The Skillman Foundation

Nutrition education, increasing food accessibility
We hope to combat food insecurity and access to healthy food for our youth members as well as their families. We will do so by presenting an educational series for members regarding nutrition, menu planning, and grocery shopping for a family. After this series, we will help members put their new skills into action by having them conduct their own menu planning for their family, develop their own grocery list that falls within their budget and then go to the grocery store every 2 weeks for the duration of the program. We will assist with transportation, if necessary.
General Health
One of the key things we seek to understand is what happens to youth as they age out of the pediatric or children’s health care provision. As they reach 18, we need to understand what health care is provided to them. If our members have access to regular health care, we will encourage them and their families to keep their routine physical and dental checks, as well as their behavioral health appointments. In addition, we will assist uninsured members in obtaining a health insurance policy through the state, determine how to find a primary care physician that is covered by their policy and close to their home, assist in making their first appointment, and provide transportation if necessary. We will also assist in finding a dentist that is covered by their policy and close to their home, make an appointment and provide transportation if necessary. We will help members to determine if they require mental health care and to find an appropriate therapist that accepts their insurance or has income-based payment, as well as with transportation if necessary.
Support for Students Returning to School
As we return a more typical environment, it is important to support our youth who are returning to school so that they can do their best. We will purchase school supplies for members on an as needed basis which might include pencils, erasers, pens, highlighters, notebooks, loose lined paper, graph paper, printer paper, binders, folders on a needed financial basis. If they do not already have one, we will seek support to get them a laptop and internet connection. In addition, we will offer resources for academic support as well as assistance with college applications.
Clothing
To the extent necessary, we will purchase new clothes for members for school, work, and job/educational interviews. This will be essential for the schools or jobs that they may choose to attend or interview for in the future, as well as, in day-to-day life. Clothing is a significant expense, and it is incredibly important for our members to look and feel professional and competent as they prepare for success.

Approximately how many people do you anticipate serving through this grant?
50 youth members (minimum) plus their immediate household (4-6-member household) 200-300