ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A handful of Lehigh Valley nonprofits are on the receiving end of grant money to further their missions.
The Preventive Measures Foundation awarded those grants this week.
The foundation released $25,000 in grant money to community organizations to further mental health wellness.
“We're serving the community through services, but we're also serving the community through partnerships with organizations to really build up the people in the community,” said Dwayne Jones, chairman of the foundation based in Allentown.
The Preventive Measures Foundation is the nonprofit sector of a for profit mental health services company of the same name.
“We provide medication management, clinical therapy as well as intakes, and psychiatric assessments, psychiatric evaluations," Jones said.
"So the gamut of outpatient services and the professionals that we have there, we have nurse practitioners, board certified psychiatrists and licensed clinical therapists."
He said recipients of the 2024 Community Organization Grants had to submit an application and those on the receiving end got their checks for $5,000 Wednesday.
“I saw the grant as an opportunity to make all services that I offer throughout this program at zero cost."Travis Bonney, founder, 5mash 3ndz LLC.
“I saw the grant as an opportunity to make all services that I offer throughout this program at zero cost,” said Travis Bonney, of 5mash 3ndz LLC.
Bonney founded the Serious Clamps Basketball Camp in Allentown.
“I love the game of basketball, so I figured through basketball, I could teach the youth all of the lessons that I've learned, and the knowledge that I've gained from the game and how it also relates to life,” he said.
“It's relieving that pressure. This means kids can really just focus on coming as often as they need to benefit from the services, and not have to be worried about whether or not they can afford to continue.”
Grant recipients and community providers
Other grant recipients included Girls on the Run Lehigh Valley, the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley, SISU Empowering Others, Family Promise of the Poconos, and Pocono Mountain United Way.
“We understand that we can't do it without these other community providers who actually support the whole person, whether it's housing or primary health or food," Jones said.
"This is our part that we feel we can do to work with those partners."
In addition to the 2024 Community Organization Grants, the foundation recognized the partners of the A Million Steps to Mental Health Awareness Walk with $2,500.
Those organizations included the Mindful Child Initiative and Valley Youth House.
“We were honored to partner with Preventative Measures as one of their recipients for their walk,” said Sarah Martinez, co-executive director of Mindful Child Initiative.
"We provide mindfulness education in all of the Allentown elementary schools, the 16 elementary schools this year, so weekly mindfulness education with about 7,400 kids."
"We will use this money directly to impact the children in the Allentown School District to receive the mindfulness education.”
Jones emphasized that children will have a better opportunity to grow and fully develop as adults.
He said the money was raised through their annual gala and the Preventive Measures Foundation also awards college scholarships throughout the year.
