Brad Burnum, director of volunteer services for Project:HOMES, pictured with space heaters
Bon Secours understands that supporting nonprofit organizations that serve the local community helps bolster the entire city of Richmond. And there’s no better time of year to give back than now.
This past December, Bon Secours debuted Gifts for Goodwill, a new grant program aimed to reduce stress and strengthen financial stability for locals in need. The program distributed 10 awards ranging between $4,000 and $20,000 to regional nonprofits that work with individuals and families — delivering hot meals, stocking the shelves of food pantries, preparing emergency survival kits for unhoused people and helping families afford holiday gifts for their children.
In keeping with its mission to improve lives by improving homes, Project:HOMES received $15,000 from Bon Secours to go toward its emergency heating program, repairing and replacing systems for low-income households. Because heating repairs often cost at least $2,000 and system replacements can cost $6,000 or more, the grant provided valuable relief for families with household incomes of up to 150% of the federal poverty level.
Home repair is a key strategy for helping people stay in their homes, and for many years, Bon Secours has been committed to addressing systemic challenges to safe and affordable housing.
“Access to safe, affordable and healthy housing is the foundation of strong, thriving communities. Project:HOMES is doing critical work to help families facing challenges like broken heating systems, ensuring neighbors can live safely, comfortably and with dignity, especially during the winter months. Through our Gifts for Goodwill program, Bon Secours is proud to support local nonprofits like Project:HOMES, helping strengthen our community and ensure families have safe, warm homes,” said Becky Clay Christensen, executive director of community health for Bon Secours – Richmond.
Project:HOMES has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Bon Secours that dates back to the organization’s inception in 1992.
“We share regular updates with Bon Secours about our work, and through those ongoing conversations, they let us know about the Gifts for Goodwill opportunity,” said Nicole Storm, Project:HOMES senior director of advancement. “Most recently, they funded a pilot program that provided enhanced services to older adults within the Bon Secours health system. Participants received care coordination through the SPAN Center along with essential home health and safety modifications like grab bars and bathroom accessibility improvements.”
With utility and heating equipment costs on the rise, the Gifts for Goodwill award is welcome news to the ears of Project:HOMES clients.
“For older adults on fixed incomes, managing these expenses can be overwhelming,” Storm said. “Support from Bon Secours allows us to step in at critical moments, ensuring homes are safe and warm, and enabling residents to age in place with dignity and security.”
Storm says Project:HOMES looks forward to continuing its partnership with Bon Secours through future programs that improve both health and housing outcomes for Central Virginia families.
“We’re grateful for their support of our mission to improve lives by improving homes,” she said. “Bon Secours truly understands the connection between safe, healthy housing and overall community health.”
For more information about Bon Secours, go to givebsmh.org. To learn more about Project:HOMES, visit projecthomes.org.
