightened risk of exposure to Coronavirus.
    • Funding for critical safety-net needs for the clients of nonprofits, including housing, transportation, medical care, childcare, and food security for those affected by disease, quarantine, or school/agency closures.
    • Grants for psychosocial supports and mental health services for staff.
    • Quarantine supplies for nonprofit residential programs.
    • Unexpected work-from-home expenses, which could include establishing collaboration platforms and secure file sharing.
    • Prevention-related expenses for items such as sanitizing supplies and equipment, or professional cleaning of common areas.
    • Costs for offering services to a nonprofit’s clients in less risky ways to deliver services (for example, bringing pick-up or home-delivered meals rather than serving congregate meals, and offering virtual rather than in-person service delivery).
    • Operating expenses associated with Coronavirus, such as lost revenue, continuity planning, or increased labor costs.

    Grant funding is not available for the following:

    • Reimbursement for any goods or services purchased or provided prior to March 12, 2020.
    • Expenses without documentation or invoices.
    • Any costs that insurance or state/federal emergency relief funds will cover or reimburse, unless delays will cause critical and/or ongoing program delays.

    CPR grant requests may be as high as $50,000 per grantee. Approvals are prioritized as follows:

    • Operational funding, supplies, equipment and other program costs for organizations that are trying to minimize exposure for high risk groups while meeting their basic needs.
    • Operational funding, supplies, equipment and other program costs for organizations that are working to secure basic needs for all residents (i.e. food banks, homeless prevention program utility and rent payments).

    These special grants may be used to fund projected needs based on estimates or other documentation, and applications will receive expedited handling.  Qualified applicants may request a CPR grant by filling out a Target Wellness grant application online at www.healthymatsu.org.  Assistance securing a line of credit is also available.

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    Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services.  More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org .

  • CONNECT MAT-SU WELCOMES NEW DIRECTOR ASHLEY PELTIER

    Wasilla, Alaska — The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) has announced that Ashley Peltier has been hired as the director of Connect Mat-Su. Ashley begins her new position on March 23, 2020.

    Connect Mat-Su was created in 2018 by the foundation and community partners to be a comprehensive and innovative health and social services information and referral resource center serving all residents of Mat-Su. It is a network that is both a physical and virtual resource center linking residents with immediate access to the information, referrals, and direct assistance needed to thrive physically, mentally, socially and emotionally.

    “Finding the right person to fill a key position like director of Connect Mat-Su can be difficult, so we’re thrilled to welcome Ashley to our team,” said MSHF CEO Elizabeth Ripley. “She has a strong history of commitment to improving health and wellness in our community, and her energy and unique skill set are a perfect fit for taking Connect Mat-Su to the next level.”

    In her role as director of Connect Mat-Su, Ashley will lead a team using partnerships and technology to deliver quality, warm, and responsive customer service that ensures all customers get their information and referral (I&R) needs met and successfully get connected to the services they need. Ashley will be responsible for moving forward foundational efforts to launch this program while growing the center’s capacity, scope and quality.  She will report to MSHF Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Ripley and also be accountable to the Connect Mat-Su Steering Committee.

    Ashley was previously director of health promotion for the American Lung Association in Alaska. Prior to being promoted to that position, she was successful in several other roles with that organization, including Mat-Su manager, lung health manager, and lung health coordinator. She also has experience as a health educator at Southcentral Foundation, children’s outreach advocate at Alaska Family Services, and program assistant for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. Ashley earned a master’s degree in sociology from the University of North Dakota.

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    Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services.  More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org .

     

  • PHOTOVOICE EXHIBITION OPENING FEBRUARY 6 AT MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION BUILDING

    Wasilla, AK — The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is hosting a photovoice exhibition on Thursday, February 6 from 4 – 7 pm. Photovoice is a form of participatory action research that enables community members to take a leading role collecting, analyzing, and reporting data. Using this process, groups of people come together to take pictures that answer specific questions.  In this case, MSHF asked project participants to identify factors that promote health in the community, and also ones that hinder it.  The photovoice project was part of the foundation’s recently completed Community Health Needs Assessment; 11 community groups participated in photovoice, producing several hundred photos.

