Rural Collaborative Equity Project Updates

All Counties had to revise their focus or activities due to COVID-19.

Adams County has chosen its measures and will begin work on increasing access to preventative care for women living in Adams County. Quarterly story reports will be available for partners to track progress.

Lincoln County will be posting a job for the Equity Focused Prevention Specialist in the coming weeks. This position will lead the equity work in Lincoln County and outreach low-income adults in Lincoln County, with a goal to increase access to behavioral health services.

Stevens County is waiting until Commissioners are in place to move forward with a revised equity project plan.

Ferry County has chosen to focus on suicide prevention, as suicide rates have increased in rural areas during the COVID pandemic. They will be working to saturate the Ferry County population with suicide prevention training and de-stigmatization of behavioral health issues. This project is set to start in January 2021 and will include an online resource site and free to the public online trainings.

Pend Oreille has begun its work to improve the mental health of youth in their region, with a commitment from multiple partners, in multiple sectors working to outreach the Pend Oreille County youth.

Community Input Requested for Community Resiliency Fund Proposal

BHT is addressing racism as a public health crisis by distributing $1 million from our Community Resiliency Fund to model a funding opportunity that prioritizes awarding dollars to organizations led by and serving Black, Indigenous, and people of color. BHT is seeking broad community input on this concept so we can ensure it is an accessible, trusted, and transparent process. Please click here to view the document and provide us with any comments, questions, concerns, or suggestions you may have through the survey linked below. 

Community Resiliency Fund Proposal Feedback Survey

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COVID-19 Response and Recovery Funds award $746,012 to 165 organizations in Eastern Washington and North Idaho

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COVID-19 Response and Recovery Funds award $746,012 to 165 organizations in Eastern Washington and North Idaho

 SPOKANE, WA, June 16, 2020; Innovia Foundation today announced 165 grants totaling $746,012 from the COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Funds for Eastern Washington and North Idaho.

This is the second round of grants from the Response and Recovery Funds and is directed to nonprofit and grassroots organizations, as well as tribal entities, schools and other government agencies, that are on the front lines of the COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. Grants focused on childcare and youth, food assistance needs, support for immigrant and refugee communities, mental health resources and small business support.

A 5,000 grant to Refugee Connections will support outreach to the Marshallese community, which is experiencing a hotspot COVID-19 outbreak. Washington State University is receiving a $10,000 grant for the Crosetto Mobile Health Care Unit efforts to provide diagnostic and antibody testing for underserved people throughout Eastern Washington. The Carl Maxey Center will hire a part-time, temporary community support position to assist African American business owners to identify and access resources with a $20,000 grant. See attached for the full list of organizations receiving COVID-19 Response and Recovery funding throughout Eastern Washington and North Idaho.

The COVID-19 Response and Recovery Funds are hosted at Innovia Foundation in partnership with Empire Health Foundation and Spokane County United Way in Eastern Washington, and Equinox Foundation and Avista Foundation in North Idaho.

“The amount of money raised because of the generosity of our community is inspiring. The ability to distribute dollars quickly to nonprofits in our community that are working daily to support families during these difficult times is a priority for Innovia Foundation, Empire Health Foundation and United Way,” said Spokane County United Way President and CEO Tim Henkel. “We all know there is more work to do to support the most marginalized and low-income members of our community who are adversely affected by this outbreak and we will continue to partner to strengthen people’s ability to respond and recover.”

“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we remain very concerned about ongoing health and financial impacts, particularly among communities of color. Our second-round funding priorities are largely focused on organizations serving adults and children in these communities, where deep disparities remain,” said Empire Health Foundation Interim President Jeff Bell. “I want to thank the Spokane County COVID-19 Advisory Committee and funders’ staff for the tremendous work in making difficult and thoughtful decisions.”

“These funds are helping to address the urgent, basic needs that have surfaced during the COVID-19 global pandemic and Better Health Together is glad to contribute. We see this as a starting point for community collaboration,” said Better Health Together Executive Director Alison Poulsen. “We challenge funders and leaders to address systemic racism that exacerbates health inequities in our communities of color.” 

