DOWNEY –  Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center recently announced an investment of more than $250,000 in grants to five local non-profit organizations. 

The grants will help support children and the elderly through organizations that provide access to healthcare services, promote community safety and violence prevention, and increase mental health care. 

“Many of the most vulnerable residents in our surrounding communities -- youth and the elderly -- do not have access to health services, and these grants help organizations provide the services they need,” said Jim Branchick, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center. “We are proud to help support these organizations as we all have one common goal -- to improve health in the community.” 

The following organizations each received grants of $50,000: 

Community Family Guidance will create additional access points for mental health services in the southeast Los Angeles city of Bell. 

Elevate Your GAME will sustain their successful, long-standing one-on-one mentoring program in Compton and help expand the mentoring program to Lynwood High School. 

Pathways Care Navigation Program will keep vulnerable, at-risk seniors stable, safe and independent in their own homes. In collaboration with the Cal State Long Beach Nursing Department, the program engages seniors in Bellflower, Lakewood and Paramount through in-home visits to create personal care plans, which address medication management, monitoring of chronic conditions, and safety assessments. 

St. John’s Well Child and Family Center will launch an online patient portal for patients at their Compton clinic site. This online patient portal will connect physicians with their patients electronically and offer more streamlined care. 

Urban Compass will expand their highly successful one-on-one mentoring program to middle school students in Watts. 

Since 2010, Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center has donated more than $1.2 million to more than 100 community partners.