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This year, three community-led initiatives are utilizing funding from VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center to expand their efforts to improve health outcomes for Virginians.

In March, Massey announced the following organizations have been awarded $5,000 seed grants:

• Community Transformers Foundation (Hopewell)
• Free Clinic of Powhatan (Powhatan County)
• Shalom Farms (Richmond)

The seed grants are the first level of funding available through Massey’s Community Grant Initiative, which launched in December 2021. Each seed grant-funded program focuses on the promotion of health and health equity and aims to reduce suffering across the cancer continuum, from prevention through survivorship.

Community Transformers Foundation

2024 Seed Grant recipient: Community Transformers Foundation

Community Transformers Foundation (CTF) is a nonprofit that is working to address social drivers of health through safety net programs and community partnerships. The south central and southwestern regions of Virginia are within the service areas of CTF, which centers its work on expanding access to health care, access to primary care, health literacy and healthy food in urban, rural and marginalized populations.

Founded in 2018, CTF is currently using the Massey seed grant to establish informational workshops about colon cancer with faith-based partners throughout the African American community. A cancer education survey is distributed at each workshop.

“This survey is designed to gather insightful data that will improve the development and targeted delivery of our cancer educational initiative,” said Nicole Hall, executive director of CTF. “The goal of this project is to provide education to the predominantly African American population to promote prevention awareness and encourage earlier screenings. Additionally, the project seeks to identify the obstacles to cancer prevention, detection and treatment.”

CTF is using the $5,000 grant to purchase gift cards and supplies, provide volunteer stipends, print educational material and create a project manager position on the team.

Hall also recognizes that CTF’s partnership with Massey comes with other benefits.

“Massey has access to the most current research and data in the area of colorectal cancer,” Hall commented. “This will be invaluable as we create our presentation and disseminate information to our faith-based partners and fellow community members. The acquired funding will allow us to extend our impact within the community as we give incentives for feedback. This allows us to see the impact of the workshop facilitated in the communities as well as gather data.”

As CTF pursues health and social equity, it is expanding its reach by opening a new satellite office in South Hampton Roads, in addition to its corporate offices in Hopewell.

Free Clinic of Powhatan

2024 Seed Grant recipient: Free Clinic of Powhatan

The Free Clinic of Powhatan was founded in 2008 on a mission of “building a healthier community one person at a time.” The clinic is the only safety net provider for uninsured and low-income residents in the counties of Powhatan, Amelia, Cumberland and some zip codes in Chesterfield. It provides primary, chronic and specialty care; medication counseling; behavioral and women’s health care; case management; and in-house dentistry.

The Massey seed grant is allowing the clinic to launch “Eat Well, Be Well,” a nutrition education and wellness coaching program that will serve 50 people in 2024. Patients who opt in to the program attend two in-person education classes on selecting and preparing healthier budget-friendly foods. Participants also identify two healthy living goals and, along with a three-month motivational health journal, receive weekly wellness coaching calls to encourage and support steps for success.

“With 66% of current patients living with at least one chronic illness diagnosis, “Eat Well, Be Well” can help them prevent disease, or its progression, through greater control of their choices,” said Elizabeth Ream, executive director of Free Clinic of Powhatan. “With heavy reliance on volunteers, our clinic has sought out support to launch a wellness initiative for several years. Massey’s grant opportunity, along with the support of the Community Outreach and Engagement team, helped guide us to a starting point with both financial and programmatic resources.”

Ream acknowledged the value of working with Massey beyond the grant. The clinic received a summary of cancer data in its service area from Massey’s Office of Catchment Area Data Analytics (CADA); it also learned about free support and resources for families dealing with cancer diagnoses.

“These are projects that an organization with two full-time employees could never dream of undertaking but that help us learn more about, and treat, the whole person,” said Ream. “The CADA information for the counties of Powhatan, Cumberland, Chesterfield and Amelia revealed cancer rates in Amelia that are higher in almost every category than neighboring counties, the Massey region and state. We began discussions internally on what we can do as a clinic to screen patients and educate the community at large.”

Shalom Farms

2024 Seed Grant recipient: Shalom Farms

Shalom Farms is a nonprofit farm and food justice organization founded in 2009 with a mission to build a more equitable food system in Richmond. Shalom Farms grows and distributes more than 600,000 servings of Certified Naturally Grown produce every year, thanks to the work happening on two production farms and through dozens of partnerships and innovative food access programs.

In 2024, the $5,000 from Massey is funding healthy food and cooking demonstrations by Shalom Farms, along with a kitchen tool bank at its community-based mobile markets.

“For us, food access and justice means that in addition to the Certified Naturally Grown vegetables and fruits that we grow, we also need to offer kitchen skills, tools, recipes and meet people close to where they live and work,” said Alistar Harris, the network engagement director for Shalom Farms. “We know that through collaboration, we can have a wider and deeper impact across the City of Richmond. If we are to improve both food security outcomes and health outcomes for our residents, then we need to work with a wide range of stakeholders. Food systems and health equity systems changing are only possible through collaboration.”

Since 2018, Shalom Farms has partnered with Massey by offering a farm stand with fresh produce on the medical campus in downtown Richmond.

“For many years now, we have encountered cancer patients and survivors through our mobile markets and food skills classes,” Harris explained. “While we are not clinicians or experts, we know that an increase in the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables has positive health outcomes. Through the seed grant, Massey is acknowledging and highlighting the importance of diet in cancer prevention and survival.”

Shalom Farms applauds Massey for using its unique position in the region to shift and improve the outcomes for people who live with cancer through treatment, research, training and community-centered models, including the seed grant.

About the Community Grant Initiative

To date, 16 organizations in Massey’s catchment area have received seed grants over three funding cycles through Massey’s Community Grant Initiative. Two community organizations received cultivate grants — the next level of funding — in 2023. The third phase of the program will roll out this year, offering one $50,000 harvest grant to a selected applicant.

For questions about Massey’s Community Grant Initiative, grant partner organizations or future requests for proposals, email engagemassey@vcu.edu.

Written by: Amy Lacey