CHCM and Deaconess Foundation Launch Grant Applications for Organizations Serving Seniors in Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois

Fund Information

The Community Health Commission of Missouri (CHCM), in partnership with Deaconess Foundation, will award $350,000 to support services for seniors in the region through their Seniors Community Revitalization & Development Fund (Seniors Community Fund). The Seniors Community Fund aims to improve the public health system infrastructure to better serve residents 55 years of age and older and promote transparency and accountability.

The Fund’s community-led Senior Advisory Board, comprised of residents aged 55 and older, accepted funding proposals for up to $30,000 from organizations/projects/initiatives addressing three priority areas: transportation, safety, and health navigation support for seniors in the Greater St. Louis region and nearby counties in Illinois.

The application period for the Fund closed on October 11, 2024, at 11:59 pm.

The Senior Advisory Board is comprised of seniors, leaders of organizations serving seniors and families, and community leaders in St. Louis City and County, St. Charles, Jefferson, and Franklin Counties in Missouri and Madison, St. Clair, and Monroe Counties in Illinois, who share decision-making power in order to advocate for and invest in the needed services.

This year, the Fund distributed $350,000 to 13 outstanding organizations serving seniors in Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois. Click here to download the full press release about the awardees, or check out the organizations below.

Transportation

• Northside Youth and Senior Service Center – Transit access for comprehensive daily needs in St. Louis City. 
• Serving Neighbors Foundation – Black Veterans Services of IL – Transit access to nutritional, medical, and social needs in Madison County, Monroe County, and St. Clair County. 
• St. Louis Society for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SLBVI) – Accessible transit for visually impaired seniors in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, Madison County, Monroe County and St. Clair County. 
• WalkNFaith – On-demand transportation services for medical and essential trips in St. Louis City and St. Louis County. 

Health Navigation

• Criminal Justice Ministry – Housing and resource navigation for seniors affected by incarceration in St. Louis City. 
• DePaul USA – St. Louis – Housing, health, and income stabilization for chronically homeless seniors in St. Louis City and St. Louis County. 
• Ignite Hope – Mental health and resource navigation for underserved seniors in St. Louis City and St. Louis County. 
• Monarch Immigrant Services – Connecting immigrant seniors with critical health and social service resources St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and Jefferson County. 
• RxOutreach – Offering education and financial support for life-saving medications in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, Franklin County, Madison County, Monroe County, and St. Clair County. 

Safety

• Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House – Providing meals and community for seniors, promoting independence and wellbeing in Madison County and St. Clair County. 
• Rebuilding Together Southwest Illinois – Home repair programs ensuring safer living conditions in Madison County. St.
• John’s Community Care – Medical equipment loans to help seniors age at home in Madison County, Monroe County and St. Clair County. 
• St. Louis Health Equipment Lending Program (STLHELP) – Providing access to durable medical equipment in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County. 

Last year, the Senior Advisory Board awarded grants to 14 organizations focused on the Fund’s priority areas including Disability Resource Association, Inc. (Transportation), Rx Outreach Senior Health and Wellness (Health Navigation Support), Missouri EnergyCare Inc. (Safety). See a full list of the 2023 grant recipients here. Through an extensive community feedback process, including in-person focus groups, listening sessions, and surveys, seniors shared ideas that have shaped the Fund’s three priority areas.

Find more information about the history of the fund here.