Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Community Foundation of the Ozarks awards $150,000 to four projects

Community Foundation of the Ozarks is shown Aug. 9, 2022.
Gregory Holman/KSMU
Community Foundation of the Ozarks is shown Aug. 9, 2022.

Jordan Valley Community Health Center, Community Partnership of the Ozarks, Great Circle and the Springfield Center for Dyslexia and Learning received funding as part of a grant program intended to address “red flags” in the regularly-issued Community Focus Reports covering the Springfield area.

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks awarded funds from the Jewell Schweitzer Collective Impact Grant Program at an event Tuesday, with money distributed among four projects.

Community Partnership of the Ozarks: $40,000 for the Crisis Cold Weather Shelter Initiative, a partnership with the City of Springfield, Springfield Fire Department, City Utilities of Springfield Transit, Grace United Methodist Church, East Sunshine Church of Christ, Unity of Springfield, Asbury United Methodist, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, YouthConnect, Revive 66 and The Gathering Tree–Eden Village, the Connecting Grounds, Venues 425, the Salvation Army Harbor House, Gathering Friends, and No Reservations Food Truck/Catering. This grant supports a part-time crisis cold weather shelter organizer.

Great Circle: $35,000 for brain-science-based education assessments and intervention, a partnership with CASA of Southwest Missouri and Missouri Alliance for Children and Families. This project aims to provide a holistic approach to healing trauma in children in foster care.

Jordan Valley Community Health Center: $40,000 for MO Family Connects, a partnership with the Mayor’s Commission for Children, CoxHealth, Mercy Hospital and Springfield-Greene County Health Department. This program is intended to address "red flags" surrounding health care access among children and child abuse and neglect at birth with an in-home visitation program based on the Family Connects model.

Springfield Center for Dyslexia and Learning: $35,000 for recruitment and training of tutors and scholarships for students with dyslexia, a partnership with CoxHealth and Springfield Public Schools.

Community Foundation of the Ozarks officials said each project funded through the Schweitzer grants must include at least three organizations.

The committee awarding the funding included CFO board members Roy Hardy Jr., Emily Kembell and Lynn Meyerkord; along with Travis Liles, Chase Snider and Margo Spilde.

Gregory Holman is a KSMU reporter and editor focusing on public affairs.