The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey has a strategic framework, goals and objectives to make grant investments in programs that closely align with the company’s mission and priorities. Since2004, the Foundation has invested more than $74 million in grants supporting New Jersey’s communities.
FOUNDATION GRANTMAKING HIGHLIGHTS
Foundation Signature Initiatives
In addition to awarding grants to New Jersey nonprofit organizations, the Foundation co-develops signature initiatives with external partners to place a greater focus on specific health issues impacting people throughout our state.
Addressing the Opioid Epidemic
Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall Series
Over the past decade, more than 24,000 people have died from drug-related causes in New Jersey. The Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall Series, in collaboration with The Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey, was created to raise awareness on this deadly issue. During the 2022-2023 academic school year, more than 5,000 high school students attended our town halls at 10 schools around the state, and our capstone event hosted at Rutgers University. The mission of each town hall was to educate student-athletes, families and school administrators about the risks of prescription opioids and fentanyl.
The town hall events feature Ray Lucas, former Rutgers and NFL quarterback who has battled with opioid use disorder and mental health issues for many years. He shares his personal story of addiction and recovery following his playing career.Students surveyed after each event indicated a 96 percent positive understanding about the issue and went on to say that “hearing from a former professional athlete helped me understand the risks of opioids in a way I haven’t understood before.”
PARTNERSHIP FOR A DRUG-FREE NEW JERSEY
“Ray Lucas’ presentation was simply one of the best decisions I have made pertaining to educating athletes about drug risks. His openness, frankness, and detail engaged the students and provided them a tangible example of the dangers of opioid abuse.”
- RYAN D. MILLER, CMAA, Assistant Principal-Athletics, Scotch Plains-Fanwood H.S.
Building a Pipeline of Diverse Clinicians
Horizon’s Behavioral Health Scholars (from left to right): Michael Enechukwu, MD; Melvin D. Ways Jr., DO; Krisdaniel Berreta, MD; Nicolas Alvarado-Torres, MD
Horizon Behavioral Health Scholarship
Horizon partnered with National Medical Fellowships to establish its first psychiatric scholarship program in New Jersey. The $186,000 scholarship program aims to address the critical shortage of diverse psychiatrists in New Jersey. The scholarship provides financial support to four exceptional students pursuing their residency in both general and pediatric psychiatry.
Horizon Endowed Scholarship
Horizon partnered with Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM) to establish a Horizon Endowed Scholarship to provide resources in perpetuity for dental students. The $250,000 grant investment created the scholarship for students that come from underrepresented backgrounds. As part of Horizon’s partnership with RSDM, on National Give Kids a Smile Day, volunteers from Horizon joined RSDM students, faculty, staff, and other volunteers, to provide free dental screenings for children from the Newark community.
Addressing Food Insecurity
To improve food security for New Jersey residents, the Foundation provided $200,000 in funding to launch the Growing Healthy Pantries initiative, a new multiyear signature initiative with New Jersey’s five food banks: Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ), Food Bank of South Jersey, Fulfill, Mercer Street Friends, and NORWESCAP.
The initiative developed a toolkit to provide local pantries with the knowledge, resources and framework necessary to establish nutrition policy, increase healthy food options and provide essential wrap-around services that address social determinants of health. The initiative also focuses on growing the number of healthy choice-style pantries to provide New Jersey residents with the dignity that comes with choice, particularly in underserved communities and among vulnerable populations.
The development and implementation of the toolkit is a longer term investment to ensure the 1,000 pantries operating across the state have the support and capacity they need. Implementation in each of thesepantries requires hands-on technical assistance and other support. Over time, successful pantries will serve as examples to assist those that are beginning this journey. In addition to our collaboration, Horizon is raising statewide awareness and working with other philanthropies and organizations to determine how they can contribute to this initiative. This includes organizations like Feeding America, a national organization which is supporting our local initiative.
goHunterdon
E.C. is a 96-year-old Glen Gardner resident who lives alone and uses an assistive device to ambulate. Until recently, she utilized the Hunterdon County LINK for her transportation needs, but the ride on the bus became too difficult. She was referred to goHunterdon’s Senior Mobility Program. E.C. says, “It’s so wonderful that this program exists. I am so grateful. It really makes it easier for me to see my doctors.”
ArtsRx Pilot Program
The ArtsRx program is a partnership between Horizon and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark – one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. Launched in July 2023 as a one-year pilot, the program enables residents to fill “prescriptions” from physicians and other health care professionals to attend free arts and cultural events in Newark. This new partnership will serve as a national model for arts centers across the country and is the first and only arts-on-prescription program in New Jersey. The pilot is generating actionable data that will help NJPAC expand the program and its reach beyond Newark.
National Youth Mental Health Partnership
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, in collaboration with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and Blue Cross Blue Shield companies throughout the country, invested $10M in a national initiative to address youth mental health. The four-year initiative will support the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s efforts to implement trauma-informed practices in its more than 5,000 Clubs across the country by 2026. Horizon’s $300,000 grant will benefit the national partnership, including the 22 Clubs in New Jersey and the 55,000 youth they serve annually.
URBANPROMISE MINISTRIES
Arianna began working with our Wellness team in 7th grade to navigate her struggles with debilitating anxiety. Now a senior, she has made a drastic transformation into a student leader, mentoring younger peers as a camp counselor. Her vulnerability and openness about her experiences helped create a safe haven for other students, particularly among the senior class.
