Girls Inc. of Jefferson County lands $180K grant
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Youth leadership organization Girls Inc. of Jefferson County has received a $180,000 grant from Bethany Legacy Foundation to bolster mental health support for its members.
The funding will be used to hire a dedicated mental health advocate, who will conduct interventions but also lend support through programming and skills-based groups, the foundation said. The goal is to help girls improve their interpersonal interactions and build self-esteem.
“A safe and supportive environment is important for boosting the psychological resilience of Girls Inc. members and empowering them to stand up for themselves,” Morgan Hamilton, program manager at Bethany Legacy Foundation, said in a news release. “Bethany Legacy Foundation aims to normalize talking about mental health and destigmatize seeking mental health support. This initiative by Girls Inc. is important to introduce these concepts at a young age.”
A 2023 report by the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that nearly 3 in 5 U.S. teen girls in 2021 felt persistently sad or hopeless, double the rate of boys and the highest level reported over the past decade.
The $180,000 grant reflects the foundation’s commitment to empowering youth and equipping them with the skills necessary for personal growth and self-advocacy, the organization said.
Bethany Legacy Foundation is a private health foundation in Madison created after the change of ownership of King’s Daughters’ Health hospital to Norton Healthcare in 2022.
Girls Inc. of Jefferson County is an affiliate of the national group, which strives to change attitudes and policies that affect girls’ lives and limit their potential. Among its areas of focus are to combat bullying, sexual harassment and sexual violence; promote access to education; advance reproductive rights; address gender stereotypes in media; and support girls’ mental health.