Saint Joseph Berea Awards Grants to Two Local Nonprofits

BEREA, Ky. (Oct. 24, 2024) - Saint Joseph Berea has awarded $26,000 in grant funding to Hospice Care Plus and Sustainable Berea to improve the health and well-being of Berea residents. The funding will be used for the 2025 calendar year.

“Hospice Care Plus and Sustainable Berea play an essential role in providing compassionate care and advancing sustainability in our region,” said John Yanes, president, Saint Joseph Berea. “We are proud to support their impactful work through this grant funding and look forward to the lasting positive changes they will bring to our community.”

Hospice Care Plus was awarded $10,000 to help provide grief and loss support for those facing the loss of a loved one.

“We are thrilled to have been chosen as one of this year’s award recipients and want to thank all who’ve made this possible,” said Lisa Cox, CEO of Hospice Care Plus. “These funds will help us address the need for grief and loss support for those facing the loss of a loved one across Estill, Jackson, Lee, Madison, Owsley, and Rockcastle counties. We provide this support to anyone in these communities, regardless of whether the loved one received hospice care or not. Some of the key components of our grief and loss program include 6-week in-person support groups across our 6-county service region, periodic grief support series events, workshops and educational opportunities, all of which are facilitated by our Grief & Loss Support Coordinator (GLSC). In addition, we will be able to help in cases where a participant’s grief may be more complicated. Thank you again for this opportunity and for this gift!"

Sustainable Berea received $16,000 to help provide produce from Berea Urban Farm to low-income individuals suffering from one or more chronic diseases, along with cooking materials and instructions.

“More than half of American adults suffer from chronic diseases caused or made worse by poor diet,” said Richard Olson, director. “Through their support of the Farmacy Project, CommonSpirit Health and Saint Joseph Berea will enable the Berea Urban Farm to provide fresh nutrient-rich vegetables and fruits to low-income adults in Berea and Richmond who suffer from chronic disease, along with nutrition education and cooking classes. This recognition of  ‘food as medicine’ will make a significant difference in the lives of these participants and their families, and provide a foundation for educating the broader community about the health benefits of ‘real food.’”

Across Kentucky, CHI Saint Joseph Health awarded $493,910 through the grant program, which was open to nonprofit organizations that address the following priorities – substance use disorders, mental health and mental disorders, and weight status, physical activity and nutrition – through projects planned for the next calendar year. The priorities were identified in Saint Joseph Berea’s most recent community health needs assessment, which is conducted every three years to help the hospitals and community partners identify and address priority health and social needs faced by residents and the region.  

This opportunity was part of the CommonSpirit Health Community Health Improvement Grants program. CHI Saint Joseph Health and Saint Joseph Berea are part of CommonSpirit Health, created in 2019 when Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health came together to create a national health system. 

About CHI Saint Joseph Health

CHI Saint Joseph Health, part of CommonSpirit Health, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with 100 locations in 20 counties, including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes, home health agencies and an ambulatory Care Center. The hospitals in CHI Saint Joseph Health are Flaget Memorial Hospital, Saint Joseph Berea, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph Jessamine, Saint Joseph London, Saint Joseph Mount Sterling, and Women’s Hospital at Saint Joseph East. In total, the health system serves patients in 35 counties statewide. CHI Saint Joseph Health is dedicated to providing a wide array of services toward a goal of building a healthier future for all. CHI Saint Joseph Health embodies a strong mission and faith-based heritage and works through local partnerships to expand access to care in the communities it serves.

About Saint Joseph Berea

Saint Joseph Berea is a 25-bed critical access hospital located in Berea, Kentucky. Established in 1898 on the grounds of Berea College, the facility serves residents of Madison, Estill, Garrard, Jackson and Rockcastle counties. Saint Joseph Berea recognizes the importance of family, friends and familiar surroundings in the healing process and provides a breadth of services so that getting first-rate care doesn’t have to mean being far from home.

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Saint Joseph Berea has awarded $26,000 in grant funding to Hospice Care Plus and Sustainable Berea to improve the health and well-being of Berea residents. The funding will be used for the 2025 calendar year.