Episcopal Health Foundation has awarded $5 million to the Episcopal Diocese of Texas (EDOT) and 55 nonprofit clinics and other organizations that are serving at-risk communities in Texas on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. EHF’s investment includes $2 million for EDOT and $3 million in grants. This funding is one part of EHF’s $10 million comprehensive plan to address the crisis.

“These grant recipients are organizations providing desperately needed services to low-income Texas families who are often at-risk of chronic health issues,” said Elena Marks, EHF’s president and CEO. “COVID-19 has highlighted why these services are so important for communities in need. And at the same time, many of these organizations are battling severe financial issues plus increased demand for their services. That’s why this funding is aimed at helping them continue their critical work during the ongoing financial and public health crisis.”

EHF’s COVID-19 grants are supporting community clinics serving low-income Texans, behavioral and mental health organizations, nonprofits offering enrollment in health and other benefit programs, organizations promoting early childhood brain development, and groups raising community voice on health equity issues. All of the organizations receiving these COVID-19 grants are current EHF grantees working within the foundation’s strategic plan to improve health, not just health care in Texas. In addition to added demand and additional costs, many of these organizations are also transitioning to telehealth and remote services during the pandemic.

Along with funding, EHF’s COVID-19 $10 million response plan includes an emergency loan program for grantees, technical assistance to help organizations apply for government aid programs, an extensive research project related to COVID-19 similar to EHF’s groundbreaking survey conducted after Hurricane Harvey, and a pilot program to support those facing social isolation during the ongoing crisis. EHF expects there will be additional COVID-19 grant funding available later this year.

“Public health events like COVID-19 are experienced even more deeply by low-income communities or those living in a neighborhood that just doesn’t have access to the many different services needed to be healthy,” said Marks. “To do this important work, we know that the organizations and clinics working in these communities and supported by EHF must remain strong and effective both now and in the future.”

EHF’s COVID-19 grants

Community Clinics:
These clinics operate on the front lines and are sustaining significant financial losses as a result of decreased reimbursement and increased expenses associated with response to the pandemic. Grants will fund personnel-related costs, equipment, and new and emergency needs in order to continue patient care.

Access Health (Fort Bend County)
$100,000

Avenue 360 Health & Wellness (Houston)
$100,000

Baylor College of Medicine Teen Health Clinic at Wisdom High School (Houston)
$50,000

Community Health Network (Brazoria County)
$100,000

El Centro de Corazon (Houston)
$85,000

Family Health Center (Waco)
$100,000

HOPE Clinic (Houston)
$85,000

Legacy Community Health (Houston)
$100,000

Lone Star Circle of Care (Central Texas)
$100,000

Lone Star Family Health Center (Conroe)
$85,846

Matagorda Episcopal Health Outreach Program (MEHOP) (Bay City)
$100,000

People’s Community Clinic (Austin)
$85,000

Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast (Houston)
$75,000

Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas (Tyler and Waco)
$15,000

Spring Branch Community Health Center (Harris County)
$100,000

St. Paul Children’s Foundation (Tyler)
$50,000

Tejas Health Care (La Grange)
$50,000

The Rose (Houston)
$50,000

Vecino Health Centers (Houston)
$100,000

Early Childhood Brain Development:
Partners provide programs and services in alignment with EHF’s strategy to improve maternal health outcomes and optimize early childhood brain development and is adapting work to maintain critical supports in response to the pandemic. Grants will fund equipment and new and emergency needs.

Mama Sana Vibrant Woman (Austin)
$25,000

Nurse Family Partnership (Various Counties)
$24,000

Partners in Parenting (Statewide)
$22,320

Rupani Foundation (Houston)
$12,000

Santa Maria Hostel, Inc. (Houston)
$70,000

Enrollment & Benefits Assistance:
These organizations work to enroll individuals and families for health insurance and other benefit programs and are experiencing large increases in demand during the COVID-19 crisis. Grants will fund additional technology, equipment and other related costs for enrollment services and to begin remote assistance for those services.

The Beacon (Houston)
$70,000

Boat People S.O.S. (Houston)
$10,000

Casa Marianella (Austin)
$70,000

Epiphany Community Health Outreach Services (ECHOS) (Houston)
$70,000

Every Texan (Formerly Center for Public Policy Priorities) (Austin)
$15,000

Memorial Assistance Ministries (Harris County)
$70,000

North Pasadena Community Outreach (Pasadena)
$56,062

Northwest Assistance Ministries (Harris County)
$50,000

SEARCH Homeless Services (Houston)
$70,000

Mental & Behavioral Health:
Local mental health authorities, behavioral health organizations, and advocacy groups. Grants will provide personnel and equipment support to allow them to continue providing patient care, including realignment to telehealth services.

Andrews Center (Tyler)
$50,000

Community Healthcore (Longview)
$100,000

Family Service Center (Galveston)
$25,000

Integral Care (Austin)
$30,000

Mental Health America of Greater Houston
$25,000

Network of Behavioral Health Providers, Inc. (Houston)
$25,000

Samaritan Counseling Center of East Texas (Tyler)
$45,000

Samaritan Counseling Center of Southeast Texas (Port Arthur)
$48,850

Texana Center (Fort Bend County)
$25,000

Raising Community Voice:
Partners raise community voice on inequality issues impacting underserved families during the pandemic and is experiencing revenue loss and increased expenses associated with response. Grants will fund personnel related costs and equipment needs to continue serving under-resourced communities.

Austin Interfaith Sponsoring Committee, Inc. (Austin)
$60,000

Avenue Community Development Corporation (Houston)
$25,500

Communities for Better Health (Houston)
$30,580

Gulf Coast Leadership Council (Houston)
$61,300

Neighborhood Recovery Community Development Corporation (Houston)
$18,000

Texas Organizing Project Education Fund (Houston)
$20,000

The Immunization Partnership (Statewide)
$30,000

Young Invincibles (Statewide)
$50,000

Other grants:

BakerRipley (Houston)
$32,000
Community service organization rapidly responding to maintain services to community members. Grant supports equipment needs to continue serving under-resourced communities.

Children’s Defense Fund (Statewide)
$25,000
Partner offers systems level advocacy and benefits enrollment service to address access to comprehensive care for underserved populations in pronounced need during the pandemic. Grant supports equipment and personnel-related costs.

Northeast Texas Public Health District (Tyler)
$40,000
Public health department operates on the front lines and is sustaining significant financial losses as a result of increased expenses associated with response to the pandemic. Grant supports personnel-related costs and equipment.

Palacios Community Medical Center (Palacios)
$25,000
This rural health clinic is associated with a hospital system operating in small rural community serving low-income patients. The grant will support personnel as the clinic experiences reduction in patient revenue due to the pandemic.

The Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (Statewide)
$40,000
Partner offers frontline provider training and systems level advocacy to address access to comprehensive care for underserved populations in pronounced need during the pandemic. Grant supports personnel-related costs.