Trillium's Grants Drive Health Equity and Access in Oregon

EUGENE, Ore. and TIGARD, Ore., Dec. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Trillium Community Health Plan ("Trillium"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), today announced 35 grants awarded to community organizations and nonprofits in the Tri-County and Southwest regions of Oregon. These strategic investments are rooted in Trillium's commitment to improve health outcomes and address fundamental social factors impacting health, such as stable housing, food security, social support and educational opportunities.

"Trillium is committed to the health and well-being of Oregonians," said Sarah Kelley Brewer, plan president and CEO of Trillium. "Through partnerships with provider and community groups, we are able to support projects that respond to the needs of historically underserved individuals, children and families, increasing access to culturally responsive services, educational programming, nutrition-focused interventions, housing supports and so much more."

The grant recipients were selected based on each project's ability to implement evidence-based community level interventions that improve health and healthcare quality, prioritize collaborative partnerships to amplify impact, and advance health equity for Trillium's members and the community at large. 

The grants will support initiatives throughout the Tri-County and Southwest regions. Organizations serving Lane, Western Douglas, Western Linn, Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties could apply for grants. For more information about Trillium's Community Benefit Initiative grants, visit the Trillium website at www.trilliumohp.com.

Tri-County & Southwest Service Areas Grant Recipients

• Nurturely  ̶̶  To provide culturally and linguistically appropriate perinatal health education and fund a community liaison to connect pregnant individuals to needed services.
• Orchid Health Clinic  ̶  To support implementing an Electronic Health Records system and provide food for community members in need at service locations.
• Providence Child Center (Swindells) – To support in-person and virtual parent education courses and training.

Tri-County Area Grant Recipients

• Adelante Mujeres  ̶  For events focused on building health literacy, in particular shifting stigma around mental health and distrust of the healthcare system through bilingual and bicultural educational training and programs.
• Black Parent Initiative  ̶  For the expansion of direct client programs and services offered through the Early Childhood Continuum, including home visitor services, direct food, and housing assistance, as well as Black Family Resource Center Program services to provide community workshops and events on health, early childhood development, parenthood, education and cultural celebrations.
• Center for African Immigrants and Refugees Organization (CAIRO)  ̶  To provide culturally competent and linguistically appropriate education and training for African refugees and immigrants on chronic disease prevention, living with chronic conditions, health literacy and nutrition, and cooking.
• Cascades AIDS Project  ̶  For housing navigation services, eviction prevention expenses, rental, and utility payment assistance.
• Catholic Community Charities of Oregon  ̶  For food, rental assistance and housing support for refugee community members, seniors, families in low-income housing and those experiencing homelessness.
• Centro Cultural de Washington County  ̶  For emergency rent and eviction prevention, workforce training and meal programs for Latino seniors and people living with disabilities.
• Cultivate Initiatives  ̶  For harm reduction and survival supplies, hygiene supplies, clothing, transportation assistance, rent and utilities assistance.
• Fora Health Treatment & Recovery  ̶  To support unhoused patients in recovery access permanent housing with rental assistance with rental payments, security deposits, home furnishings, utility expenses and food needs.
• Growing Gardens  ̶  To provide nutrition education, cooking workshops, and food access services through on-site gardens in backyards, schools and correctional facilities.
• Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers  ̶  To provide shelter beds and wrap-around services, resource navigation, meal services, case management and customized individual reentry plans for unhoused individuals.
• Meals on Wheels People  ̶  To provide home-delivered medically tailored meals for patients discharged from the hospital who are food insecure.
• Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection  ̶  To support community health worker expansion, provide a wheelchair maintenance workshop and online education resources.
• Path Home  ̶  For short-term rental and utility assistance to support families at risk of eviction.
• PDX Saints Love  ̶  To purchase two mobile outreach vans for direct houseless camp navigation, meal services and hygiene products.
• Portland Open Bible Community Pantry  ̶  To provide nutrition services educational cooking workshops in five languages, as well as culturally specific food delivery and support services.
• Portland Rescue Mission  ̶  To expand programming for nutritional support and food delivery services for those in need.
• Rockwood Community Development Corporation  ̶  To support culturally specific food hubs and food delivery services provided by BIPOC farmers for community members experiencing food insecurity.
• Somali American Council of Oregon  ̶  For housing assistance, rent/utility assistance, advocacy, housing referrals, and other services to prevent homelessness.
• Transition Projects  ̶  For legal and wrap-around services to remove barriers to permanent housing for community members.

Southwest Area Grant Recipients

• Community Supported Shelters  ̶  To support improving Safe Spot Communities with clothing and hygiene items, creation of garden spaces and activity passes to pools, gyms, and more.
• Connected Lane County  ̶  To support the Invention Club & Invention Lab for middle-school and high-school youth in developing technical, professional and life skills for workforce development.
• Friends of the Children  ̶  For caregiver and family engagement services providing wrap-around support for youth participants in school, home and community settings, including mentoring services, case management and more.
• HIV Alliance  ̶  For the creation of a "Queer Resource Center" providing integrated and services to address health disparities facing LGBTQIA2S+ community members, as well as to provide trauma-informed services and support including housing, transportation and gender-affirming supplies for trans and gender diverse community members and people who inject drugs and are unhoused.
• Lane County Human Services Division  ̶  For supportive services and operations at MLK Commons wrap-around housing facility, including case management.
• Lane Council of Governments Senior & Disability Services  ̶  For mobile outreach and wrap-around services to rural community members, including supportive housing services for unhoused community members.
• Ophelia's Place  ̶  To support Girls Empowerment Groups with interactive sessions focusing on social media, healthy relationships, body image and substance use refusal skills, as well as multicultural groups focusing on intersectional experience, ethnic identity and deconstructing stereotypes.
• Project Blessings Food Pantry  ̶  To support Project Brave Student Pantry food distribution and delivery, as well as Whole Child basic needs program delivery services including, food, hygiene, community event programming and an online pantry system.
• Self Enhancement, Inc.  ̶  To provide summer programming for BIPOC youth, including food support, physical activity and programming to support developing healthy habits.
• South Lane Mental Health  ̶  For Health Information Technology improvements to support system access and services.
• Sponsors, Inc.  ̶  For housing specialist support services for individuals released from incarceration, including vital records support and acquisition, clothing, transportation assistance and mobile phone access.
• Transponder  ̶  To support a job skills program with case management, educational workshops, resume building and practical work experience through paid volunteer and internship positions.
• Willamette Farm and Food Coalition  ̶  To support local food banks, farm-direct food purchases, educational activities and initiatives to decrease barriers to access for program participants.

About Trillium Community Health Plan

Trillium Community Health Plan serves Oregon Health Plan members through the CCO model, which began in 2012. Trillium is a recognized leader for outstanding coordination of care and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise dedicated to transforming the health of communities, one person at a time. It was first awarded a contract with the state of Oregon to help manage care for the Oregon Health Plan in 1999. Trillium partners with an extensive group of providers to improve care and access to services for OHP members. For more information, please visit our website. 

SOURCE Trillium Community Health Plan