(Newark, NJ, January 17, 2017) -- The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, in its final awards of 2016, has issued $2,181,000 in grants to 35 non-profit organizations for health and cultural programs throughout New Jersey. The Foundation – which is the philanthropy arm of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) -- awarded 94 grants in 2016, totaling over $4.2 million.

“Helping to improve the health and quality of life for the people, families, friends and communities we serve is truly our mission and we take that very seriously. The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey is not only proud to support non-profit and community organizations that help make our state a better place to live, we feel strongly that it’s our responsibility,” said Robert A. Marino, Horizon BCBSNJ Chairman & CEO and Horizon Foundation Chairman.

The following organizations received grants in the final round of awards for 2016:

• After-School All-Stars, in Newark, received a $50,000 grant to support the expansion of the Sports as a Hook Initiative, which provides opportunities for students to learn about leading a healthy lifestyle through a comprehensive education curriculum.
• Algonquin Arts Theatre, in Manasquan, received a $15,000 general operating support grant to fund performing arts programs in dance, theatre, and music and for educational programs for children.
• American Diabetes Association, in Bridgewater, received a $75,000 grant to support the Wellness Lives Here program, which integrates its community outreach programming and employee engagement to educate the community on diabetes management and prevention.
• American Heart Association, in Robbinsville, received a $100,000 grant to support the New Jersey Multicultural Initiatives: Building a Culture of Health program, which promotes the participation of individuals from diverse communities in their programs to manage hypertension and increase cardiovascular health awareness through improved nutrition and physical activity.
• Bergen Community College Foundation, in Paramus, received a $28,000 grant to support Seal Decay Today, which will provide the delivery of free dental exams, sealants, and fluoride treatments to low-income children, with a focus on the special needs population.
• Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative, in Hackensack, received a $50,000 grant to support Paso a Paso: A Journey to Better Health for Diabetics and At-Risk Overweight Patients, which provides free diabetes screenings for its uninsured and underinsured patients and treatment for its diabetic and pre-diabetic patients.
• Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey, in Clifton, received a $600,000 grant to support Phase 3 of Breathe Easier with Asthma Management (BEAM). BEAM is an initiative of The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey that raises awareness about asthma and educates Boys & Girls Club members and their parents or caregivers about the disorder and how best to manage it. Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey serves as the state program office and will implement Phase 3 of BEAM at 20 Clubs that will offer the program at 50 locations throughout the state.
• Children's Home Society of New Jersey, in Trenton, received a $25,000 grant to support the Trenton Women’s Health Literacy Project, a bi-lingual health literacy program for low-income and immigrant women residing in the Trenton area, that offers health assessments and screenings, assistance in securing health care, and prevention and wellness education workshops.
• Christ the King Preparatory School, in Newark, received a $30,000 grant for the Health Literacy Program, which provides students and their families with a nutrition curriculum, fitness opportunities, disease prevention and treatment information, and assistance with navigating the health care system and accessing health care.
• Cornerstone Family Programs, in Morristown, received a $15,000 grant to support #Fit4Families: The Family Fitbit® Challenge, which utilizes digital activity trackers to advance health literacy among at-risk children and families through personal goal setting and challenges to increase physical activity levels, and improve diet and weight-related outcomes.
• Greater Newark Conservancy, in Newark, received a $20,000 grant to support its Nutrition Education Program, which encourages better nutrition by providing education, gardening activities, and access to fresh produce.
• Hispanic Family Center of Southern New Jersey, in Camden, received a $30,000 grant to support the Pediatric Asthma Prevention Program, which engages families through culturally-appropriate outreach activities and provides them with prevention education workshops and home-based case management services for asthma.
• HomeFront, in Lawrenceville, received a $25,000 grant to support the Health Access Team program, which provides low-income or homeless parents and their children with assistance in finding primary health care services, support for navigating the health care system, and help in handling medical crises.
• Ironbound Community Corporation, in Newark, received a $50,000 grant to support the Ironbound Urban Farm and Farmer's Market Project, an urban agriculture and community gardening program in Newark’s East Ferry neighborhood. The grant will fund maintenance of the urban farm, weekly farmers’ markets, cooking demonstrations and nutrition classes, environmental workshops and field trips for Newark students.
• Isles, in Trenton, received a $30,000 grant to support the Trenton Healthy Homes program. The initiative trains social workers and other home visitors from community organizations to become well-versed in the environmental triggers of asthma, assess the condition of a home’s indoor health and the occupant’s practices that trigger asthma, and develop an action plan and recommendations to effectively remediate problems.
• Literacy Volunteers Association Cape-Atlantic, in Pleasantville, received a $25,000 grant to support the Health Literacy Link program, which integrates health literacy curricular materials into tutor training workshops so that tutors can add a health literacy component to their literacy education lessons.
