FY24 CHOP Cares and CHOP Cares EXCEL Grant Recipients A Decade of Impact
The Office of Community Impact, with the assistance of the CHOP Cares Community Advisory Board, award grants each year to support CHOP employees in filling a specific need through community programming in areas served by CHOP and the CHOP Care Network across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Established in 2013, the CHOP Cares Community Grant, provides funding for the purchase of supplies and resources required to address an identified community need. The CHOP Cares EXCEL Grant, established in 2019, provides further support with the growth and sustainability of projects previously funded by the CHOP Cares Community Grant.
We are thrilled to share the list of FY24 CHOP Cares and CHOP Cares EXCEL Grant projects and excited to celebrate an important milestone: 10 years and almost $1 million supporting close to 200 programs.
Over the past 10 years, grant projects have touched on everything from child literacy and eating better to helping children cope with disease, from reproductive health education to boosting kids’ activity levels and fighting obesity. Read more on how CHOP employees are addressing health needs through the CHOP Cares Community Grant program here.
Join us in congratulating our grantees and celebrating a decade of community impact!
FY24 CHOP Cares Community Grants
Improving Literacy Skills and Belonging in Children in Foster Care
Anne-Ashley Field, Occupational Therapist
Encouraging literacy skill development by providing diverse books to children in foster care, and educating foster parents on the importance of literacy activities and community resources to continue literacy skill building.
POWER UP at POWEL!
Vanesa Karamanian, Program Director, Healthier Together Initiative
Closing the gap of food insecurity at Samuel Powel Elementary School through a Snack Station Program while increasing equitable access to healthy snacks throughout the school day, supporting student socio-emotional development and fostering long-term food equity efforts across the school.
The Garage Community & Youth Center, Nutrition Kitchen Program
Rebecca Rosenberg, Executive Secretary II
Students participate in bi-weekly formal Nutrition Kitchen programming where students prep meals for the day. Additionally, there will be daily distribution of snacks and students are able to bring home a bag of groceries after program for their families.
CHOP Nursing High School Pathway Program
Sophia Collins, MSN, RN, Program Coordinator Nursing Advocacy
Daneen Smith, MSN, RN, Sr Director Primary Care Nursing
Kirsten Hickerson, DNP, RN, VP & Associate Chief Nursing Officer
Promotes nursing as an obtainable career path in local Philadelphia high schools with the goal to spark interest within the 11-week cohort and ultimately increase enrollment of diverse students into nursing post-secondary programs.
Project Accelerate with Girls Inc. of Greater Philadelphia
Joanne McCool, VP, Human Resources
Calvin Allen, EVP & Chief Human Resources Officer
Kisha Hawthorne, SVP & Chief Operating Officer
Claudine Coke, Director HR Client Services
Internship opportunity in Primary Care and Human Resources for students ages 16-20 from Greater Philadelphia, offering young girls access to relevant work experience and exposing them to healthcare.
Supporting Literacy, Science Literacy, and Fitness for Kids
Maureen Braun, M.D., Attending Physician
Support interactive activities to increase physical activity among youth, educational STEM and literacy opportunities at Fanny Jackson Coppin Elementary School.
FY24 CHOP Cares EXCEL Grants
Karabots Bright Beginnings
Meg Kawan, MD, MPH, IBCLC, Attending Physician
Tonae Simon, RN, IBCLC, Lactation Consultant
Janaee Morris, MSW, Social Worker
Kaitlyn Murphy, MD, Attending Physician
Wendy Caton, Office administrator
Support for newborn care and parent wellness beyond the preventive visit. Project will offer weekly breastfeeding support and interactive parent and infant monthly events addressing important health topics.
CHOP It Up! Cooking Program
Annie Chung, Clinical Research Program Manager
Elisha Pavlick, RD, LDN, Clinical Dietitian III
Samantha Najmola, Clinical Research Assistant
Sandra Amaral, MD, MHS, Attending Pediatric Nephrologist
Hands-on healthy eating program for the CHOP Division of Nephrology catered to patients and the specific restrictions of the renal diet. This will include Lunch and Learns for our dialysis unit and a collaboration between Nephrology and the Free Library of Philadelphia Culinary Literacy Center offering cooking workshops for patients and/or caregivers, and a week-long summer cooking camp for patients. Recipes and educational materials will be made available through an online resource guide.
Healthy Hearts, Healthy Lives, Healthy Schools and Communities
Victoria L Vetter, M.D. MPH, PI, Attending Pediatric Cardiologist
Lindsey Flanagan, MPH, Program Coordinator
Abenezer Lemma, Clinical Research Assistant
Expand Healthy Lives, Healthy Heart screening model to create a health exposition that includes education on healthy lifestyles to improve heart heath and reach more communities. This will include information on healthy eating, nutrition, obesity, and hypertension, smoking and vaping, exercise, and information to help avoid the negative heart health impact of adverse childhood experiences that impact mental health and eventually heart health.