“We need more allies and partners like the ISA Foundation who not only stand with us — but invest in us. The funding from the foundation will help provide the on-the-ground support and programming needed to serve Black women globally.” – Vanessa Garrison, GirlTrek co-founder and COO
GILBERT, Ariz. (PRWEB)
April 07, 2021
As part of its fifth round of funding, the ISA Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to GirlTrek to further the nonprofit’s national efforts supporting the physical and emotional wellbeing of Black women and girls. This is the foundation’s first six-figure grant supporting the pursuit of racial equality, one of its four focus areas.
Operated by global wellbeing company Isagenix International, the ISA Foundation also focuses on healthy nutrition and support for underserved children, wellness education for all, and aid for those affected by natural disasters. The nonprofit awarded its latest round of grants totaling $620,000 to 22 U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
GirlTrek Grant
Based in Washington, D.C., GirlTrek’s mission is to pioneer a health movement for Black women and girls grounded in civil rights history and principles through walking campaigns, community leadership, and health advocacy. The nonprofit has mobilized over 1 million women to walk.
The $100,000 ISA Foundation grant will support two GirlTrek programs:
- Developing a lifesaving habit of Black women walking every day: As part of its ongoing program, GirlTrek will organize a network of Saturday morning walks across America powered by 10,000 trained neighborhood captains to help Black women jump-start and sustain a habit of walking. This effort will include visiting city, state, and national parks as well as historically Black colleges and universities so participants can connect with, educate, and inspire each other.
- Expanding the GirlTrek Care Crusaders Support Lifeline: In response to the global pandemic, GirlTrek launched the GirlTrek Care Crusaders Support Lifeline, a pilot group of 100 doctors, therapists, and other health experts trained to accept calls from Black women dealing with isolation, loneliness, domestic abuse, and suicide. GirlTrek plans to scale this lifeline by creating a network of 1,000 trained Black volunteer health workers who can become a safety net for Black women around the country and beyond.
“As a company that believes everyone deserves to experience a healthy, joyful, and abundant life, we love how GirlTrek is helping to improve Black women and girls’ physical and emotional wellbeing,” said Justin Powell, Isagenix chief legal officer and ISA Foundation board member. “We’re thrilled to partner with such an inspiring nonprofit and help it expand its reach so it can make an even larger impact on the communities it serves.”
“Last year, GirlTrek hit a tremendous milestone of having 1 million Black women enlisted in the GirlTrek movement,” said Vanessa Garrison, co-founder and chief operating officer of GirlTrek. “We need more allies and partners like the ISA Foundation who not only stand with us — but invest in us. The funding from the foundation will help provide the on-the-ground support and programming needed to serve Black women globally.”
Additional Foundation Grants and New Award
In addition to GirlTrek, the 22 grant recipients include:
- SERV International: Based in Canton, Georgia, SERV uses food as a catalyst to completely transform lives. Its vision is to physically and spiritually feed people and develop stronger communities in some of the most remote regions in the world. SERV will use a $150,000 grant to continue to provide sustainably grown and highly nutritious food relief in the sub-Saharan region of Africa.
- Embody: Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Embody provides access to physical and mental wellness education for all regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, creed, physical ability, or ability to pay. Using the healing tools of yoga and mindfulness, and through providing meaningful volunteer and service opportunities, it helps people regain agency over their own wellbeing. Embody will use a $50,000 grant to continue expanding its programs on a national scale.
- One for Health Foundation: Based in Walpole, Massachusetts, One for Health’s mission is to help children in underserved communities overcome critical nutrition insecurity and adopt a healthy lifestyle. It provides innovative nutrition distribution and wellness programs that equip children with the knowledge and skills to develop and retain healthy habits. One for Health will use a $35,000 grant to convert pilot projects into long-term free programs at select Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.
SERV has ties to the recipient of a new foundation award. At its New Year Kick Off event in January, Isagenix announced Rebecca Akira as its first ISA Foundation Ambassador of Hope Award honoree. Orphaned at a young age in Turkana County, Kenya, Akiru was eventually rescued by SERV and raised at the nonprofit’s House of Hope orphanage. The Ambassador of Hope Award includes a scholarship that will cover Akiru’s school expenses and allow her to complete a four-year college degree.
Since its inception in 2018 and after five rounds of grants, the ISA Foundation has awarded grants totaling over $4 million to 79 nonprofit partners in the United States and Canada. The grants, along with product donations from Isagenix, have provided over 11 million meals, funded over 34,000 educational events, and served over 300,000 children, adults, and families around the world. To view a list of previous grant recipients, visit the foundation’s impact page.
The ISA Foundation is accepting its next round of grant applications from U.S.-based nonprofits that were invited to apply from March 15 to April 15. Isagenix will announce the new recipients in July.
To learn more about the ISA Foundation, visit ISAFoundation.net, like the foundation on Facebook, and follow it on Twitter and Instagram.
To learn more about Isagenix, visit the Newsroom, like the company on Facebook, and follow it on Twitter and Instagram.
About the ISA Foundation
Established in 2018, the ISA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to create sustainable impact globally through volunteer efforts and charitable contributions focused on healthy nutrition and support for underserved children, wellness education for all, aid for those affected by natural disasters, and the pursuit of racial equality. Isagenix International covers all administrative costs of the foundation so 100% of donations can benefit those in need. For more information, visit ISAFoundation.net.
About Isagenix International
Established in 2002, Isagenix International believes that everyone deserves to experience a healthy, joyful, and abundant life. The global wellbeing company artfully crafts more than 175 effective products and offers a supportive community for its more than 550,000 customers worldwide. Isagenix shares its products through a network of independent distributors in 26 markets: the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, South Korea, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland. The private family-owned company has its world headquarters in Gilbert, Arizona. For more information, visit Isagenix.com.