Texas Mutual Insurance Company and Texicare were at the Amarillo Area Foundation on Thursday, June 25, to present the organization with a $250,000 check to address metabolic disease, obesity and food insecurity in the Panhandle.
This is the inaugural year that Texas Mutual and its health affiliate, Texicare, have awarded healthcare philanthropy grants totaling $1 million to organizations across the state to fund programs that enhance the health and wellness of working Texans and their families.
“Because we believe healthy nonprofits help build healthy communities, investing in the organizations that make these programs possible is critical,” said Lara Escobar, vice president of community investment for the Amarillo Area Foundation.
“Nonprofits addressing metabolic disease, diabetes, obesity, and food insecurity need strong leadership, healthy teams, sound fiscal management, and effective governance to deliver effective services and sustain their impact over time,” Escobar said. “By strengthening their capacity, we are helping these organizations reach more people, deliver higher-quality services, attract additional resources, and build long-term solutions that improve health across the Texas Panhandle.”
Keralee Clay, Amarillo Area Foundation president and CEO, participated in the presentation of the grant from Jeanette Ward, Texas Mutual President and CEO and Meredith Duncan, Texicare president and CEO.
Texas Mural Insurance along with Texicare have been actively donating across the state of Texas to support the effort to contain diabetes, obesity and food insecurity.
A portion of the grant will help support five organizations already working to address health-based issues and will be included in a specialized cohort receiving training through LEAD ‘EM. The year-long program will be provided by the Texas A&M Bush School Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropy, according to information provided by the group.
“The investment from Texas Mutual and Texicare comes at such an important time for families across the Texas Panhandle,” Clay said in a news release.
“We know that healthier communities are built through strong local partnerships and access to care close to home,” Clay said. “Rural communities often face unique healthcare challenges, from provider shortages to long travel distances for care, and this support helps us continue working alongside organizations across the region to meet those needs.”
LEAD ‘EM stands for Leadership, Achievement and Development for Executive Leaders. Local nonprofit executives are trained in capacity-building, nonprofit governance and leadership, human capital and assessing and evaluating organizations and programs, according to Clay.
“The Amarillo Area Foundation has a long history of investing in the Texas Panhandle and bringing people together to address critical community needs,” Ward said in the release. “By supporting their work, we are helping to expand access to meaningful healthcare solutions that can improve stability and well-being for working families across the region.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 Diabetes.
The number of people with metabolic syndrome is growing. Up to one-third of U.S. adults have it but healthy lifestyle changes can slow or stop metabolic syndrome from causing serious health conditions.
Nell Williams is a staff writer covering trends and other news for the Amarillo Globe-News. Have a story idea? Email her at nwilliams@usatodayco.com .
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo Area Foundation gets $250,000 grant from Texas Mutual
Reporting by Nell Williams, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Nell Williams, Amarillo Globe-News | USA TODAY Network
