Houston Health Foundation

The reaching for success and independence through education (rise) college scholarship program has awarded over 100 college scholarships to high school seniors since inception of the program. Many of these students are the first person in their family to attend college. Mbk partner organizations identify qualified applicants and assist them to apply for the scholarships. The foundation actively manages the scholarship program through the course of the awards for either 2- or 4-year universities or technical institutes. Once awarded, the rise college support program assists students to manage issues that arise for new students by pairing them with mentors who present on relevant topics, such as time management. Students are able to ask the mentors questions and hear lessons learned from relatable speakers in virtual and in person monthly sessions. The college support program was designed to help first year students stay on track and continue their college journey. In this way, the program aims to reduce attrition within the scholarship program and help ensure that students reach their goals. Scholarship recipients attended a variety of local, state and national universities.

During the 2023-2024 school year approximately 9,300 students were provided free eye exams. Of those 8654 were prescribed and received free high-quality glasses with polycarbonate lenses. The see to succeed program served 16 school districts and students at 464 schools. Of those, 354 were title one schools. A large majority of students are on the free and reduced lunch program. Clinics were scheduled at the west end multi service center and within week-long school district missions, from october-april. Each mission provided full optometric exams for between 100-300 students per day. Completed frames with high quality polycarbonate prescription lenses were delivered to the students at their school and rechecked for fit and comfort. The students who receive glasses often exhibit signs of other health concerns and often do not regularly see a provider. As a result, 1682 student were referred for a medical consultation as well. The see to succeed program was supported by 1121 volunteers.

The basics is a nationally recognized initiative that gives families tools to care for and cultivate healthy beginnings for their children by providing resources for healthy childhood brain development. The 25 in 25 by 2025 initiative helps to raise kindergarten readiness by 25 percent in at least one geographic area of at least 25 cities, towns, and counties by 2025. As a basics learning network affiliate, basics houston issued this challenge to our home community by offering leadership and mentorship. In fy 2024, hhf continued and expanded the implementation of the brainy clinics framework of training and services to embed the early childhood brain development curriculum of the houston basics by working with five area community clinics and fqhcs: hope clinic, vecino health, access health, el centro de corazon and ibn sina health center.basics houston is also in partnership with texas children's hospital to disseminate information about the upwords program through professional networks. Hhf also works with several local agencies and community coalitions. These initiatives address the physical and emotional needs of the most vulnerable people in the greater houston area. Some of these local area agencies are:-area agency on aging - serves 65,000 senior citizens in the greater houston area connecting them to vital resources and services for healthy aging.-hire houston youth - hire houston youth serves as the facilitator to connect youth, ages 16-24, to seven- weeks paid summer jobs and internships at the city of houston, public, private, and philanthropic sectors.-nurse family partnership - this is an evidence-based health program with over 40 years of evidence showing significant improvements in the health and lives of first-time moms and their children living in poverty. Through this program specially trained nurses regularly visit young, first-time moms-to-be, starting early in the pregnancy, continuing through the child's second birthday. The program serves pregnant mothers from the sunnyside and acres homes neighborhoods and within harris county.-project saving smiles - provide free dental screenings, dental sealants, fluoride varnish, and oral health education to at-risk second graders. Hhf also provides fiscal management services for the following programs:-anti-human trafficking (aht) - provides education to healthcare providers, treatment to victims and survivors, and research to inform clinical care and public policy.-houston recovery initiative (hri) - hhf supports the work of the houston recovery initiative, by serving as a fiscal agent for multiple funding sources. The houston recovery initiative is a community-based consortium of over 50 recovery related organizations, all working to improve access to resources and outcomes for those overcoming addiction.the houston health foundation also assisted the houston health department to develop a replicable model for early detection of covid-19 by geographic areas and neighborhoods through shedding of antibodies identified in samples of waste water. This innovative system enables health departments to respond promptly to hotspots for rapid intervention. Houston was one of a handful of cities leading the development of this new system, the results of which were widely shared throughout the country. The model is now being used to detect other communicable diseases utilizing wastewater sampling. Schools were also included within hisd to detect hotspots in schools so families could remain informed.