    The Mat-Su Health Foundation started the photovoice project because traditional methodology used in previous assessments, such as Census and survey data and community meetings, were not adequately capturing the voices of all Mat-Su residents. Voices of people such as youth, those without telephones, those who don’t trust traditional systems, including government, and those who speak English as a second language or are recent immigrants and refugees were not being heard.

    “Photovoice is unique way to hear every voice in the community,” said Mat-Su Health Foundation CEO Elizabeth Ripley. “It is a way to highlight strengths, assets, weaknesses, issues and barriers in each participant’s life, environment and community.”

    The groups that participated in this project were Chickaloon Traditional Council (three groups: Elders, Women and Tribal Citizens)); Kabayan Inc (Filipino Community); Knik Tribe; Latinx Residents; Mat-Su Health Services: Parents With Purpose (CCS Early Learning); People of a Certain Age (older residents); Williwaw Community Residents, and  the Youth Leadership Council of  R.O.C.K. Mat-Su.

    The photovoice project will be on display at the Mat-Su Health Foundation building at 777 N. Crusey St. in Wasilla through the end of February. It is free and open to the public.

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    Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services.  More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org .

     

  • NOW AVAILABLE: SCHOLARSHIPS TO HELP MAT-SU RESIDENTS PURSUE EDUCATION IN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

    Wasilla, AK — Help is now available for local people of all ages interested in pursuing education in the health and human services fields. Mat-Su residents are invited to apply for Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) academic scholarships that can be applied toward the full cost of attendance for students pursuing degrees in health and human services at accredited colleges and universities.

    “Mat-Su’s healthcare workforce of tomorrow is being built today,” said MSHF Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Ripley. For the second year in a row, we dramatically increased academic scholarship funding. Last year, 275 local residents were awarded a total of more than $1.5 million in academic scholarships. We are striving to ensure that Mat-Su residents have access to the education and training they need to participate in a fast-growing sector of the economy, while also helping everyone in the community have access to the services they need to be healthy.”

    The number of individual scholarships and the total dollar amount varies each year. Complete eligibility requirements and the online application are available at www.healthymatsu.org. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2020.

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    Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services. More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org .

  • BETSY SMITH IS NEW DIRECTOR OF R.O.C.K. MAT-SU

    Wasilla, AK— Betsy Smith has been selected as the new director of R.O.C.K. Mat-Su (Raising Our Children with Kindness). R.O.C.K. Mat-Su is a collaborative of community members – including individuals and organizations – joining together to promote family resilience and reduce child maltreatment. It works to build social supports, eliminate silos, and influence systems that affect kids and families throughout the Mat-Su Borough, all in support of achieving the goal of ending child abuse in Mat-Su. The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) provides ongoing staff and financial support to the collaborative, and R.O.C.K. Mat-Su has also received additional funding from local, regional and national philanthropic organizations.

    “We’re thrilled to see Betsy Smith move up to the director role at R.O.C.K. Mat-Su,” said MSHF CEO Elizabeth Ripley. “After an extensive hiring process, a statewide search, and several rounds of competitive interviews, the R.O.C.K. Mat-Su Hiring Committee unanimously chose her as the best candidate. She brings experience, a dynamic leadership style, solid professional relationships, and the vision needed to lead R.O.C.K. Mat-Su into its next chapter of mission-critical work.”

    Since its founding in 2014, R.O.C.K. Mat-Su has grown to be a collaborative of over 30 cross-sector partners engaging in 18 strategies spanning the public health prevention spectrum.R.O.C.K. Mat-Su strives to achieve its goals by changing the systems that influence the lives of children and families in the Mat-Su Borough. The collaborative embraces a spectrum of strategies that impact families both universally and through targeted interventions. Some highlights of the work of R.O.C.K. Mat-Su include developing the Palmer Families with Infants and Toddlers (FIT) Court, partnering with the Mat-Su Borough School District to bring trauma-informed practices to 30 schools, and collaborating with the Office of Children’s Services to improve the experience of family contact for parents with children in foster care.

