The health of a community can only be as strong as the well-being of its citizens. Through grants awarded in this area, the Foundation seeks to address societal issues associated with health disparities, family planning, teenage parenting, domestic violence, children's health and well-being, child abuse and neglect, hunger and homelessness.

The Foundation also supports advocacy programs promoting access to health and mental health services, a stronger child welfare system, and a comprehensive system of universal health care. Furthermore, the Foundation continues to provide opportunities for low-income families to live in quality housing in good neighborhoods throughout the region. The needs of Baltimore's homeless citizens--including runaway and homeless youth--are of particular concern.

Areas of interest include:

• family planning and reproductive health
• teen pregnancy prevention
• HIV/AIDS
• oral health
• hunger and nutrition
• housing and homelessness
• youth sports and recreation
• youth development
• mental health services and supports
• public health
• school-based health services
• community-based health clinics
• health care for the uninsured

Learn more about the health and human services initiatives funded by The Abell Foundation by visiting Publications/Research. More information is also available in our Highlights below.

Health & Human Services Highlights

Catholic Charities – Our Daily Bread Employment Center and My Sister’s Place Women’s Center
Through its Community Services Division, Catholic Charities has provided a continuum of care for the homeless and disadvantaged for nearly 30 years. Beginning in 1981 with the establishment of Our Daily Bread, Catholic Charities has provided meals to the homeless, relying on thousands of volunteers who donate, prepare, and serve more than a quarter million meals each year to homeless individuals and families. In Fiscal Year 2009, Our Daily Bread Employment Center and My Sister’s Place Women’s Center – Catholic Charities’ two primary programs serving the homeless in Baltimore City – served a combined total of over 6,000 homeless and low income individuals, providing hot meals, employment services and other supportive services designed to assist these individuals in achieving self-sufficiency.

Franciscan Center
Founded in 1968 by the Franciscan Sisters of Baltimore, the Franciscan Center is an emergency outreach center that serves individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The Franciscan Center is located in the Charles Village neighborhood in central Baltimore, but serves individuals throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area. The center currently operates five core programs: emergency services, consisting primarily of eviction prevention and utility assistance grants, as well as small grants for client needs such as prescriptions and transportation; a food pantry that provides a three-day supply of groceries to individuals in need; a lunch program, serving a hot, nutritious meal to more than 300 people per day; support services for people living with HIV and AIDS; and a technology resource center that provides computer skills training and job search assistance. During 2009, the center served 1,780 clients, providing more than 86,000 meals, nearly 3,500 bags of groceries, 114 eviction prevention grants, 216 grants for prescription assistance, and 234 utility assistance grants.

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health – Alcohol Tax Research Project
Although illegal, alcohol use by adolescents in the United States is one of the leading public health problems facing this age group. A 2007 report by the U.S. Surgeon General warned that “[u]nderage alcohol consumption in the United States is a widespread and persistent public health and safety problem that creates serious personal, social, and economic consequences for adolescents, their families, communities, and the Nation as a whole.” In a 2003 report, the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine estimated the cost of underage drinking in the United States at $53 billion annually. To help address this serious public health challenge, The Abell Foundation awarded grants in 2009 and 2010 to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to assess the potential impacts of increasing Maryland’s taxes on alcohol.

Housing Authority of Baltimore City - Section 8 Mobility Counseling Program
The federal Section 8 housing subsudy program has the potential to enable families to escape the concentrated poverty and blight of the inner city, and move to safe neighborhoods with greater educational and employment opportunities. In practice, however, families seeking to move out of the inner city face many barriers. To help address these barriers, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City contracted with two private agencies to provide counseling and supportive services to families with Section 8 vouchers.

Towson University – Helping Up Mission Oral Health Care Project

Homeless Persons are disproportionately at risk for oral health problems, which can lead to serious health complications, in addition to causing unnecessary pain and suffering. In addition, visible dental problems such as rotting or missing teeth, which are common among homeless population, can undermine an individual's search for employment, as employers may be reluctant to hire someone with these problems. In 2006, the Towson University Department of Nursing launched a pilot oral health care project at the Helping Up Mission, a nonprofit, faith-based organization that provides nursing, supportive services, and residential substance abuse treatment, to homeless men in East Baltimore.

Visit the Grantmaking section to learn about the steps involved in making a grant application and to see other recently funded grants.