Kern Health Systems’ Community Grant Program Celebrates 5 Years of Serving Community Based Organizations throughout Kern County
Contact: Jacquelyn Jans
Bakersfield, CA: The Kern Health Systems Community Grant Program gives grant monies to assist local non-profit organizations devoted to improving the life and wellbeing of Kern County’s most vulnerable citizens. This year marks the 5th Anniversary of the inception of the Community Based Program, and a total of $338,635.00 awarded to #74 different Community Based Organizations.
Examples of some grants include the purchase of refrigerators by the Bakersfield Homeless Center, which helps their clients get housed and have the capability to store food. Another is the grant given to The Blessing Corner that allowed them to feed #4,000 hot meals. In addition, the California Farmworker Foundation is able to bring health screenings and education to under-served local farmworkers. Along with art classes given to children in Shafter and Bakersfield provided by the Community Action Partnership of Kern at their Friendship House and Shafter Youth Center locations, to name just a few.
A comment by Louis Gill, CEO of the Bakersfield Homeless Center and the Alliance Against Family Violence & Sexual Assault, expresses the impact this Program is making, “Thank you Kern Family Health Care for your generous contribution! Your contribution, and the refrigerators that we will purchase with it, will enable our Housing Department staff to place additional families in housing. We really appreciate your continued support.” Doug Hayward, CEO of Kern Health Systems, goes on to say, “This 5 year milestone represents a proud moment for Kern Family Health Care in that we are able to help fund multiple, diverse programs that support organizations that serve the most vulnerable members in our Community.”
Please click on the link below to access the interview with Doug Hayward, CEO.
About Kern Health Systems
Kern Health Systems, the County Health Authority, is an independent public agency that governs Kern Family Health Care, the Health Plan of more than 279,000 members. As a public entity, Kern Health Systems’ mission is dedicated to improving the health status of its members through an integrated managed health care delivery system.