Luzerne Foundation awards $25,000 grant to Volunteers in Medicine

WILKES-BARRE — The Millennium Circle Fund of The Luzerne Foundation Thursday awarded a $25,000 grant to Volunteers in Medicine after members listened intently to five presentations and cast their vote.

Kelly Ranielli, Volunteers in Medicine Executive Director, said the funds will be used during this critical time to help keep low-income neighbors healthy, well, and working.

“We are so very thrilled and excited to have the support of the Millennium Circle Members and the community,” Ranielli said. “Thanks so much to the Luzerne Foundation and it’s supporters for being Hometown Heroes.”

With the 2020 grant award considered, the Millennium Circle Fund has awarded $414,000 in grant funding since its inception in 2001.

“Although the COVID pandemic has altered our lives, it cannot change the commitment our Millennium Circle members,” said Charles Barber, President & CEO of the Luzerne Foundation. “Many thanks to everyone who participated in today’s virtual event. Five incredible presentations captured the most significant needs in Luzerne County.

“After thoughtful consideration, The Millennium Circle membership voted and awarded Volunteers in Medicine the $25,000 grant. Many thanks to all of the charities for their participation, and congratulations to Volunteers in Medicine on being selected as the 2020 Grant Recipient.”

Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) is for the community by the community. VIM is truly a free clinic and not a federally qualified center that charges for services. Patients are working, on unemployment, or actively looking for work and their income is at 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.

Medical, dental and behavioral health services are provided by an inter-professional team of staff and volunteers.

Primary and preventative care, chiropractic, counseling, chronic disease management, psychiatric evaluations, medicine therapy, case management, women’s health, dental care, medications, testing and specialty services were expanded to ensure comprehensive care.

VIM is seeing a 20% increase in new patients this year, and will continue to expand services based on the needs of our community and serve as the safety-net provider for those falling between the cracks of the healthcare system. Patients earn too much to qualify for Medicaid and not enough to afford private or the marketplace insurance. Many new potential patients have lost their jobs, lost their health insurance and small businesses closed during the pandemic.

In June of 2020, VIM received the Patient Centered Medical Home recognition by the National Committee of Quality Assurance to validate the quality care being provided for the last 12 years. There are only six free clinics out of 1,800 in the nation that have received the PCMH certification.

Established in 1994, The Luzerne Foundation has distributed over $169 million in grants to nonprofit organizations to date.

The Millennium Circle Fund of The Luzerne Foundation was created by a special group of donors whose gifts of $2,000 play a pivotal role in helping The Luzerne Foundation identify unmet community needs. The ultimate goal is to have 2,000 members and a fund that would support the community with grants of $200,000 or more each year.

The other finalists were: Rural Health Corporation of Northeastern PA (RHC), The McGlynn Center, Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO) Weinberg Regional Food Bank and United Way of Wyoming Valley.