Wayne Memorial Grants Awarded to Support Community Wellness

(Honesdale, PA — September 21, 2021) … Wayne Memorial Health Foundation (WMHF), through its 2021 community grants program, will provide funds to aid 12 local nonprofits. WMHF awarded a total of $18,842 in grant monies to support special projects committed to promoting good health across Wayne Memorial Health System’s service area.

This year, two Wayne County middle-school nutrition projects, one submitted by the Wayne Highlands Middle School in Honesdale and the other by a combined program serving students in the Damascus and Preston schools, received funding. The goal of both these programs is to encourage healthy eating habits through special learning experiences hosted by the school’s Family and Consumer Science Department.

Wayne Highlands faculty member Sara Zabrowski coordinated the middle school program, (which has received funding from WMHF since 2009) before handing it off to current Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Marissa Fasshauer. After transferring to Damascus and Preston in 2020, Zabrowski wanted to bring the nutrition project there with her.

“The programs will look similar but we both have our own ideas and are excited to put our own spin on the events,” stated Zabrowski. “We are looking forward to having all 6th through 8th grade Wayne Highland School District students involved.”

2021 recipient organizations are: The Cooperage Project; Fair Hills Therapeutic Riding Center; Honesdale Fire Department – Hose #1; Project Linus; PROSPER program at Wayne Highlands, Western Wayne and Wallenpaupack School Districts; Nutrition Project at Wayne Highlands Middle School and Damascus and Preston schools; Rail-Trail Council of NEPA; Victim’s Intervention Program and Women’s Resource Center.

New applications are accepted by WMHF annually each May. For more information, visit www.wmh.org

Photo: Shown, left to right are Marissa Fasshauer, teacher, Family and Consumer Sciences, Wayne Highlands Middle School; Carol Kneier, MS, RD, CDE, LDN, manager WMH Community Health and member, Community Grants Committee; Martha Wilson, chair, Community Grants Committee and Sara Zabrowski, teacher, Family and Consumer Sciences, Wayne Highlands Damascus/Preston schools.