Saint Joseph London Awards Grants to Two Local Nonprofits

LONDON, Ky. (Feb. 14, 2025) – Saint Joseph London has awarded more than $75,000 in grant funding to the Kentucky Communities Economic Opportunity Council (KCEOC) Community Action Partnership - Knox County Public Schools and the Community Farm Alliance. The funding will be used for the 2025 calendar year.

“KCEOC and the Community Farm Alliance demonstrate incredible dedication to addressing food insecurity and fostering healthier communities in our community,” said John Yanes, president, Saint Joseph London. “We are honored to support their efforts and look forward to the positive, lasting impact this grant funding will bring to the region.

KCEOC received $50,000 to help address the immediate need for emergency food assistance while educating families about healthy eating and budget-friendly cooking.

“Knox County Public Schools is honored to expand our partnership with CHI Saint Joseph Health and Saint Joseph London by receiving this latest grant,” said Superintendent Jeremy Ledford “This goes beyond providing food for our students.  It's great to partner on initiatives that go beyond basic necessities, offering valuable skills that will help in many areas of their lives. Budgeting and healthy meal choices are such important lessons that will have a lifelong impact.”

Community Farm Alliance was awarded $25,190 to address nutrition disparities among senior populations by providing free locally grown fruits and vegetables.

"For over 40 years, Community Farm Alliance has been working in support of Kentucky farmers and championing all the ways that good food nourishes our bodies,” said Jamie Fitzwater, director of Kentucky Double Dollars. “We are excited to partner with CommonSpirit Health and Saint Joseph London on this pilot that will increase our opportunity to nourish senior citizens, a high risk demographic for food insecurity and nutrition related illnesses.”

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 London’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 London 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, a member 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 London

Saint Joseph London is a 150-bed full-service hospital located in London, Kentucky. Established in 1926, the facility serves patients from southeastern Kentucky, including those from Clay, Laurel, Jackson, Whitley, Knox and Pulaski counties. The current $152 million regional hospital opened in 2010, and offers all private patient rooms, with most overlooking a small lake and garden on the 52-acre healing environment.

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