(Salem, OR) February 25, 2021— Catholic Community Services (CCS) was recently awarded a grant from the Willamette Health Council to lead a one-year collaborative effort to improve health outcomes by addressing the social determinants of health in six of its affordable housing complexes in the Salem area. The Building Community Resilience in Affordable Housing initiative aims to build capacity to provide coordinated resident support services, increase the number and quality of social connections among residents, and build on the knowledge base among community-based organizations aiming to replicate evidence-based strategies.
“A key element of the initiative is partnering with organizations and community cooperatives who have services and expertise to facilitate trauma-informed civic engagement,” said CCS CEO Josh Graves.
In addition to partnering with Trillium Family Services to establish resilience councils in the apartment complexes, CCS plans to award between two and eight, $2,500-$10,000 grants to local partners and community groups who propose innovative projects that support building community resilience and improved health outcomes. Applications are due April 15 and can be accessed online at https://ccswv.org/fostering-hope-initiative/
Coordination of the initiative will be through CCS flagship program Fostering Hope Initiative (FHI), a neighborhood-based, collective impact initiative bringing together partners to ensure “every child and youth in every neighborhood lives in a safe, stable, nurturing home, is healthy, succeeds at school and goes on to financial self-sufficiency.” FHI serves as the backbone organization of the growing coalition, which is currently comprised of over 53 established local entities addressing a broad range of social determinants of health including physical and behavioral health, education and social services, and culturally specific services.
Catholic Community Services (CCS) has more than 80 years of experience providing social services to the most vulnerable residents in communities throughout the Mid-Willamette Valley and Central Coast. Our mission is: to champion the positive development of children and adults, strengthen families and build community. Our vision−Children, adults and families with the knowledge, ability, and desire to live
responsibly with others in a just society─ is realized through 12 programs, reaching more than 7,000 individuals in 2019. Core values of Love, Justice, Truth and Freedom guide services including community-based outpatient mental health, family shelter, a food pantry, supportive housing, disability services, vocational alternatives, independent living for foster youth and crisis respite. Dedicated to providing the highest quality services, trauma informed care and research-based practices, CCS is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Child and Family Services, Behavioral Health Services and Group Living Services. In 2019, 985 individual volunteers served more than 20,000 hours supporting our programs and events.
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