Health Foundation of Greater Massillon Invests in Local Health and Wellness Initiatives

Posted on January 13, 2025

In partnership with The Repository, every Monday, Stark Community Foundation highlights positive happenings in our community. Here’s to Good News Mondays!

Health Foundation of Greater Massillon (HFGM), a supporting foundation of Stark Community Foundation, recently awarded over $100,000 in grants to local organizations dedicated to improving health and wellness for area residents.

HFGM was established in 1999 when Massillon Community Hospital and Akron General Medical Center entered into a joint venture. The foundation was created to ensure resources would always be available to support innovative health and wellness programs, especially for economically disadvantaged communities. Since its founding, HFGM has invested more than $3 million in local organizations working to enhance the well-being of individuals and families living in Western Stark, Northern Tuscarawas or Eastern Wayne counties.

Recently, HFGM’s grants awarded in fall 2024 supported a variety of impactful initiatives, including:

  • A Kid Again, Inc.’s Northern Ohio Chapter: $2,500 to fund a free holiday adventure at the IX Center in Cleveland for families raising children with life-threatening conditions.
  • AHEAD, Inc.: $15,000 to support a behavior coach in the Massillon City School District to help students with challenging behaviors develop strategies for success at school, home and in the community.
  • ArtsinStark: $10,000 to help bring Dr. Jeremy Nobel, a distinguished physician and author, to Stark County to share how creative expression can combat loneliness and improve health.
  • Beacon Charitable Pharmacy: $50,000 to support a pharmacist and community health worker in providing essential medications and outreach to uninsured and underinsured residents.
  • Girls on the Run East Central Ohio: $2,500 to offer after-school programming that boosts the health and well-being of pre-teen girls.
  • Malone University: $6,220 to help purchase an infant manikin simulator to train undergraduate nursing students in life-like infant and maternal care scenarios.
  • Pathway Caring for Children: $5,000 to host a one-week summer camp for youth in foster care or involved in mental health services, integrating mental health interventions with traditional camp activities.
  • Serving Area Military and Veterans: $5,200 to provide veterans transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing with lodging kits, including essentials like dishes, food and sheets.
  • Stewart's Caring Place: Aunt Susie's Cancer Wellness Center: $5,000 to support Massillon area residents impacted by cancer with services like counseling, wigs, food assistance and more.

HFGM’s board of directors, comprised of local active and retired business professionals, review grant proposals and determine which projects are funded twice a year. The board emphasizes the importance of using community data to guide decisions-making and ensure meaningful, measurable impact.

For more information about Health Foundation of Greater Massillon, visit www.starkcf.org/HFGM.

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