The Port of Long Beach Community Grants Program has committed almost $3.7 million to two new projects expanding asthma services to vulnerable populations.
With a $3 million award, the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services will administer funds for a consortium of The Children’s Clinic, St. Mary Medical Center, and the Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma. The groups will act together to maximize reach and minimize overlapping services for children, seniors and other adults suffering from asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiopulmonary illnesses. Pools of Hope will also receive $649,195 to work with the LAC+USC Breathmobile to deploy the mobile clinic unit to locations within North Long Beach, Compton and Paramount accessible to school-age children.
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners recently approved the grants.
“These selections ensure our funding will impact the maximum number of people, which is a fundamental goal of the Community Grants Program,” Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna said. “We would like to thank the advisory committee and Port staff who work hard to administer our efforts to improve air quality impacts on those affected by goods movement.”
In total, the Community Grants Program has now awarded $33.1 million to lessen the environmental impacts of goods movement. Since 2009, the Port has set aside nearly $65 million for grants to improve the health of children, seniors and other vulnerable populations, reduce greenhouse gases and enhance the environment.
The Port Community Grants Program was created in 2016 to distribute funding to organizations that serve populations most sensitive to Port-related impacts, maximizing the impact on children, senior citizens, the chronically ill, and those with asthma. It identifies three focus areas: community health, facility improvements and community infrastructure.
A five-member advisory committee works with Port staff to identify funding opportunities. The committee is chaired by former Long Beach City councilmember Gary DeLong; other members are educator Sabrina Sanders, former Long Beach City College Trustee Irma Archuleta, community organizer Kathleen Irvine, and political consultant Joanne Davis.
Learn more about the Community Grants Program at www.polb.com/grants.
