Foundation Awards Grants For Health Care Reform

MERIDEN — Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut has approved $1.14 million in grants for 23 Connecticut-based groups that will work on health care reform in 2008.

The grants include $125,000 to advocacy groups, $135,000 for efforts in faith-based communities, $840,000 for organizing efforts, a $20,000 small business grant, and up to $20,000 to be distributed as minigrants to community health centers.

Among the grantees is Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches, which received $30,000 to help create a state agency to work toward eliminating racial, cultural, ethnic, and language barriers to health care. During the 2008 legislative session, the Connecticut Legislature established the Commission on Health Equity to address those problems.

Other grantees whose funding includes work on issues affecting minority communities are: Connecticut Center for a New Economy, receiving $75,000 for leadership training at 15–20 faith organizations and for outreach to religious minorities, such as Muslims, Jews and ethnic Christians; Coalition for Social Change, which was given $35,000 to increase the involvement of Latino clergy and church leaders in health care reform; and Greater New Haven Business & Professional Association, which received $20,000 to involve minority business associations in health care advocacy.

Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut is a nonpartisan, nonprofit grant-making organization dedicated to achieving quality, affordable health care for every Connecticut resident. Learn more about the foundation at www.universalhealthct.org.