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GREEN CHIMNEYS WINS KRESGE CHALLENGE GRANT
New Health and Wellness Center Will Soon Be a Reality
BREWSTER, NY --- Green Chimneys has been awarded a $400,000 grant from The Kresge Foundation. The challenge grant, which will be matched through fundraising by the Brewster-based organization, will be used for a new Health and Wellness Center. The Green Chimneys project comprises roughly 1,500 square feet of partial demolition; 1,700 square feet of renovations; and 2,000 square feet of additions to the existing Health Center.
The Kresge Foundation has been a driving force in the building of facilities for nonprofit organizations in the United States for the past 83 years. Its Capital Challenge Grant Program, which awards an organization a financial grant if it raises an agreed upon amount of funds from private sources, has helped communities across the country build libraries, schools, hospitals, museums, community centers and food banks, among other brick and mortar projects.
“This was a very competitive grant program and we are thrilled to be among the winners,” said Whalen. “Now, Green Chimneys will start an aggressive campaign to raise an additional $2 million in funding for its capital and endowment campaign.”
It's a big job to keep students well. It means thousands of daily medications, asthma and allergy treatments, vaccinations, dental visits, psychiatric care and emergency treatment. In an average year, Green Chimneys' Health Center has 6,340 walk-ins; 1,784 medical appointments and nearly 500 dental assessments and treatments. The services are provided at no cost to students. The Center also serves Hillside campers, students in Nature's Nursery, staff and, in emergency situations, visitors.
“Our health center already functions like a small community hospital, but the growing medical needs of our children have far surpassed the physical structure,” said Whalen. “We offer exemplary service in an outdated, overcrowded and inefficient facility. We've evolved and grown, but our health center hasn't. A new building will improve service, increase efficiency and reduce outside hospitalizations. Thanks to the Kresge Foundation, the dream of a better health center will soon be a reality.”
Quality health care has been a priority for Green Chimneys since 1947 when a New York physician, S. Bernard Ross, MD, purchased a 75-acre farm for his son to run a school. Having a physician on staff meant that students had much more than just a school nurse, a philosophy that lives on today.
"The Kresge Foundation has a long tradition of directing its grants to build nonprofit capacity," says Elaine D. Rosen, chair of the 12-member board of trustees. "With this group of grants, we also acknowledge that we must more directly confront the deep and ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor in this country."
At Green Chimneys, we focus on restoring possibilities and creating futures for children with emotional, behavioral, social and learning challenges and the first step to a brighter tomorrow is good physical and mental health,” says founder Dr. Samuel B. Ross, Jr. “Today, 60 years after our founding, we are able to accept children that other residential treatment center would never accept because we are able to provide medical services, even in cramped, aging quarters.”
In addition to increasing efficiencies and enhancing services for its current client base, a new Center will allow Green Chimneys to provide services to the community through educational seminars on health-related topics. The Center will also serve as a site for community blood drives and immunizations in emergency situations.
Founded in 1947, Green Chimneys restores possibilities and creates futures for children with emotional, behavioral, social and learning challenges. Headquartered in Brewster, NY, it is world renowned for its animal-assisted therapy program and operates a residential treatment center for children, an accredited special education school, a farm and wildlife rehabilitation center, an organic farm, a therapeutic riding program, community based services including a runaway shelter and community outreach center, Nature's Nursery and Hillside Summer Camp, group homes, Good Friend mentoring program for youth, LGBTQ programs in New York City, programs and special events for the public, adult services programs in Connecticut and a variety of other programs. Each year, Green Chimneys serves more than 3,500 children and their families. More information on Green Chimneys is available at www.greenchimneys.org.
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