CHOP Cares Community Grants Awarded Spring 2022

The CHOP Cares Community Fund and Grants Program awards grants to CHOP employees to cover expenses for health-related projects that fulfill specific needs in communities served by CHOP.  In 2019, the CHOP Cares EXCEL Grant was created to provide further support with the growth and sustainability of projects previously funded by the CHOP Cares Community Grant.

Since 2013, CHOP has awarded 185 grants from the CHOP Care Community Fund for a total of $860,928.

The Office of Community Impact is thrilled to share the list of FY23 CHOP Cares and CHOP Cares EXCEL Grant projects. Read about these projects below!

EXCEL Grants

Minds Matter: Concussion Care for Kids Education Initiative

Olivia Podolak, Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Project will provide equitable access to health education to Philadelphia youth, parents and coaches on concussion care.

Training Youth Peer Educators in Sexual and Reproductive Health

Anabel Fernandez, Global Health Program Manager

Project will establish a collaborative youth leadership program with a focus on sexual and reproductive health, in Consuelo, Dominican Republic designed to train high school students ages 12-17 to become peer educators and leaders in their schools and community. The project aims to provide the tools necessary for adolescents to make healthy decisions in their lives and reduce the levels of teen pregnancy in the community.

Tampon Training Workshops

Helen Milligan, Physical Therapist

Project will provide tampon training workshops to remove the anxiety and mystery of tampon usage and help all women, including those of varying socio-economic and cultural backgrounds as well as women of varying abilities, feel comfortable using tampons.

Fostering Connections: Giving Siblings Their Right to Reunite

Samantha Emdur, BSN, RN and Melissa Casey, Administrative Manager

Camp to Belong River Valley will reunite siblings who have been separated because of foster care and/or adoption, strengthening the foundation of their sibling relationships and reducing the extent of trauma.

Center for Rehabilitation Diversity Immersion Program

Samuel Pierce, PT, PhD, Megan Beam, PT IV, Education & Development Coordinator, Meghan Burkhardt, OT IV, Education & Development Coordinator, Ken Knecht, PT IV, Education & Development Coordinator, and Stacey Caviston, PT IV, Education & Development Coordinator

Project will provide opportunities to undergraduate students at local community colleges/universities to learn about Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT) at CHOP in order to make them stronger applicants to improve the diversity of OT and PT professions.

CPR/AED Training and Drill Equipment Lending Library

Victoria Vetter, MD, MPH, Director, Youth Heart Watch, Lindsey Flanagan, Program Coordinator, Youth Heart Watch, and Brady Kwong, Clinical Research Coordinator I

Project will consist of putting together bins stocked with equipment needed to hold self-facilitated CPR/AED trainings and Sudden Cardiac Arrest response drills, which can be checked-out online and picked up at certain CHOP locations. Materials will be used to train youth and adults at various schools, sports program, and more.

Improving Literacy in a Neighborhood School

Ann-Ashley Field, OT

Project will provide culturally relevant 21st century children's books that honor the diversity at Joseph Pennell Elementary School.

The Avondale Garage Nutrition Kitchen and Food Pantry Program

Rebecca Rosenberg, Executive Secretary II

Project will support the Avondale Garage Nutrition Kitchen and Food Pantry Program for youth with materials to build shelving and tables for their commercial kitchen space.

Cobbs Creek Healthy Cooking Series

Natalie Minto, MD

Project will educate caretakers on how to prepare meals on a budget through healthy cooking workshops.


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