8/20/2024
West Branch, Mich. – Ogemaw Hills Free Clinic recently received a $60,000 grant from the North Central Michigan Community Foundation (NCMCF) to support its health programming and services. The grant comes from the Jim and Loretta Howard Fund at NCMCF, which supports health care needs for residents of Ogemaw County and surrounding communities.
Ogemaw Hills Free Clinic provides access to healthcare needs for adults in Ogemaw and neighboring counties who lack health insurance or whose income is below the Federal Poverty Level. Services provided include lab work, x-rays, prescriptions, at-home medical supplies, diabetic testing kits, emergency food packages, and more.
“The Jim and Loretta Howard Fund and the grants that come from it are a true testament to the power of endowment, and how the vision of generous individuals can benefit our communities for generations,” said Community Foundation Executive Director Patrick Heraghty. “Through their gift, the Howards have been able to impact the health and lives of so many people in and around Ogemaw County, which was near and dear to their hearts.”
“We are so thankful for Jim and Loretta Howard for their gift to help others,” said Laura Schorn, Ogemaw Hills Free Clinic Office Manager. “It is our goal to honor them through the decisions we make, and we thank the Community Foundation for selecting Ogemaw Hills Free Clinic to receive these funds.”
Schorn shared that grant funding will be used to help automate the Clinic’s entrance doors for better accessibility for those with mobility issues, for staff education, to be able to increase staffing hours to serve more patients, as well as for diabetic testing equipment and hygiene supplies for their personal care closet.
The Jim and Loretta Howard Fund is a field of interest fund established by Ogemaw County residents Jim and Loretta Howard in 2005 and was supported further through a planned gift from the Howards’ estate that was received in 2015.
The North Central Michigan Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, is a nonprofit organization which holds a collection of permanently endowed funds supporting a broad range of purposes, from arts and humanities, education, health and human services, and more. These funds are carefully and wisely invested, with money generated from these endowment funds providing annual grants in support of Crawford, Ogemaw and Oscoda Counties, which will continue to benefit the North Central Michigan region forever.
Pictured above, left to right: Brenden Stephenson, Julie Elliott, Bob McGrail, Liz Steinhurst, Tom Kish, Andrea Rose, Deb Williams, Beverly Bond, Sue Hartz, Laura Shorn, and Edie Hoyle.
#####