Current 2026 Grantees
Our partners deliver amazing programs in their communities.
Here is who we have sponsored for 2026.
🩷The 2026 Rosemary Xavier Grant Recipient🩷
PAL: Play. Advocate. Live Well
Spartanburg, SC
PAL: Play. Advocate. Live Well is the first recipient of the Rosemary Xavier Grant, supporting their PAL Mobile Market initiative—bringing fresh, high-quality produce and essential groceries directly into low-income neighborhoods.
By removing barriers such as transportation, affordability, and limited food access, this program ensures that families can more easily obtain the nourishment they need.
Serving approximately 80 households each week, the PAL Mobile Market goes beyond food access by offering educational materials, outreach resources, and connections to online cooking classes—empowering families to make informed, healthy choices at home.
To further support community members, the program accepts SNAP benefits and doubles the value of SNAP dollars—up to $10 spent on fruits and vegetables—helping families stretch their budgets while prioritizing nutritious foods.
Through this initiative, PAL is not only improving access to healthy food but also strengthening communities, promoting wellness, and creating lasting impact where it matters most.
Altrusa International
Mexico, Missouri
Altrusa International, leading to a Better Community, was awarded an AHEI grant for its “Coping Skills with Books and Bears” project.
This dedicated community organization has already prepared 500 comfort kits—each including a children’s book and a teddy bear—for first responders and professionals who support children in crisis throughout Audrain County.
With support from AHEI, the group expands its impact by preparing an additional 500 kits that will be distributed to first responders beyond Audrain County.
Each kit features a thoughtfully designed book centered around “Al the Bear,” who gently guides children through simple, effective coping strategies.
Through the story, children learn to recognize and name their emotions, understand that their feelings are valid, and begin to build trust with the first responders and caregivers assisting them. The book introduces calming techniques such as deep breathing, butterfly hugs, and counting—tools that can help ease anxiety in difficult moments.
In addition to supporting children, the book also serves as a valuable resource for caregivers and first responders, offering a simple, practical checklist to help comfort and calm a child experiencing distress.
The Florida Medical Alliance Foundation
Broward and Palm Beach County
The Florida Medical Alliance Foundation received an AHEI Grant for their “Chemotherapy Care Packages: Wellness Warriors Kits” project.
This community-driven initiative supports individuals undergoing chemotherapy by providing thoughtfully curated care packages filled with comfort and essential items. Each kit includes cozy blankets, grip socks, moisturizing products, nourishing snacks, and uplifting handwritten notes—small touches designed to bring comfort during a challenging time.
In collaboration with local Girl Scout troops, FMA Alliance, and the FMAF families, volunteers assemble each kit and create heartfelt cards and artwork. Together, they are delivering more than care packages—they are offering patients a meaningful reminder that they are not alone, and that their community stands beside them with strength, compassion, and hope.
Franklin County Master Gardener Association
Rocky Mount, VA
With support from AHEI, the Franklin County Master Gardener Association is expanding its “Healthy & Homegrown in Franklin County” project—bringing families together through gardening, nutrition education, and hands-on learning.
This project is an extension of a home vegetable gardening project implemented with families (50 families; 56 elementary-aged children) in 2025. The project primarily focused on gardening education. Their evaluation indicated that participants learned about gardening, spent more time with their children, and increased their consumption of fresh vegetables.
The AHEI grant helps to replicate the project and embed health education messages into the gardening education. Two groups of families will be invited to participate:
1) previous participants who already have gardening supplies will receive two vegetable plants, and 2) new participants will receive a complete Grow Kit (soil, watering can, trowel, rain gauge, 2 plants, and 2 Grow bags).
Additionally, Franklin County Master Food Volunteers will offer 3 cooking demonstrations to educate participants about how to prepare fresh fruits and vegetables in fun, child-friendly ways.
They will also integrate children’s literature in these sessions. They will collect post-project evaluation data via an online survey and disseminate the findings to a variety of audiences.
Beacon Clinic for Health and Hope
Greater Harrisburg, PA
Beacon Clinic for Health and Hope received AHEI funding for their “Glucometer Access for Uninsured Patients” project.
Beacon Clinic provides free primary healthcare and medications to uninsured adults in the Greater Harrisburg, PA, community, which is located in a federally designated medically underserved area.
Many patients face significant barriers to care and struggle with chronic disease, especially diabetes. This project will provide glucometers and glucose-testing supplies to up to 24 diabetic patients who lack the financial resources to monitor their blood sugar independently.
Access to consistent self-monitoring is essential for preventing serious complications such as vision loss, kidney disease, neuropathy, and emergency hospitalizations.
Through a partnership with nursing students from Messiah University, patients will also receive individualized education on glucometer use, glucose tracking, and basic diabetes self-management.
This hands-on teaching will empower underserved patients to take an active role in their care while offering valuable clinical learning opportunities for future nurses. Patient education is critical to the success of this initiative and to improving long-term outcomes.
Healthy Schools Oklahoma, led by
Bethany Children's Health Center
Bethany, OK
Healthy Schools Oklahoma, led by Bethany Children's Health Center, for their “Healthy Schools Oklahoma: Expanding Health Education in Schools” initiative.
Bethany Children’s Health Center is dedicated to improving the health and preventing injuries of Oklahoma children. Their “Healthy Schools of Oklahoma” program provides funding, curricula, training, evaluation tools, and support to participating elementary schools focusing on physical activity, nutrition, injury prevention, tobacco use prevention, and oral health education.
The AHEI grant will allow them to expand into new schools this year.
New schools require high-quality, engaging instructional tools to effectively teach these concepts. Hands-on manipulatives and visual models—such as food models, nutrition displays, Mr. Gross Mouth, and tobacco education materials—bring lessons to life and help students better understand complex health topics.
These interactive resources increase student engagement, reinforce classroom instruction, and support long-term behavior change.