“The second round of COVID-19 grants continues to address the most urgent needs in our region and supports organizations doing the work on the ground,” said Innovia Foundation CEO Shelly O’Quinn. “As our region enters into the recovery phase, we are reminded of the strength of community and collaboration as we collectively make these grants thoughtfully and strategically with over 100 regional volunteers and trusted voices.”

Grants from the COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Funds are administered in partnership with regional community advisory groups consisting of residents and leaders from health, business, education and human services sectors. Thanks to the generosity of local, regional and national funding partners, the funds for Eastern Washington and North Idaho have surpassed $2.7 million.

Businesses, individuals and organizations can donate and find additional information about the COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Funds for Eastern Washington and North Idaho at innovia.org/COVID19.

 COVID-19 Response and Recovery Funding partners: Innovia Foundation, Empire Health Foundation, Spokane County United Way, Avista Foundation, Ballmer Group, Bank of America, BECU, Better Health Together, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Burlington Northern, Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation, Columbia Bank, Community Building Foundation, Cowles Company, Delta Dental of Washington, Equinox Foundation, Health Sciences & Services Authority of Spokane County, Itron, Lewis-Clark Valley Healthcare Foundation, MultiCare Health System, M.J. Murdock Charitable Foundation, Mountain West Bank, Numerica Credit Union, Perigee Fund, PotlatchDeltic Corporation, Premera Blue Cross, Providence Health Care, STCU, Umpqua Bank, Washington Trust Bank, Wells Fargo and Women Helping Women Fund, and dozens of generous individual donors from our communities.

Innovia Foundation ignites generosity that transforms lives and communities so that every person has the opportunity to thrive. As the community foundation for Eastern Washington and North Idaho, we partner with people who want to make our world better. We work together to address and solve our region’s problems, help those in need, identify and respond to our greatest opportunities and leave a lasting impact. Each year, Innovia Foundation invests nearly $7 million into our communities through grants and scholarships to nonprofit organizations and local students.

LAUREN NISSEN

Philanthropic Engagement Manager

Innovia Foundation

File: All Round Two Grants

SPS Resolution on Racial Equity - Letter of Support

BHT wrote the Spokane Public Schools Board in support of the adoption of the Board resolution on racial equity. The letter is copied below:

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To:      
School Board President, Jerrall Haynes
School Board Vice President, Michael Wiser
School Board Member, Nicki Lockwood
School Board Member, Jenny Slagle
School Board Member, Kevin Morrison

From: Alison Poulsen, Executive Director

Date:   June 9, 2020

RE:       Support for School Board Resolution on Racial Equity

On behalf of the Board and staff of Better Health Together (BHT), we strongly support the proposed Resolution on Racial Equity. BHT is committed to ensuring every person in our community has the institutional support to achieve their full health potential and that no person experiences negative health outcomes as a result of identity, environment, or experiences. 

Over the past two years, BHT has committed our work to increase health equity through our Medicaid Transformation efforts. These efforts include:

• Financially supporting our Community Voices Council members with stipends. It’s often an unfair financial burden to community members to participate, while organizations pay for their leaders to participate.

• Organizationally supporting our county-based Collaboratives to select a community Equity project. The Spokane Collaborative has prioritized activities related to: 

  • outreach to policymakers and landlords regarding rental assistance needs emerging during COVID; 

  • parent & caregiver support trainings in the 99207 zip code, and connecting those trainings to resources & incentives such as food and financial assistance; and

  • creating messaging about available mental health resources while mental health stigma may be lessened during COVID.

• Structuring our contracts with Primary Care and Behavioral Health providers to include Pay-for-Equity activities.

• Deepening our BHT staff and Board’s commitment to equity via monthly equity trainings and workgroups focused on expanding knowledge and dismantling white supremacy culture.

We stand with Spokane Schools to build anti-racism into the bones of our society to increase empowerment, belonging, value, and hope for the future (adapted from Ijeoma Olou). We applaud your adoption of this Racial Equity resolution and action steps.