Seed to Harvest: A three-level community grant series
Everything we do at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center begins with improving people's health and livelihood. Massey is committed to working closely with the community we serve to align our community outreach and engagement efforts and research discoveries on cancer risks, incidence, and mortality and improve cancer outcomes. Massey's Community Grant Initiative works with the community to intentionally reduce the Commonwealth’s cancer burden for all Virginians, particularly for the most vulnerable populations we serve.
At Massey, we value partnerships as necessary for ongoing health promotion and wellness programs across communities because no single entity has the resources, access and relationships to address the wide range of problems within the social determinants of health construct.
| Level | Amount | Frequency | Objective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1: Seed | $5,000 | Annually |
Germinate relationships towards evidence-based practices to improve cancer health outcomes |
| Level 2: Cultivate | $20,000 | Biannually | Nurture evidence-based practice ideas within a joint Massey/Community Organization team structure |
| Level 3: Harvest | $50,000 | Triennial | Generate preliminary work that yields collaborative community-academic research project(s) |
Baptist General Convention of Virginia (Richmond)
The Baptist General Convention of Virginia will provide breast and lung cancer education and additional screening resources to members of the community.
Firefighter Cancer Support Network
With seed grant funding, the Firefighter Cancer Support Network is working to reduce occupational cancer risk and address survivorship-related mental health needs to firefighters across Virginia.
Greater Norfolk Medical Society of South Hampton Roads (Norfolk)
Funding will be used by the Greater Norfolk Medical Society of South Hampton Roads to increase African American men’s knowledge of prostate cancer and the importance of screening by modifying and showing the film The Black Walnut.
Hitting Cancer Below the Belt (Richmond)
Hitting Cancer Below the Belt will utilize seed funds to enhance provider training in an effort to increase colorectal screening rates among free clinic partners.
Us Giving Richmond Connections, Inc. (Richmond)
Us Giving Richmond Connections, Inc. will host a series of outreach events aimed at increasing awareness and knowledge of major cancers impacting Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Virginia Community Health Worker Association (Richmond)
With seed grant funding, the Virginia Community Health Worker Association will develop a training toolkit for Community Health Workers to become Cancer Prevention Ambassadors for residents across the catchment area.
World U.P. Foundation (Richmond)
Funding awarded to the World U.P. Foundation will help to establish a direct delivery model system for its Mobile Produce Pantry to reach more clients living in and around Richmond’s food deserts and increase the amount of food distributed.
2022 community seed grant in review: World U.P. Foundation
Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation (Richmond)
The Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation will fund a new Resource Coordinator position focusing on the regions with high incidence, mortality and/or health disparities by providing informed referrals to various assistance programs and complementing the work of nurse navigators.
2022 community seed grant in review: Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation
Vance Street Missionary Baptist Church (Danville)
The Vance Street Missionary Baptist Church will use funding to educate the community about cervical and colorectal cancer through a partnership with Piedmont Access to Health Services, Inc. (PATHS), a nonprofit providing medical and dental care on a sliding payment scale.
2022 community seed grant in review: Vance Street Missionary Baptist Church
Saving Pennies 4 A Cure / Trials of Color (Petersburg)
Funding awarded to Trials of Color will establish the Teach One Reach One Project to educate the minority and underserved residents of Petersburg about symptoms, benefits of screening and lifestyle changes they can make to prevent colon cancer.2022 community grant in review: Trials of Color
Northern Neck Middlesex Free Health Clinic (Kilmarnock)
The funding will establish the Are You At Risk program at the Northern Neck Middlesex Free Health Clinic, which includes a packet containing oral cancer education materials, a Dental Clinic brochure, Medicaid dental benefits information, a Dental Clinic appointment voucher for a free visit and free oral cancer screenings on particular dates.
2022 community seed grant in review: Northern Neck Middlesex Free Health Clinic
Fifth Baptist Church (Richmond)
Fifth Baptist Church will use the funding to support a project raising awareness about the effects of smoking and secondhand smoke through a series of virtual workshops presented to people ages 15 and up throughout Greater Richmond.
2022 community seed grant in review: Fifth Baptist Church
Ebenezer Baptist Church (Richmond)
Funding awarded to the Ebenezer Baptist Church will establish the Ebenezer Cancer Caregivers Project to reduce emotional and mental health cancer burdens by creating a weekly cancer caregivers support group and educational programs on topics across the cancer care continuum.
2022 community seed grant in review: Ebenezer Baptist Church