MARQUETTE — The Superior Health Foundation (SHF) in Marquette awarded more than $638,680 in health-centered grant funding at its Fall Grants Celebration on Wednesday evening at the Holiday Inn in Marquette. The event was proudly presented by 44 North.

The Superior Health Foundation awarded 509,975.87 in proactive grant giving to address food insecurities in the Upper Peninsula, $109,708.80 in fall grants and $18,999.08 to pilot-project and equipment grants.

They include:

— Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital ($13,383): SMH in Manistique, an independent, state-of-the-art, 12-bed, critical-access facility, is helping bridge the needs of individuals in rural areas of the U.P. with healthcare, including offering physical therapy. This grant will benefit the Rehabilitation Services Aquatic Therapy Program, which provides aquatic balance therapy. Funding will go toward pool supplies and therapy equipment, as well as training and marketing expenses.

— Bay Cliff Health Camp ($6,000): Camp Quality Upper Peninsula (UP) ensures that every child who has been diagnosed with cancer or a life-threatening blood disorder can experience one of childhood’s greatest milestones – summer camp in Big Bay. Funding will expand this program to include two family camp weekends.

— Trillium House ($4,044): Trillium House, a hospice and respite care facility based in Marquette, has served more than 125 individuals and families since opening in 2018. SHF provided funding for a human floor lift and commercial toilet lift for its facility to enhance the safety of residents and staff at its facility.

UPCAP ($322,388.37): UPCAP provides the development, coordination and provision of human services in all 15 counties. Its Food As Medicine (FAM) program’s primary goal is to address and improve food security for low-income residents who have or are at risk of developing chronic health conditions. FAM will impact residents with increased access to locally grown fresh produce and knowledge/skill enhancement through nutrition education. Outcomes will be measured in terms of formalized partnerships including redemption and health care sites, improved farm cold storage capacity, the use of produce vouchers, indicators of increased food access, consumption of fresh produce and nutritional knowledge.

— Upper Peninsula Veterans Community Action Team ($50,000): The Upper Peninsula Veterans Community Action Team (UP VCAT) is a collaborative of more than 200 Veteran Service Providers and Volunteers from across the region and state of Michigan. Since 2014, the organization has sought to create a “no wrong door” support network for Veterans and families. This program will increase access to food by providing grocery store gift cards, health program info and referrals to increase food access.

— Feeding America West Michigan ($31,160): Feeding America West Michigan’s mission is to gather and distribute food, relieve hunger and increase food security in West Michigan and the U.P. Through its Mobile Food Pantry program, it has delivered nutritious food to communities facing food insecurity since 1998. A Recipe for Success” will empower food-insecure families in six counties to become nutritionally self-sufficient by facilitating nutrition/education programming at food distributions. It will provide a library of recipes and online cooking demonstrations to pantries and their guests, produce 21, live cooking demonstrations, distribute cooking tools, increase participation at Mobile Food Pantries, and improve participant understanding of healthy food preparation.

The Superior Health Foundation also awarded pilot project and equipment grants to the following organizations:

Courage Incorporated, Teaching Family Homes, Eversight, Omega House, Michigan Breastfeeding Network, Camp New Day U.P., Lake Superior Life Care & Hospice, Partridge Creek Farm, Ontonagon Village Housing Commission and :

Bay Cliff Health Camp.

The Superior Health Foundation’s mission is to “assist with unmet healthcare needs, with health education, and with programs and research on preventing illness and promoting health in the Upper Peninsula.”

SHF accepts grant proposals monthly for pilot project and equipment grants.

In its short history, the SHF has awarded more than $2,630,750 in proactive grant dollars.

Applications for the spring grants cycle will be accepted from Dec. 15-Jan. 17. To learn more and apply for funding, visit www.superiorhealthfoundation.org.