ONALASKA, Wis. (WEAU) – Great Rivers United Way is giving out its first-ever round of mental health grants to twenty organizations helping those who struggle with mental health.
Community impact director Liz Evans says the grants are a way for the community as a whole to work on mental health, which she says is one of the area’s top needs.
“We looked at what can great rivers united way do, and we developed this granting program. We have a lot of great organizations that we’re going to be able to support at 500,000 dollars a year for the next three years,” says Evans.
Couleecap will use their grant to add to their SOAR program, which works with homeless individuals with a mental health diagnosis looking to apply for social security benefits.
“It’s helping folks to connect with mental health services, if they’re not already. It can really be a benefit to have a case manager that can help walk you through the medical system and mental health systems. Somebody that’s alongside you to give you support if you’re seeking those services. Just having a support person walking alongside you while you go through that process can be really beneficial,” says Couleecap housing and community services director Becky Koske.
Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children is also getting a grant. The organization recruits and trains community members to advocate for children who have struggled with abuse and neglect.
CASA officials say they will use their grant funds to focus on the mental well being of the children they work with.
“It’s going to allow us to retain our staff, to be able to grow our programming in different ways, providing everything from mentorship to court advocacy,” says CASA for Children executive director Anne Gordon
Evans says these grants will create a community of practice for supporting mental well being.
“I’m excited for seeing what we can do at united way to help uplift and increase the capacity for organizations to do their work, setting some goals, and some things we can all do together to better serve our region,” says Evans.
Funding for the grants comes from various community donations that were given to United Way.
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