Martin County Healthy Start Coalition Awarded Funding
from COVID-19 Funders’ Consortium

As the reality of COVID-19 penetrated the hearts and minds of Martin County residents earlier this year, many nonprofits were at a loss as to how they could continue to provide essential services and support to their clients, as funding from events and donors dried up. (read more)

Fortunately, The Community Foundation Martin-St. Lucie quickly recognized the critical issues our community would be facing and took action to provide support.

The Foundation formed COVID-19 Funders’ Consortiums in Martin and St. Lucie Counties, bringing funders together with nonprofits in need.

Martin County Healthy Start Coalition is one of 62 nonprofits that have received essential support from the two Consortiums to date.

Healthy Start needed new computers to help keep up with ever-changing technology and the needs of their clients. Three funders, We Are in this Together, Impact 100 Martin, and The Community Foundation Martin-St. Lucie donated $14,000 for computer equipment.

Many Healthy Start clients have no transportation to access their free diaper pantries in Stuart and Indiantown. Impact 100 Martin provided $21,416 for the purchase of a Mobile Diaper Van, which will allow them to reach more clients.

The Children’s Services Council of Martin County contributed $3,101 to provide additional staffing support for the diaper pantry and Medicaid enrollment.

The Children’s Services Council also donated $2,595 to go toward providing online infant CCPR classes to prevent infant mortality in Martin County.

Healthy Start is a statewide nonprofit (501(c)3) that offers support and education to pregnant women, families, and infants and children to age three. Their services are provided at no cost.

For pregnant women and young mothers, the Martin County Healthy Start Coalition Betty Moore Prenatal Outreach Center is a one-stop resource center that connects them with essential services: prenatal outreach, home visitations by a nurse or social worker, assistance with filing for Medicaid, health coverage, and access to other community services.

Other programs are the Father and Child Resource Center and Healthy Start, which provides one-on-one newborn care, childbirth education, breastfeeding, parenting, and tobacco education, and support.

For more information, please visit www.mchealthystart.org or phone 772-463-2141.

Showing off their new diaper van donated by Impact 100 are: Nancy Wong, past Chair Executive Committee/past Co-Chair Grants Committee, Impact 100; Samantha Suffich, CEO, Martin County Healthy Start Coalition; Betsy Johnson, Co-Chair Grants Committee, Impact 100; and Elizabeth Barbella, Community Foundation Martin – St. Lucie.

Impact 100 donated funding for the Healthy Start Coalition to buy a van to help in the distribution of free diapers to their clients who have no transportation. Left to right are: Betsy Johnson, Impact 100; Nancy Wong, Impact 100; Elizabeth Barbella, Community Foundation Martin – St. Lucie; and Samantha Suffich, Martin County Healthy Start Coalition

Photo credit: Stuart Photography Company