Cambridge Health Alliance CEO Patrick Wardell, CHA Foundation President and Chief Community Officer Mary Cassesso and Somerville Health Foundation trustees recently awarded grants to eight organizations that are aligned with the Foundation’s public health priorities.

The Somerville Health Foundation (SHF) recently announced the recipients of this year’s community funding. Cambridge Health Alliance CEO Patrick Wardell and President of the CHA Foundation and Chief Community Officer Mary Cassesso joined SHF trustees to award the grants and honor the eight organizations that were selected for alignment with SHF’s priorities. Through this funding, the Foundation strives to promote and support preventive health efforts to improve health outcomes of the residents of Somerville.

The focus for this year’s round of grants is to address services such as parenting sobering groups, mental health support and skills building for youth, outdoor activity, bike programs to support urban agriculture and building immigrant leadership skills around health.

SHF presented each of the 8 nonprofit organizations with checks totaling $25,500, with awards ranging from $2,500 to $4,500. This year’s SHF grantees are Boys and Girls Club Of Middlesex County, Brazilian Women’s Club, Groundwork Somerville, Immigrant Service Providers Group-Health, Mystic Learning Center, Neighborhood Counseling and Community Services, Inc., The Family Center, and The Welcome Project.

The Somerville Health Foundation, a nonprofit corporation, was founded 20 years ago in 1996 shortly after Cambridge Hospital and Somerville Hospital merged to form Cambridge Health Alliance. Trustees from Cambridge Health Alliance who live in Somerville also serve as trustees for the Foundation, joined by a representative of the Mayor of Somerville. The Somerville Community Health Agenda, part of CHA’s Community Health Improvement Department, provides administrative support. For additional information, please contact Lisa Brukilacchio at 617-591-6940 or lbrukilacchio@challiance.org.

Cambridge Health Alliance is an academic community health system committed to providing high quality care in Cambridge, Somerville and Boston’s metro-north communities. CHA has expertise in primary care, specialty care and mental health/substance use services, as well as caring for diverse and complex populations. It includes three hospital campuses, a network of primary care and specialty practices and the Cambridge Public Health Dept. CHA patients have seamless access to advanced care through the system’s affiliation with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. CHA is a Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate and is also affiliated with Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Tufts University School of Medicine. For more information, visit www.challiance.org.