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Reading Social Entrepreneurs Receive Funding to Break Down Health Barriers

by American Heart Association

Jul 01, 2021

The American Heart Association’s Social Impact Fund invests in sustainable, community-led solutions addressing health inequities

The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, announced that two Reading-area businesses and nonprofits will receive $220,000 in funding from the Association’s Social Impact Fund to sustainably address health equity in the community.

Thanks to a donation by the FirstEnergy Foundation, multiple funding opportunities will be made available across FirstEnergy’s service area over the course of four years. Reading is the first community where funds will be distributed.

The Association’s Social Impact Fund invests in evidence-based, community-driven entrepreneurial solutions that catalyze the removal of social and economic barriers to health equity, including economic empowerment, healthy food access, housing, recidivism, access to quality healthcare, transportation and educational opportunities.

Both Reading fund recipients are led by people of color and operate in underinvested communities:

The Hispanic Center provides wrap-around services to the Latino population in the greater Reading area. Programming focuses on higher education, information and referral advocacy, senior center services and financial stability. Funds will support the launch of a medical interpreting social enterprise to increase healthcare access and improve engagement with healthcare providers for over 125 Spanish-speaking patients.

Opportunity Construction is a social enterprise that provides training and support for people in marginalized communities to become construction professionals. The company focuses on building expertise and job creation in general construction, work zone safety and construction inspections. Funds will provide training for 10 returning citizens and employ them with living wage jobs in highway and bridge infrastructure construction as well as reduce recidivism for 45+ program participants.

While significant advances have been made in cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment, health results are disparate across economic, racial and ethnic groups. According to the County Health Rankings, only 20% of a person’s overall health is determined by clinical medical care, while the rest is determined by social and economic factors, as well as physical environment. Approximately 50 million people in the United States are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease because they lack the most basic needs — healthy food, clean air and drinking water, quality education, employment and housing.

To learn more about the Social Impact Fund and future funding opportunities, visit heart.org/social-impact-fund.

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