BELFAST – Belfast Public Health Nursing Association (BPHNA), which has provided health care and other critical support to the most disadvantaged members of the community for more than 100 years, has received a $15,000 grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation.

The funds will be used to support the distribution of food, medicine, clothing and shelter to disadvantaged residents in Waldo County. BPHNA is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit organization supported by Waldo County General Hospital, the City of Belfast, and through the generous donations of local agencies and community members.

Susan Dupler, RN, BPHNA care manager, said the need for critical support services has increased as county residents face the many challenges of COVID-19, according to a news release.

“BPHNA provided support to more than 1,700 people in 2019,” Dupler said, in the release. “With the challenges of COVID-19, we are certain the need for assistance will be much greater through 2020 and into 2021. We thank Stephen and Tabitha King for joining our efforts to support the entire community during this pandemic.”

Among other things, Belfast Public Health Nursing Association:

 Works with local emergency management agencies and Waldo County General Hospital to prepare for and respond to emergencies including natural or man-made disasters, bioterrorism or disease outbreaks.

 Prevents infectious disease from spreading through education, providing treatment, holding community immunization clinics and monitoring outbreaks.

 Organizes blood drives, health screenings, blood pressure clinics and health fairs.

 Educates the community about environmental issues such as unsafe lead levels, safe drinking water and pests.

 Shares information with the community about a variety of health topics like obesity risks, nutrition, importance of stress reduction and exercise and healthy lifestyle choices.

 Works with schools on issue surrounding food insecurity and oral health care.

 Links people to needed health services and assures the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable.

All services are provided at no cost.

The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation is a private nonprofit organization that promotes strengthening and supporting communities and draws upon the values and spirituality of the founders. The Foundation has a special interest in organizations and people who have less recourse to usual channels of resources, focusing on community-based initiatives in the State of Maine only.

Waldo County General Hospital is part of MaineHealth, a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of eight local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,600 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With more than 19,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. For more information, please visit wcgh.org.