Hospice Foundation issues $130K in grants

The Hospice Foundation of the Ozarks this week presented roughly $130,000 in grants.

The funding went to organizations that provide end-of-life services, representing the first round of the Hospice Foundation's 2020 grant cycle, according to a news release.

Jacob's Ladder was the top recipient, with two grants totaling nearly $80,000. The majority of the funding is for the Springfield nonprofit's new 3,200-square-foot end-of-life care home at 2343 N. Delaware Ave. It opened Sept. 1, according to the release.

Jacob's Ladder also received more than $4,500 for construction of the Blanche Wong Memorial Garden, an outdoor seating area at the care home.

The Hospice Foundation issued $50,000 to Saint Louis University, Washington University and the University of Missouri for a joint project that provides education and bereavement support webinars for community and health care professionals across the state, according to the release.

Additionally, the Springfield-Greene County Library District received $640 for a virtual community education program that focuses on increasing awareness of end-of-life issues.

The Hospice Foundation currently is accepting applications for a second round of grants, which are slated to be announced in November. The foundation has given more than $1 million in hospice and end-of-life grants since 1997, according to the release.