Nantahala Health Foundation gives $250,000 total to six groups

Media release from Nantahala Health Foundation:

Nantahala Health Foundation granted $250,000 to support youth and young adults.

The funds were invested in six regional organizations, all of which strive to improve health and wellness outcomes for underserved youth and young adults ages 5 – 24 living, learning and earning in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties, as well as on the Qualla Boundary.

Grant recipients are:

Graham County Schools, Robbinsville – Allowing them to share the success of their peer counseling program with other school districts in the region. The program pairs underperforming students with student mentors who share educational opportunities that would normally be out of reach due to socioeconomic barriers.

Hawthorn Heights, Bryson City – Allowing them to expand mental health services to their youth residents, many of whom were left waiting for services due to the limited number of providers working in the region.

HIGHTS, Sylva – Allowing them to connect underserved youth with education, employment, housing, independent living skills, mental health and substance abuse services.

One Dozen Who Care, Andrews – Allowing them to provide underserved youth with opportunities to learn leadership and financial literacy, experience mentorships, and attend activities that would normally be out of their reach due to transportation and other socioeconomic barriers.

Swain County Schools, Bryson City – Allowing them to support after-school learning and care for students during the school system’s spring 2025 semester.

Western Carolina Pacesetters, Andrews – Allowing them to expand their Adventure Leader program and grow their roster of youth served.

After setting aside a year to listen to the community partners and investigate where gaps in services were causing the greatest harm, Nantahala Health Foundation’s Board of Directors unanimously decided to concentrate its grantmaking efforts on the region’s next generation.

“Where we can, we want to make a difference in the lives of our region’s children,” Lisa Leatherman, NHF’s board chair said. “With this grant opportunity, we have prioritized the health and well-being of young people and significantly improved their chances for a brighter, healthier future.”

Lori Bailey, NHF’s executive director, pointed out that by design, traditional health, education, and community support systems often default to responding to health issues as they present themselves. The idea with these investments, she said, is to address earlier the root causes and underlying factors that cause negative health outcomes for youth and young adults.

“This is especially true for youth at risk for compounded impact due to circumstances of poverty, family dysfunction, educational challenges, mental illness, and substance use and abuse, to name those most prevalent in this region,” Bailey said. “We have chosen with these grant awards to foster collaboration among the various systems that influence young people, including schools, juvenile justice, social services, and physical and mental health service systems to respond to the myriad needs of young people, with a goal of providing the services and supports necessary to help them grow into healthy and success adults.”

About Nantahala Health Foundation

Working since 2019 as a regional catalyst for innovation and collaboration, Nantahala Health Foundation seeks to partner with nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties and the Qualla Boundary to improve health and wellness outcomes for all.

By addressing the root causes of health inequities and removing barriers to accessing quality healthcare, education and economic opportunities, the Foundation’s impact is broadly felt in its partnerships with regional change-makers. The Foundation has awarded more than $3.8 million in support to some 195 programs totaling a financial investment of more than $15 million throughout the region.

Additionally, the foundation has invested more than $145 thousand in building the capacity of regional leaders, equipping them to collaborate effectively with others and to grow the people they serve, resulting in a richer, more inclusive, connected, and thriving community. Those wishing to support the Foundation’s work may do so by visiting its website at NantahalaHealthFoundation.org.