2023 MTF Community Service Grants Announced

Posted:Tuesday, August 29, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Massage Therapy Foundation Awards 2023 Community Service Grants

(Evanston, Ill., August 28, 2023) The Massage Therapy Foundation (MTF) announces the award of four Community Service Grants for the 2023 granting cycle. MTF’s Community Service Grants bring the benefits of massage therapy to people who would otherwise not have access. The grantees are as follows:

Comforting Touch Hand Massage Skills Volunteer Training Program
Bluegrass Care Navigators, Lexington, Kentucky
$5,000

Bluegrass Care Navigators’ Comforting Touch Hand Massage Skills Volunteer Training Program educates and trains existing volunteers and employees across the agency to provide comforting touch to hospice patients. The project initially aims to train 120 team members and volunteers in hand massage techniques. Its secondary goal is to train 70% of 11th-hour volunteers across the agency and recruit massage therapy volunteers to support this initiative as well as increase massage available to patients in 32 counties. A hand massage is something that nearly every patient can enjoy, regardless of their diagnosis. Even non-massage therapy professionals can learn hand massage skills and be confident in providing the service. Through those newly trained employees and volunteers, they will offer comforting touch to a greater patient base.

Kneads to Manage Chronic Disease
Rappahannock Area YMCA, Fredericksburg, Virginia
$5,000
This grant is sponsored by a gift from Biotone

As part of the Rappahannock Area YMCA’s Blood Pressure Self-Management program, which is designed to help adults better manage high blood pressure, the Kneads to Manage Chronic Disease provides 30 minutes of massage therapy sessions after each one-on-one blood pressure consultation for 25 at-risk participants. These referred, low socio-economic participants will receive two massages each month. Blood pressure will be measured before and after the massage. After completion of the program, participants will be invited to a self-care check-in event, where they will receive a complimentary massage, along with stress management tools. Participants will benefit from receiving holistic healthcare and non-pharmaceutical intervention for lowering blood pressure and also experience feelings of caring, comfort, and connection, which can positively impact a disadvantaged community.

Massage Therapy for Medically Fragile Children
Maryville Children’s Healthcare Center, Chicago, Illinois
$5,000

The Massage Therapy for Medically Fragile Children program provides enhanced comfort and relief from pain through massage therapy to medically fragile and technology-dependent patients admitted to the Maryville Children’s Healthcare Center (CHC). The CHC achieves this objective by introducing patients to massage therapy and delivering massage according each patient’s specific needs. The massage therapy program enables a licensed and experienced massage therapist to spend one-on-one time with each child and use essential positive touch to foster the physical and emotional health of pediatric patients.

Pediatric Complex Care Integrative Therapies
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, Tacoma, Washington
$5,000
This grant is sponsored by a gift from Biotone

The Pediatric Integrative Therapies program brings free massage therapy services to children receiving palliative and/or complex care in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Mary Bridge Complex Care is for children whose medical challenges involve multiple organ systems and have many specialty clinic visits with multiple medical or surgical specialists. Many of these children and adolescents use a feeding tube, have seizures or other neurologic problems, have breathing issues or are on a mechanical ventilator, take many medications, and, in some cases, are in end-of-life care. Massage therapy is highly impactful for these patients because it helps them manage symptoms and side effects without resorting to additional medications and works to ease emotional pain and anxiety. Learn more in the video below.

To date MTF has granted over $500,000 to non-profit organizations across the country and internationally.

About the Massage Therapy Foundation
The Massage Therapy Foundation is a 501(c)3 public charity supporting scientific research, education, and community service for the massage therapy profession. The Foundation founded and publishes an open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal and provides educational resources for massage therapists, educators, and students. MTF is an independent organization that promotes international scientific and technical collaboration through grants, resources, training, and services.

For more information contact:
Gini Ohlson, Executive Director, 847.905.1520, gohlson@massagetherapyfoundation.org orMarla Gamze, Communications/Development Manager, 847.905.1635, mgamze@massagetherapyfoundation.org