STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation is generally thought of as an organization that raises money for hospital improvements, such as the new 64-slice CT scan expected to be in place by late February 2024.

What’s not so well known is that the foundation gives grants to Wood River Valley nonprofits.

This year the foundation awarded nearly $250,000 to 11 organizations: Family Health Services, College of Southern Idaho, Hospice and Palliative Care of the Wood River Valley, The Advocates, Blaine County Education Foundation, Blaine County Recreation District, Flourish Foundation, The Hunger Coalition, Men’s Second Chance Living, The Senior Connection and The Wood River Community YMCA.

The organizations offer services and programs that provide safe and stable housing, nutritional programs and food, access to medical and dental care, physical and emotional wellness and educational and social learning.

“Healthcare extends far beyond the walls of the hospital and clinics,” said Dr. Katie Schneider, St. Luke’s Wood River hospitalist. “Investments in our community health partners play a critical role in wellness and prevention. I am most grateful to the St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation to fund community health initiatives, which helps patients live healthier lives.”

The grants seek to address the community’s greatest health needs, which are identified in the St. Luke’s Wood River Community Health Needs Assessment. The top health priorities for Blaine County include access to health-related services, with attention given to language and cultural barriers; mental well-being, including suicide and substance abuse, and issues associated with the valley’s high cost of living, which includes lack of affordable housing, caregiving and early learning opportunities

“Our donors entrust St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation to understand and to support the programs and services that address vital health needs,” said Megan Tanous, the foundation’s chief development officer.  “This is a profoundly impactful investment and illustrates the important role of philanthropy in the Wood River Valley.”

Below are some details on programs receiving funding:

The Advocates' Safe Housing First program – St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation invested in the Safe Housing First program, which supports domestic abuse survivors’ efforts to obtain or retain stable housing as quickly as possible. Research shows that housing stability increases safety and reduces depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and school absences and emotional or peer problems for children. In addition, women experience improvements in general health and quality of life.  

Blaine County Recreation District (BCRD) - BCRD provides healthy, active, and diverse youth programming throughout the year to ensure children in the community learn healthy habits, teamwork, build their skills, and most importantly, have fun.  St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation granted funds to the BCRD Youth Program Scholarships to ensure that everyone has access to their programs.

Family Health Services- To further increase access to care, the Foundation made a $1 million to help bring Family Health Services, a federally qualified health center and nonprofit, to Bellevue. The clinic opened in 2022 and provides medical and dental care as well as pharmacy services to those without insurance or who are under-insured.

College of Southern Idaho-In an effort to invest in the healthcare workforce, foundation funds provide scholarships to Blaine County students seeking healthcare degrees and certificates.

Hospice and Palliative Care of the Wood River Valley- This year’s funds help hospice to provide care end-of-life care and bereavement services, as well as support and education for patients, families, and caregivers.

Blaine County Education Foundation-Support from the St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation funds the School Meal Support Program, which provides school meals for Blaine County students.

Flourish Foundation-As an investment in youth mental well-being, the St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation supports the Mindful Awareness program to continue bring first-rate social and emotional education, grounded in mindfulness, to K-12 students in the Wood River Valley.

Men’s Second Chance Living- The support of the Men's Second Chance Living helps address substance abuse and housing issues by helping men achieve sustained recovery from substance use disorder and successfully reenter society.

The Hunger Coalition - Funds awarded from the St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation will support meals in The Hunger Coalition’s Community kitchen, café, garden, and greenhouses and help to make possible a second meal in the evenings to provide a hot dinner to folks at the end of a long day. These efforts fund critical nutrition support and encourage relationship building for families, seniors, and children.

The Senior Connection Vision and Hearing Center - Many seniors risk losing vision due to difficulty of getting diagnosed and treated for eye disease including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, or glaucoma. These three diseases are the most common causes of permanent vision loss in our county and are often treatable if caught early. Additionally, many older adults lose their hearing due to normal aging. The Senior Connection has established a Vision and Hearing Center to provide these services, locally, to seniors in Blaine County.  

Wood River Community YMCA longevity programs - St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation’s investment in the Wood River Community YMCA longevity programs help seniors, cancer survivors, people with Parkinson’s disease and caregivers access specialized exercise programs.

Want to know more? Visit www.slwrf.org or call 308-727-8447.

Email questions to wrfriends@slhs.org.