Montgomery County, MD

11/04/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/04/2024 14:08

Montgomery County’s Asian American Health Initiative Awards $1.5 Million to Support Health and Wellness Programs for Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities

For Immediate Release: Monday, November 4, 2024

Montgomery County's Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI), a program of the County's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), has awarded 14 local community organizations with grants totaling $1.5 million through its Healthy Communities Fund. The funding will support the development and continuation of culturally and linguistically appropriate programs focused on behavioral health, senior wellness and health and social support services for the County's Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.

Montgomery County's AAPI community comprises about 15 percent of the County's population. The County, one of the most diverse in the nation, has a population of more than 56 percent minority. AAPI residents come from various cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds, making tailored health and social support services essential to meet their diverse needs.

"Our County's diversity is one of our greatest strengths, and it is essential that we support culturally relevant services for our Asian American and Pacific Islander communities," said County Executive Marc Elrich. "The Healthy Communities Fund is a vital resource that enables us to collaborate with trusted community organizations to deliver services that effectively reach and impact these communities. We are committed to ensuring every resident in Montgomery County has access to meaningful and supportive health care."

This is the third year AAHI has administered the Healthy Communities Fund with the Primary Care Coalition (PCC). In the past two years, AAHI and partner organizations have reached more than 15,300 individuals, engaged the community more than 258,000 times and hosted 835 community events. The fund has also encouraged more than 16,000 hours of volunteer service, valued at more than $400,000.

This year, AAHI introduced several process enhancements to increase equity and strengthen applicants' capabilities. These improvements included strategy consultations for interested applicants, an applicant interview phase and consultations with a data expert for awardees to support outcome measurement and reporting. These steps were added to increase the capacity of organizations to apply, advocate effectively for funding and create systems to track their impact.

Twenty-six proposals were submitted, requesting more than $2.9 million in funding. After a competitive review process, 14 organizations received grants to provide services from October 2024 through June 2025.

The following organizations received funding:

For more information about the Healthy Communities Fund, visit the AAHI website.

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Release ID: 24-500
Media Contact: Jennifer Garfinkel 240-962-1506
Categories: Health