Valerie's House Receives $50,000 Grant from Major League Baseball

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Sept. 10, 2021 - PRLog -- Valerie's House has been awarded a $50,000 grant from Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) to help in its mission of helping children grieve the loss of a loved one.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) on Friday announced the fifth round of recipients for the joint "Healthy Relationships Community Grant" program. The current distribution of more than $500,000 is going to 11 nonprofit organizations, marking nearly $2.5 million donated to more than 50 organizations so far in this program. The focus areas for the organizations receiving funding include support for survivors of domestic violence, mental health resiliency, and developing positive relationship skills in youth as a preventive measure to breaking the cycle of violence.

Organizations were encouraged to apply for funding to cover general operating expenses, allowing them to respond to their greatest needs, or program support. The recipients are as follows:

• Becky Lee Women's Support Fund, Washington, D. C.
• The Family Place Utah, Logan, UT
• Forkids, Inc., Norfolk, VA
• House of Ruth Maryland, Baltimore, MD
• Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation, New York, NY
• Mighty Oaks Foundation, Murrieta, CA
• New Destiny Housing, New York, NY
• New Hope for Women, Rockland, ME
• Project I CAN, Baltimore, MD
• Valerie's House, Fort Myers, FL
• Valley Children's Healthcare Foundation, Madera, CA

This overall initiative is a $3 million commitment to provide funding in 2020 and 2021 to organizations that support healthy relationships through programs designed to strengthen and provide critical services to survivors of domestic violence, improve mental health resiliency among vulnerable populations and build and improve relationship skills of the next generation.

This initiative is intended as a prevention strategy to empower the next generation to understand the components of a healthy relationship. Organizational efforts supported by grant funding may include public education, with a preference for youth populations, on the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships as it relates to interpersonal violence (e.g., intimate partner, family or teen dating). Examples of education efforts include creating, producing & distributing public service announcements with relevant content and call to action as well as conferences or events focusing on awareness. Funding can also go toward supporting existing, or introducing new, programming on how to break the cycle of violence.

The joint donation for the "Healthy Relationships Community Grant" represents an ongoing commitment by MLB and the MLBPA to provide support to causes that assist vulnerable populations, which has historically included financial assistance toward disaster relief and recovery as well as human trafficking prevention.