Grant will fund additional health services

Germantown residents can count on the continuation of good quality health care at the neighborhood’s Face to Face human services organization now that the Green Tree Community Health Foundation (GTCHF) awarded them a $12,500 grant for their health center.

Face to Face, located at 109 East Price Street, started off as a soup kitchen in 1985, serving 600 free meals every weekend. Over the years, they expanded their generosity to offer a health center, legal services, social services, an arts and writing program and summer and after school programs.

The grant will be put toward general operating use, such as buying health center supplies and paying nursing staff.

“This grant will allow our nurses to bring much-needed health promotion to members of our community who are marginalized and would not otherwise receive any health care,” Mary Kay Meeks-Hank, Face to Face executive director said in a press release. “Our clients have so many health challenges that could easily go undiagnosed and untreated.”

Green Tree Community Health Foundation, the not-for-profit public charity for northwest Philadelphia and eastern Montgomery County, has worked closely with Face to Face over the past several years, awarding them grants previously in 2008 and 2010.

“The grants are very competitive,” Susan Hansen, GTCHF executive director and CEO said, adding they receive between 80 and 100 applications every year that undergo strict evaluations. “Face to Face does a great job of meeting those needs.”

According to Tom Sims, Face to Face receives about 400 clients a year, but already holds between 2,500 and 3,000 “encounters” – or people who revisit. Much of their clientele are seniors, mentally challenged, underemployed and unemployed.

Face to Face provides this population with some of the most basic necessities, Hansen said. “For the homeless population, the foot care is so important,” she said. “If you could see the condition of some of these homeless people who have no adequate foot protection,” Hansen added, mentioning the fact some homeless clients have no socks, which leads to foot infections, wounds and pneumonia.

Nurses, nursing students and volunteers tend to those conditions and more. The health center also offers education classes in hypertension, diabetes management, HIV/AIDS and Reflexology among others.