BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Mercy and Memorial Hospitals will recognize the organizations selected to receive funding from the Catholic Healthcare West Community Grants Program on Monday, Jan. 18 at a luncheon at Mercy Hospitals of Bakersfield’s Truxtun Campus.

The CHW Community Grants Program was established in 1990 as a system-wide opportunity to financially support other non-profit organizations in communities where CHW hospitals are located. Grants from $5,000 to $25,000 are made to qualifying agencies for programs that meet identified community needs.

The following agencies will receive grants:

Alliance Against Family Violence - The program will provide funding for a Survivor’s Dignity Care Bag Program and the availability of a bilingual counselor. – Granted $25,000

Alpha House, A Place of New Beginnings - Provides emergency shelter and assistance for battered or homeless women and their children, a 24 hour crisis hotline for all citizens of Kern County and education and referral assistance to all clients. – Granted $20,000

American Lung Association of California - The Mobile Asthma Clinic provides clinical and asthma education for underserved children in the Greenfield School District. – Granted $20,000

Bakersfield Homeless Shelter – The Medical/Dental program is designed to provide prescriptions, intensive dental care and medical supplies & equipment for their homeless, uninsured or underinsured clients. – Granted $23,424

Bakersfield Police Activities League - An after school sports and recreation program to provide high-interest healthy activities to counter rising problem of obesity with youth in Kern County. – Granted $25,000

Boys & Girls Club of Bakersfield - “Triple-Play”, an after school program for 125 underserved youth (ages 6 to 18 years) in East Bakersfield and Lamont to address childhood obesity through primary prevention and by addressing underlying causes of health problems. – Granted - $25,000

Golden Empire Gleaners - This program will target low income seniors and provide groceries twice per month. – Granted $20,000

Henrietta Weill Memorial Clinic - The Mental Health Safety Net Program will provide time-limited, effective mental health treatment to children and families in the Delano/McFarland area who are not eligible for services through Medical or other existing insurance plans. – Granted $22,673

Kern River Valley Senior Citizens – Delivery of daily hot meals to homebound seniors upon a doctors’ prescription. – Granted $10,000

National Multiple Sclerosis Society - The program will significantly improve the quality of lives for Kern County individuals with MS by facilitating access to range of critical medical and support services that are needed across the continuum of this chronic disease. – Granted $20,000

Each CHW hospital has a grants administrator that oversees the program and works directly with the corporate office to ensure that the guidelines are followed and timelines met.

Stephanie Weber serves as the Grants Administrator for both Mercy and Memorial Hospitals. She works with a grants review committee made up of representatives from both hospitals as well as the community.

This committee helps determine which agencies will be invited to submit proposals, reviews those proposals, and selects final awardees.

The local review committee consists of: Stephanie Weber, Debbie Hull, Sr. Judy Morasci, Joan Van Alstyne, Jan Glinn, Sandy Doucette, Sue Benham, Pat Campbell and Erica Easton.