Milwaukee, Wis. – Advocate Aurora Health is awarding a total of $2,125,000 in grants to Milwaukee community organizations through its Better Together Fund. The funds will be distributed to 11 community projects across 10 organizations to address the social and economic needs of the Milwaukee community as we continue to face COVID-19.
"We will put the Better Together Fund to work by providing awards to community partners with an emphasis on eliminating inequities and assisting diverse populations in hard-hit neighborhoods to recover from the economic and health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Cristy Garcia-Thomas, Advocate Aurora Health Chief External Affairs Officer. "Our goal is to address the social and economic needs of the vulnerable communities we're so proud to serve."
The Better Together Fund is a one-time funding commitment to develop critical services in Milwaukee. Community groups from across Milwaukee were invited to submit proposals.
The initial grant recipients seek to support the minority workforce as they continue to face challenges during the COVID-19 crisis. The first two recipients are:
"The effects of COVID-19 have spotlighted the vulnerabilities of our minority communities and exacerbated the differences between healthy and well-positioned communities and those without assets to leverage," said Nancy Hernandez, President of the Hispanic Collaborative. "We're grateful for this grant and know it will go a long way to assist Hispanic-owned businesses successfully pivot during this time frame, make them stronger and diversify their sales base through MercadoMKE."
"Prior to the pandemic, African American business owners found themselves at a disadvantage. COVID-19 created even more hurdles, but this grant will help," explained Ossie Kendrix, President & CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce. "RISE MKE is designed to positively impact African American entrepreneurs who are starting or growing their businesses and give them the tools they need to be successful during this pandemic and beyond."
In the coming weeks, Advocate Aurora will announce the recipients of additional grants aimed at supporting workforce development, access to behavioral health services, food security, affordable housing and community safety.
The Better Together Fund is managed by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.
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Advocate Aurora Health is one of the 10 largest not-for-profit, integrated health systems in the United States and a leading employer in the Midwest with more than 70,000 employees, including more than 22,000 nurses and the region's largest employed medical staff and home health organization. A national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care, the system serves nearly 3 million patients annually in Illinois and Wisconsin across more than 500 sites of care. Advocate Aurora is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies and is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology and pediatrics. The organization contributed $2.2 billion in charitable care and services to its communities in 2019. We help people live well.
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