FY24 CHOP Cares and CHOP Cares EXCEL Grant Recipients A Decade of Impact

The Office of Community Impact, with the assistance of the CHOP Cares Community Advisory Board, award grants each year to support CHOP employees in filling a specific need through community programming in areas served by CHOP and the CHOP Care Network across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 

Established in 2013, the CHOP Cares Community Grant, provides funding for the purchase of supplies and resources required to address an identified community need. The CHOP Cares EXCEL Grant, established in 2019, provides further support with the growth and sustainability of projects previously funded by the CHOP Cares Community Grant.

We are thrilled to share the list of FY24 CHOP Cares and CHOP Cares EXCEL Grant projects and excited to celebrate an important milestone: 10 years and almost $1 million supporting close to 200 programs.

Over the past 10 years, grant projects have touched on everything from child literacy and eating better to helping children cope with disease, from reproductive health education to boosting kids’ activity levels and fighting obesity. Read more on how CHOP employees are addressing health needs through the CHOP Cares Community Grant program here.

Join us in congratulating our grantees and celebrating a decade of community impact!

FY24 CHOP Cares Community Grants

Improving Literacy Skills and Belonging in Children in Foster Care

Anne-Ashley Field, Occupational Therapist

Encouraging literacy skill development by providing diverse books to children in foster care, and educating foster parents on the importance of literacy activities and community resources to continue literacy skill building.

POWER UP at POWEL!

Vanesa Karamanian, Program Director, Healthier Together Initiative

Closing the gap of food insecurity at Samuel Powel Elementary School through a Snack Station Program while increasing equitable access to healthy snacks throughout the school day, supporting student socio-emotional development and fostering long-term food equity efforts across the school.

The Garage Community & Youth Center, Nutrition Kitchen Program

Rebecca Rosenberg, Executive Secretary II

Students participate in bi-weekly formal Nutrition Kitchen programming where students prep meals for the day. Additionally, there will be daily distribution of snacks and students are able to bring home a bag of groceries after program for their families.

CHOP Nursing High School Pathway Program

Sophia Collins, MSN, RN, Program Coordinator Nursing Advocacy

Daneen Smith, MSN, RN, Sr Director Primary Care Nursing

Kirsten Hickerson, DNP, RN, VP & Associate Chief Nursing Officer

Promotes nursing as an obtainable career path in local Philadelphia high schools with the goal to spark interest within the 11-week cohort and ultimately increase enrollment of diverse students into nursing post-secondary programs.

Project Accelerate with Girls Inc. of Greater Philadelphia

Joanne McCool, VP, Human Resources

Calvin Allen, EVP & Chief Human Resources Officer

Kisha Hawthorne, SVP & Chief Operating Officer

Claudine Coke, Director HR Client Services

Internship opportunity in Primary Care and Human Resources for students ages 16-20 from Greater Philadelphia, offering young girls access to relevant work experience and exposing them to healthcare. 

Supporting Literacy, Science Literacy, and Fitness for Kids

Maureen Braun, M.D., Attending Physician

Support interactive activities to increase physical activity among youth, educational STEM and literacy opportunities at Fanny Jackson Coppin Elementary School.

FY24 CHOP Cares EXCEL Grants

Karabots Bright Beginnings

Meg Kawan, MD, MPH, IBCLC, Attending Physician

Tonae Simon, RN, IBCLC, Lactation Consultant

Janaee Morris, MSW, Social Worker

Kaitlyn Murphy, MD, Attending Physician

Wendy Caton, Office administrator

Support for newborn care and parent wellness beyond the preventive visit. Project will offer weekly breastfeeding support and interactive parent and infant monthly events addressing important health topics.

CHOP It Up! Cooking Program

Annie Chung, Clinical Research Program Manager

Elisha Pavlick, RD, LDN, Clinical Dietitian III

Samantha Najmola, Clinical Research Assistant

Sandra Amaral, MD, MHS, Attending Pediatric Nephrologist

Hands-on healthy eating program for the CHOP Division of Nephrology catered to patients and the specific restrictions of the renal diet. This will include Lunch and Learns for our dialysis unit and a collaboration between Nephrology and the Free Library of Philadelphia Culinary Literacy Center offering cooking workshops for patients and/or caregivers, and a week-long summer cooking camp for patients. Recipes and educational materials will be made available through an online resource guide.

Healthy Hearts, Healthy Lives, Healthy Schools and Communities

Victoria L Vetter, M.D. MPH, PI, Attending Pediatric Cardiologist

Lindsey Flanagan, MPH, Program Coordinator

Abenezer Lemma, Clinical Research Assistant

Expand Healthy Lives, Healthy Heart screening model to create a health exposition that includes education on healthy lifestyles to improve heart heath and reach more communities. This will include information on healthy eating, nutrition, obesity, and hypertension, smoking and vaping, exercise, and information to help avoid the negative heart health impact of adverse childhood experiences that impact mental health and eventually heart health.