Fairmont State University receives $20,000 in grant funding for Caring for Our Neighbors and Beyond – The Underserved Population Project

Fairmont State University has received $20,000 in grant funding for its community health program thanks to the Milan Puskar Foundation. 

According to an article on Fairmont State University’s website, Lisa Eades, who is an Assistant Professor of Nursing and the individual spearheading the project, said, “We aim to foster stronger community engagement by involving local organizations, volunteers, and students in our initiatives. This collaboration will enhance community awareness about the challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness and underserved populations, encouraging a more empathetic and proactive community response.”

The project is called Caring for Our Neighbors and Beyond – The Underserved Population Project. It aims to provide community members who are lacking adequate healthcare with referrals, education, screenings, and health items. Nursing faculty and students from the College of Nursing will be the ones providing the healthcare screenings.

In 2022, a similar project was undertaken by the College of Nursing, specifically focusing on the unhoused. That project was also funded by the Milan Puskar Foundation.

“The expansion of the grant to include surrounding counties beyond Marion County allows us to address the needs of a wider and more diverse population. By being inclusive with the definition of homelessness, we can now support individuals and families who may have been previously overlooked, such as those living in temporary accommodations or facing imminent risk of homelessness,” Eades noted.

The project will help out the community as well as the nursing students, who will have the opportunity to provide care in a much different setting from the classroom. 

Laura Clayton, who serves as the Dean of the College of Nursing, discussed what benefits the students will see from taking part in the project: “Through community engagement, nursing students gain experience understanding the unique health needs and socioeconomic concerns of the underserved population. This translates into improved clinical competency and advocacy skills in providing care to all individuals, thus improving the health of those impacted by their care.”

For more information about Fairmont State University, visit the school’s website.