WATSONVILLE –The Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust (Health Trust) recently announced the recipients of $125,000 in grants addressing health-related issues in the Pajaro Valley. Fourteen organizations were awarded between $3,140 and $15,000 for projects that address the Health Trust’s four strategic program areas: Diabetes and Its Contributing Factors; Oral Health; Health Professions; and Access to Care. 

The following organizations received grants in one of the four Health Trust priority areas:

Diabetes and Contributing Factors

Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County – $10,000 to support the Peer Health Education: REAL Diabetes Prevention project through core youth group training, peer education and outreach at Pajaro Valley elementary schools.

Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast – $7,000 to support the expansion of an all-girl recreational soccer league in the Watsonville/Pajaro Valley area in a non-competitive format.

Mesa Verde Gardens– $10,000 to support Community Gardens for low-income uninsured Pajaro Valley to grow their own pesticide-free fresh fruits and vegetables.

PVUSD/ Starlight & Cesar Chavez Nutrition Collaborative – $15,000 to support the partnership between Starlight Elementary and Cesar Chavez Middle Schools by improving access to fruits and vegetables and teaching nutrition and cultural literacy through garden based learning.

United Way of Santa Cruz County – $8,000 to support the Healthy Corner Market Project for two corner markets near schools and parks in Watsonville to increase availability and marketing of healthy foods.  

Watsonville Family YMCA – $10,000 to support the third year of the Healthy Family Home (HFH), to help low-income Latino families adopt healthier lifestyle behaviors with nutrition seminars. 

Access to Care

La Manzana Community Resources– $7,500 to support the Health Access project to provide 300 Pajaro Valley families with individualized support and case management in accessing and maximizing their public health benefits and reduce the number of Emergency Room visits.

Family Services Agency of the Central Coast – $10,000 to support the Open Arms/Abrazo Abiertos initiative for low cost mental health services to cancer patients, survivors of child sexual abuse, seniors and low-income Spanish speaking residents of the Pajaro Valley.

Healthy Kids of Santa Cruz County– $12,000 to continue outreach to uninsured children for Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs and provide insurance for children who do not qualify for public programs and access to comprehensive medical, dental, vision and mental health services.

Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services– $6,250 to provide bilingual mental health services including emotional, social and financial support to families of children with cancer through art therapy, clinical counseling and case management. 

Oral Health

Dientes Community Dental Care– $7,200 to support the Dental Care for Uninsured Adults/Harvesting Oral Health project for Pajaro Valley residents.

Salud Para La Gente– $7,200 to support the delivery of oral health screening outreach to low-income farm workers and their families in the Pajaro Valley with dental teams in the fields for screenings and cleanings and follow-up dental care in the clinic or mobile van.

Health Professions

Watsonville/Aptos Adult Education– $6,450 to support From Field Hands to Helping Hands; vocational training classes for 18 bi-lingual/bi-cultural trained caregivers in the Pajaro Valley as caregivers for dependent elders. Students to achieve competency in healthcare skills, communication and CPR/First Aid certification.

Watsonville High School Health Academy– $3,400 to continue to help students at Watsonville High School pursue their goals through mentor/student dinners that the school will host semi-annually. Funding will also support purchasing materials for their class.

The Health Trust also provided $5,000 this year in scholarships to students from Aptos High School, Pajaro Valley High School, Watsonville High School, Watsonville/Aptos Adult Education and Cabrillo College.

The Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust in Watsonville, California is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit public-benefit health care foundation to improve the health and quality of life for all people of the Pajaro Valley. www.pvhealthtrust.org