    Smith began her work with R.O.C.K. Mat-Su in 2017 and most recently has been serving in two part-time R.O.C.K. Mat-Su positions: Upper-Su Community Coordinator and Trauma Sensitive Schools Fellow. She served as executive director of Northern Susitna Institute from 2014-2018 and prior to that held a variety of positions in program management and environmental education. Smith earned a Master of Education degree in environmental education from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Arts in biology from College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University.

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    Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services.More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org.

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION GRANTS AVAILABLE

    Wasilla, AK— The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is pleased to announce that project pitches for its Healthy Impact and Discovery grant programs are now being accepted. Applications received by October 16, 2019 will be considered for award by the end of this year, and those submitted after that date will be considered for funding in 2020.

    Healthy Impact and Discovery grants fund projects over $15,000 that improve the health and wellness of people living in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Healthy Impact grants can be requested for any project that meets MSHF grant guidelines. Discovery grants fund projects that address findings and/or recommendations found in specific MSHF-sponsored research.

    The Mat-Su Health Foundation uses a two-part application process for Healthy Impact and Discovery grants. The first phase of the process is the project pitch, a short online application that includes information about the organization that is applying for the grant and a description of the proposed project. After reviewing all project pitches, the foundation invites forward to full application the projects that most closely align with its mission and focus areas.

    Prospective applicants are encouraged to visit the foundation’s website at www.healthymatsu.org to learn more about the grant process, the types of projects the foundation funds and does not fund, and to review its searchable grants database to see projects that have been awarded in the past. The reports relevant to the Discovery Grant program may also be found online.

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    About Mat-Su Health Foundation: Mat-Su Health Foundation(MSHF)is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.In this capacity, the MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution hrough board oversight. The MSHF invests its assets into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su.More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org/ .

     

     

  • MAT-SU’S DR. MELISSA KEMBERLING SELECTED FOR NATIONAL CHANGE LEADERS IN PHILANTHROPY FELLOWSHIP

    Wasilla, Alaska – Mat-Su Health Foundation Vice President of Programs Dr. Melissa Kemberling has been selected for the prestigious Change Leaders in Philanthropy Fellowship. This national program is conducted by Grantmakers for Effective Organization (GEO). It is a 10-month peer cohort program for senior executives who are responsible for developing and guiding key change efforts in their organizations.

    Participants in the Change Leaders in Philanthropy Fellowship program explore what it takes to lead transformational change through an individual, organizational and ecosystem lens. Participants convene in-person and virtually with one another to learn, share resources and apply insights to their work in real time. Fellows also identify best practices and recommendations for creating organizational conditions that lead to smarter grantmaking. These practices, informed by fellows’ experiences and related research, will be shared broadly with the field to support other leaders and build greater knowledge of leading change in philanthropy.

    “I’m excited for this opportunity to learn how the Mat-Su Health Foundation can increase its effectiveness at supporting a community where everyone has the opportunity to live a healthy life by focusing on celebrating diversity, promoting equity, and seeking inclusion at every stage in our grant making process and other work,” said Dr. Kemberling.

    In her role as vice president of programs Dr. Kemberling oversees grants, scholarships, and community systems change, and manages research and evaluation for the Mat-Su Health Foundation. She began her career as a pediatric physical therapist in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Boston City Hospital in Massachusetts, as well as working in local schools. Melissa holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Tulane University and a Master’s in Public Health from Columbia University.During graduate school she worked as an education director at a Head Start Program in northern Manhattan and was a Center for Women in Policy Fellow at SUNY Albany.Her career in public health began with international work evaluating HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in Central America, as well as health clinics in Trinidad and Tobago.When she first arrived in Alaska she taught in the Sociology Department at UAA.She also spent six years at the Alaska Native Epidemiology Center at ANTHC where she served as the Senior Epidemiologist.

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    About Mat-Su Health Foundation: Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution through board oversight.MSHF invests its assets into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su.More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org/ .