For all 30 of our years, the Winter Park Health Foundation has led with innovation, investing in the health and wellbeing of the communities of Eatonville, Maitland, and Winter Park through a creative mix of initiatives, facilities, programs, and grants. To date, WPHF has invested more than 131 million dollars in grant funding to projects and organizations that marry impact and innovation and that create solutions for our ever-changing community health needs. 
 
In March of 2024, we announced our special 30th anniversary funding initiative, the Well Together Grant Awards Challenge, Sparked by the Victory Cup Initiative. WPHF sought project proposals focused on solutions to youth mental health, diabetes/prediabetes and heart health, from non-profit partners serving or poised to serve the communities of Eatonville, Maitland, and Winter Park. 
 
With interest from more than 400 local nonprofit partners and more than 40 submitted applications, we collaborated with 40 community evaluators who had the difficult task of reviewing and scoring a set of Challenge applications. From that evaluation process, five finalist organizations were selected.  
 
These finalist organizations each received a $50,000 grant toward their project proposals, will participate in Victory Cup storytelling training, and finally, will leverage those new skills at an November 19 competition for additional, unrestricted grant dollars at WPHF’s Center for Health & Wellbeing. 
 
The Well Together Grant Awards Challenge’s five finalists are: 

Center for Change: Its $50,000 grant from WPHF will be dedicated to the Center for Change’s Heart Health Blood Pressure program (HHBP), an empowering, self-management program that addresses two major challenges individuals have when trying to improve their cardiovascular health: lack of dedication, and inaccessibility to support services and equipment that contribute to improved health outcomes. Staff will work closely with 100 HHBP participants from Eatonville, Maitland, and Winter Park, providing one-on-one education, counseling, and access to support services, such as walking programs and nutrition classes, with the goal of measurable, improved health outcomes.  

Central Florida Vocal Arts: With its $50,000 grant from WPHF, Central Florida Vocal Arts will expand its performing arts curriculum designed to impact youth participants’ mental health by improving confidence, connections, and self-efficacy.  Individual vocal lessons, arts one-on-one lessons, and group voice classes at new locations throughout Eatonville, Maitland, and Winter Park will produce tangible positive changes in the mental health of the children in our communities.    

Grace Medical Home: Grace Medical Home plans to use its $50,000 grant from WPHF to ensure the presence of its Mobile Medical Unit in Eatonville, six times a year for a week each time. Collaborating closely with the Central Florida Black Nurses Association, this initiative will facilitate consistent health outreach, education, and screenings. Working with Eatonville’s churches and community centers, the Mobile Medical Unit will prominently display its array of medical services, including those focused on diabetes prevention and heart health improvement, serving as a beacon of healthcare accessibility in historically underserved areas.   

New Hope for Kids: New Hope for Kids will use its $50,000 grant from WPHF to improve the mental health of the children it serves in Eatonville, Maitland, and Winter Park in two distinct ways. First, New Hope for Kids will offer facilitated peer support groups, empowering participants with the opportunity to connect with others who have experienced similar losses, share their stories, and offer mutual support. Physical activity sessions taught by local experts, the second component of New Hope for Kids’ new mental health-focused initiative, will teach youth participants the importance of regular exercise as a tool for mental health improvement and the lifelong benefits of healthy behaviors.   

UCF College of Health Professions and Science’s Community Health Ambassadors Program: Its $50,000 grant from WPHF will support the provision of critical supplies needed for UCF’s College of Health Professions and Science’s Healthy Living Initiative, including portable clinical equipment used in community settings. Offered free of charge to all community members who choose to participate in the Winter Park and Eatonville Neighborhood Center for Families locations, the Healthy Living Initiative addresses health risk factors that directly contribute to heart disease and diabetes/prediabetes.