Medical Respite Center
Organization / Location: Circle the City, Phoenix, Ariz.
Funding: $50,000 first year; $50,000 second year
Contact: Karen A. Cawley, Executive Director, 602.372.2149
Circle the City provides for the unmet needs of homeless individuals and families, especially during times of illness, by assisting with funding for services such as specialty medical consults, imaging tests, diagnostic procedures, surgeries, eye exams and glasses, and specialized mental health counseling. It also provides temporary rent and utilities assistance to help transition homeless clients into permanent housing. Circle the City plans to open a 25-bed medical respite facility that will provide homeless men and women a safe place to recover from illness or injury. Phoenix currently has no place where hospitals can safety discharge homeless patients who need care during their post-hospital recovery period, and no place for hospitals to refer homeless patents who seek treatment in the emergency department but do not meet inpatient admission criteria. Without the availability of respite services, sick individuals are forced to compete for space in overcrowded shelters that are not equipped to provide for their needs. Many homeless individuals are forced to recover on the street, where their medical issues are compounded by the burdens of homelessness and lead to frequent hospital readmissions.
Macon Kids Safe
Organization / Location: Family Advancement Ministries, Macon, Ga.
Funding: $13,680 one-time grant
Contact: Sr. Elizabeth Greim, DC, Executive Director, 478.954.8096
Family Advancement Ministries (FAM) serves pregnant women and families with children 6-years-old and under. It provides emergency financial assistance to prevent eviction and utility cut off, car seats for children, cribs, clothes and a life skills education program that includes personal finance, child passenger safety, nurturing parenting, SIDS awareness, infant and toddler CPR, and nutrition. There currently is no program in the mid-Georgia area that addresses the key area of home and family safety, particularly for the low-income and Hispanic members of the community. The Macon Kids Safe program will fill that void and will be an extension of programs that are already in place. Through the program, parents will be taught safety awareness and how to reduce injuries in key areas, such as the kitchen, poisons, falls and burns. The program will be practically oriented and will include course work, hands-on experience, home visits and safety audits.
