Through its annual grants process, Georgetown Health Foundation (GHF) awarded $910,000 in grants to 20 organizations serving Georgetown residents.  Awards were given based on alignment with GHF’s priorities which are focused on basic needs (food, shelter, housing) and social determinants of health (SDOH).

Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, and age that affect a wide range of health outcomes.  Examples of SDOH include access to affordable childcare, transportation, and job training, as well as support for homebound adults.

Consideration was also given to each applicant’s history in the community and capacity to meet its mission and goals.

GHF PRIORITY 1:  Basic Needs – Food/Shelter/Housing

•  Catholic Charities of Central Texas – $75,000. Support homelessness prevention and achieve housing stability for Georgetown households through financial support and case management.

•  GT Backpack Buddies – $45,000. In partnership with GISD, serve income-qualifying GISD students in academic year 2021-22 with packs of food for the weekend.

• Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County – $50,000. Ensure clients maintain homeownership despite pandemic-related crises, and support Habitat’s home repair and home build programs. 

• Hope Alliance – $75,000. Support survivors of family violence and/or sexual assault in the Georgetown community and ETJ through all of the organization’s programs, including emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy and case management. 

• Meals on Wheels Central Texas – $10,000. Help clients remain independent by improving food security and nutrition to homebound older adults Georgetown.

• Opportunities for Williamson Burnet Counties – $50,000. Funds support meal preparation and distribution through the Meals on Wheels program to homebound older adults in the Georgetown area.

• Texas Baptist Children’s Home – $50,000. Assists with costs associated with TBCH’s transitional housing program for single moms and their children. 

• The Caring Place – $75,000. Addresses basic needs of Georgetown households facing unexpected financial crisis by providing short-term assistance with rent or mortgage payments. 

• The Salvation Army – $25,000. Provides financial assistance to Georgetown families at risk of losing their homes. 

 GHF PRIORITY 2:  Basic Needs & Related Social Determinants of Health

•  AGE of Central Texas – $30,000. Funds work to reduce caregiver stress and mitigate social isolation among Georgetown senior clients. 

• Any Baby Can – $30,000. Supports the Nurse-Family Partnership, with the goals of improving women’s physical and mental health and improving children’s health.  Each client is matched with a Registered Nurse who not only provides critical health support, but also assistance with life course goals.

• Boys & Girls Club – $50,000. Funds support summer and afterschool staff working directly with Club members. 

• Faith in Action (FIAG) – $50,000. Funds support the core program of providing transportation to homebound Georgetown seniors, primarily for healthcare and groceries.  

• Georgetown YMCA – $40,000. Supports youth engagement in YMCA programs, including summer camp, afterschool, water safety, parents’ night out, and intramural sports.  

• ROCK – $50,000. Support for therapeutic programs for individuals with disabilities and disorders to improve independence and life skills.  

• Samaritan Center – $50,000. Provides mental health services to Georgetown residents through therapy and educational workshops.  

• STARRY – $50,000. Provides free counseling and youth/parent skills training for youth, parents, and caregivers.

• The Christi Center – $25,000. Serves children and their families through Grief-at-Home kits, community trainings on grief, and peer-facilitated grief support groups.

• The Georgetown Project (TGP) – $50,000. Equip parents and caregivers to encourage healthy development of young children; provide high school students and recent high school graduates with training in life skills and career exploration; continue TGP Collaborative to identify needs, develop resources, etc. to influence positive youth development.

GHF PRIORITY 3:  Social Determinants of Health

• Brookwood in Georgetown (BiG) – $30,000. Enhance lives of GT Citizens through work and a supportive environment.