Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation

Written By: Josh Bryson, Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation | Issue: October 2024

The Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation (Health Foundation) has announced they have awarded seventeen grants, committing over $1 million to the community in their 2024 Grant Cycle. The Health Foundation has a strong commitment to funding lasting solutions aimed at the following strategic focus areas: Health, Access to Healthcare, and Behavioral and Mental Health. The grants awarded in the 2024 cycle will help to expand needed services across western North Carolina by supporting a variety of health-related programs and services in the region.

This year’s recipients include A.W.A.K.E., Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic, Blue Ridge Health, Boys and Girls Club of the Plateau, Child Medical Collaborative, Clay County Governing Board, Community Care Clinic of Franklin, Life Challenge of WNC, Macon County EMS, Pisgah Legal Services, REACH of Macon County, Southwestern Child Development Commission: Nurse-Family Partnership, Summit Charter School, Together We Can Do Great Things, Vecinos, Western Carolina Medical Society Foundation, and Western Carolina Pacesetters.

“The Health Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of our Highlands, Cashiers, and surrounding communities,” said Dr. Barbara Corcoran, Health Foundation Board Chair. “ The 2024 grant awards demonstrate our commitment to supporting and fostering initiatives that continue to improve health throughout our region.”

The seventeen grant awards focused on supporting a wide range of programs aimed at improving the overall health and well-being of the community. These initiatives include expanding primary care availability, improving access to dental care, providing mental and behavioral health support for youth, conducting medical evaluations for victims of abuse, supporting substance abuse recovery programs, upgrading medical technology in ambulances, offering legal services to survivors of violence and child abuse, establishing partnership programs for expectant mothers, supporting school-based health, increasing access to colorectal cancer screening for underserved populations, and more.

Since its establishment on February 1, 2019, the Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation has awarded 135 grants, providing over $10 million to 82 organizations across our communities. These grants have had a substantial and enduring effect on the well-being of our residents, ensuring that all members of our community have greater access to necessary care.

“Our goal is to create a healthier community by investing in innovative solutions to healthcare challenges and supporting organizations that provide critical services to our community,” said Charlotte Muir, Health Foundation Executive Director. “We are proud to partner with these organizations and work together to improve the overall health and well-being of people in western North Carolina.”

The Health Foundation will be holding an awards ceremony on October 8 at 4:00 P.M. at the Village Green in Cashiers to celebrate this year’s seventeen grantees and the impactful work they are doing in our community. The event is open to the public, and everyone is invited to attend and join the celebration.

For additional information about the Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation, please visit www.HCHealthFnd.org.