In February, FISA Foundation’s board awarded $450,000 in grants to improve the lives of women, girls and people with disabilities throughout southwestern Pennsylvania. This round of grants included approximately $70,000 to improve access to health care; $100,000 for ending domestic and sexual violence; and $275,000 for improving equitable opportunities.
IMPROVING ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE:
- $30,000 to Birth Circle program (under fiscal agency of East Liberty Family Health Care Center) to provide doula services for pregnant teens and to advocate for insurance reimbursement of doula services.
- $40,000 to P.O.W.E.R. as general operating support for gender-specific programming for women in recovery from addiction.
ENDING DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE:
- $23,000 to Arc of Washington County to support implementation of a comprehensive sexuality education and abuse prevention program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- $30,124 to Blackburn Center Against Domestic and Sexual Violence in continued support for an initiative to prevent domestic and sexual violence by addressing root causes.
- $50,000 to Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh to explore a potential merger.
INCREASING EQUITY:
- $40,000 to Auberle to support start-up costs for a new semi-independent living program for girls being served in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems.
- $50,000 to Bethlehem Haven as general operating support for services to homeless women.
- $30,000 to Education Law Center to provide advocacy for students with disabilities to ensure access to appropriate educational opportunities.
- $46,210 to Fair Housing Partnership to combat housing discrimination against people with disabilities by supporting education about fair housing laws, including rules on reasonable accommodations and modifications.
- $75,000 over two years to HEARTH, in support of a capital campaign for a new facility to provide transitional housing to homeless women and their children.
- $15,000 to Magee-Womens Hospital Foundation as general operating support for Girls on the Run, an after-school program designed to empower girls through running and building self-esteem.
- $10,000 to UCP/Class to support production and distribution of the Allegheny County Family Resource Guide to improve service coordination for children with disabilities.
- $10,000 to United Way of Allegheny County to support policy analysis and planning for the 21 and Able campaign designed to improve the transition to adulthood for youth with disabilities.