• Military Park Partnership, in Newark, received a $50,000 grant to support the expansion of the park’s Healthy Lifestyles Initiative, which provides free access to health-focused programming in the park, including fitness classes and recreational sports leagues.
• Montclair Film Festival, in Montclair, received a $25,000 general operating support grant to fund the 2017 Montclair Film Festival, Free Summer Series Under the Stars, and the Behind the Screen education program.
• Moorestown Theater Company, in Moorestown, received a $30,000 general operating support grant to fund year-round theatrical productions and educational classes for performers of all ages.
• Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, in Fort Lee, received a $10,000 grant to support the Healthy Moves program, which provides opportunities for youth to work with the company’s dancers one-on-one. The dancers advocate healthy eating habits and demonstrate effective and fun exercises that build the participant’s lifelong movement habits.
• New Jersey Theatre Alliance, in West Orange, received a $35,000 grant to support The Stages Festival, a state-wide, month-long series of free or low-cost programs that introduce children and adults to theater.
• Newark Boys Chorus School, in Newark, received a $40,000 general operating support grant to fund its concert touring program and academic initiatives.
• Newark Museum, in Newark, received a $100,000 grant to support “The Horizon Foundation Second Sundays at the Newark Museum.” The series features diverse programming for all ages and includes lectures, performances, artist-led tours, art and science demonstrations, hands-on arts workshops and music.
• Newark Public Radio, in Newark, received a $60,000 general operating support grant to fund the station’s local news and programming, to support a media research report that tracks the listening habits of its audience in order to better serve them and for media fellowships.
• Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey, in Newark, received a $150,000 grant to expand the Trusted Links project, a collaboration among the three central service facilities that comprise the New Jersey Maternal and Child Health Consortia. The project uses peer educators to share information about the importance of preconception and early prenatal care with women of childbearing age who are disconnected from the health care system and seek information from non-traditional sources.
• Rutgers University Foundation, in New Brunswick, received a $100,000 grant to support the Rutgers University Student Health Ambassador Program for Diabetes Care, which will support a community outreach program delivered by students from various disciplines, with the goal of providing early and effective identification of diabetes and improving overall outcomes for the patients.
• Servicios Latinos de Burlington County, in Mount Holly, received a $20,000 grant to support a health awareness and chronic disease prevention program titled "En Control de Mi Salud,” which will provide education sessions and screenings and increase accessibility to health services in order to minimize visits to the hospital emergency room.
• Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, in Elizabeth, received a $10,000 grant to support Refreshing, Refleshing the ABC's of Healthy Living program, which provides workshops to participants at Josephine's Place on healthy living habits and the benefits of physical well-being.
• Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers, in Hammonton, received a $75,000 grant to support the creation of a community garden in Burlington City and to provide nutrition education to the community. The garden will produce over 1,000 pounds of fresh produce annually that will be donated to the local food pantry and a local school, as well as be sold at the local farmer’s market.
• State Theatre Regional Arts Center at New Brunswick, in New Brunswick, received a $30,000 grant to support family programming, outreach to the Latino community and the Theatre’s annual Family Day Festival. The festival will include a variety of arts activities, including performances, hands-on activities, sing-a-longs, crafts, and workshops with professional artists.
• Summit Medical Group Foundation, in Berkeley Heights, received a $160,000 grant to support the GO! Asthma Action Program, intended to reduce the impact of undiagnosed and/or untreated asthma in low-income urban children in northern New Jersey. Activities will include screenings, education, case management and follow-up services.
• Support Center|Partnership in Philanthropy, in Newark, received an $18,000 grant to provide capacity building professional development workshops, organizational assessments, one-on-one coaching, training and consulting for non-profit organizations.
• United Way of Essex and West Hudson, in Newark, received a $50,000 grant for the Community Health Worker Program, which provides community-based health education programs and health literacy services.
• Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey, in Red Bank, received a $25,000 grant to support the School-Based Nurse Practitioner Health Services Program, which funds an in-school nurse practitioner to provide screenings, prevention education, chronic disease management, and assistance in navigating the health care system.
• YMCA of Newark and Vicinity, in Newark, received a $25,000 grant to support the Y on Wheels program, which will support the development and deployment of the Y on Wheels, a mobile unit designed to provide fitness and sports opportunities, nutrition education, and arts programming to the community.

Since its inception in 2004, The Foundation has awarded 1,319 grants totaling more than $47.8 million.

About the Foundation:
The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey is committed to working alongside those who can help us improve our neighbors’ health, inform their health decisions and inspire them to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. The Foundation’s funding pillars are Caring, Connecting and Creating. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is the sole member of The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, both of which are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information please visit www.Horizonblue.com/Foundation