Doylestown, PA (July 8, 2014) – Foundations Community Partnership’s Board of Directors has announced the distribution of $210,000 in grant funding to support 19 Bucks County non-profit organizations and the families they serve. The grant program is an integral part of Foundations’ mission to improve the lives of youth and their families in Bucks County. The grants included $150,000 in Bucks Innovation and Improvement Grants (BIIG), $50,000 in Capital Grants and a $10,000 Emergency Grant.

Foundations Community Partnership awarded a $10,000 Emergency Grant to the Council for Southeastern PA, which provides resources and opportunities to reduce the impact of addition, trauma and other related health issues in the community. The Council will use the grant for its Overdose Prevention and Education Media Campaign, which shares the important message that families can help prevent substance abuse through a public service announcement running in Bucks County theaters.

FCP’s Bucks Innovation and Improvement Grants (BIIG) were awarded to the following organizations and programs:

• Child, Home and Community in Doylestown will use the grant for their  “Fatherhood 101” program, which is designed to meet the unique needs of 25 teen fathers in Bucks County. It focuses on vocational and parent training for new teen fathers. 

• Valley Youth House in Warminster will use the funding for their Mobile Mental Health Therapy, which provides therapy for 30+ homeless or formerly homeless Bucks County youth. This program works with the Valley Youth House Synergy outreach project to support Bucks County youth who do not have other mental health services. 

• Woods Services in Langhorne will use the grant to implement a health and wellness curriculum that will help improve self-esteem and decrease depression, aggression, and other maladaptive behaviors in 40 students with behavioral health challenges. This is an innovative program for special needs children with very challenging behaviors. 

• The Upper Bucks YMCA in Quakertown will use the grant to support its seventh grade initiative, which provides free membership and an after-school program for 200 seventh grade students. The program focuses on identifying children at high risk for behavioral health problems. 

• Pegasus Riding Academy in Philadelphia will use the grant to support its “Leading the Way” program, which provides 7-10 adolescents with severe physical/behavioral health problems access to an equestrian summer day camp. The program is designed to work with each person’s disability and is incorporated with the ESY educational program at the residential facility. 

• Council Rock School District in Newtown will use the grant for their ACHIEVE program, which provides vocational and social skills training for transition-age special needs youth, who are a vulnerable and high risk population. 

• The Bucks County SPCA in Lahaska and Quakertown will use the grant to support their Humane Education Program for Children. The program teaches home pet care with a focus on Bucks County special needs children and is intended to reduce aggression with over 40 children. 

• The Conservatory in Doylestown will use the grant to expand the reach of its community-based music therapy program, which has a high focus on facilities that work with special needs children in Bucks County. 

• The Aark Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Chalfont will use the grant to support its summer camp program. The Camp program strives to teach compassion to 40 children of all backgrounds, cognitive levels and behavioral health issues through the impact of a simple act of kindness and welcomes children regardless of mental health problems, disabilities or ability to pay for participation. 

• Potential Inc. of Newtown will use the funding to help launch its Independent Living Program for 20 adolescents and young adults who are preparing for adulthood. Participants will engage in vocational and social activities to support maintaining friendships and good workplace relations. 

• Special Equestrians in Warrington will use the grant to support their Equine Facilitated Learning program, which focuses on 80 behaviorally challenged at risk youth.

• Pearl S. Buck International in Perkasie will use the grant to support their work with over 100 adoptive Asian families, which include special needs children. 

• Cancer Support Community of Greater Philadelphia (formerly Gilda’s Club) of Warminster will use the funding to support their Straight Talk About Cancer program, which is a peer support group for 75 adolescents ages 12-18 whom have cancer or know someone who has cancer. 

• A Woman’s Place in Doylestown will use the grant for their Prevention Project for At Risk Youth, which provides outreach to 900 at risk and special needs populations and to grow the number of schools. 

Five organizations received Capital Grants from Foundations Community Partnership:

• Bucks County Children’s Museum in New Hope will use the funding to support the construction and fit out of a handicapped accessible multipurpose area and restroom facilities in the new museum expansion space, which can accommodate 75 people. The museum serves special needs children. 

• Doylestown Hospital will use the funding to purchase a portable ultrasound device for its Healthy Beginnings maternity program, which focuses on 300 special needs mothers and babies. 

• Easter Seals in Levittown will use the grant to assist KaBOOM! In building a playground for special needs children. 

• NHP in Levittown will use the grant to upgrade computers to provide access to public school programs that serve special needs and low income after school students. 

• Mercer Museum in Doylestown will use the funding to acquire new computer hardware and software equipment for its Robotics Camp, which includes children with special needs. 

“The Foundations grant enabled us to leverage individual donations. These combined vital funds will allow us to completely replace the old hardware and software used in our robotics camp, which instills children’s interest in the STEM disciplines,” said Laura Biersmith, Vice President of Development, Mercer Museum. “The funding came at a time when we needed to take this popular program to the next level.”

“The Board of Directors is pleased to support such worthwhile local organizations that truly make a difference in the community,” said Joseph Stella. MD, Chairman, Foundations Community Partnership Board of Directors. “Our grant program helps the groups that are fulfilling unmet needs for underserved children and families in Bucks County.”