The Pew Charitable Trusts has announced grants totaling $3.48 million in support of efforts to help Philadelphia-area residents and organizations recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grants include approximately $3.2 million to help three nonprofits achieve more equitable health and educational outcomes for low-income adults and children and $300,000 for the nation's oldest surviving botanical garden. Recipients include the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance, which was awarded a Pew Fund for Health and Human Services growth grant of $2 million over five years to increase the number of chronically ill individuals receiving medically tailored meals and nutrition counseling; and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia PolicyLab, which will receive $1 million over four years to conduct research on and promote universal health insurance for children and families, explore and address how COVID-19 has affected racial disparities in health outcomes, and promote intergenerational programs and policies that recognize that the health of children is directly connected to their caregivers' physical, mental, and social well-being.

In addition, the Springboard Collaborative was awarded a Pew Fund venture grant of $180,000 over two years to improve student literacy and combat learning losses exacerbated by school closures during the pandemic by bringing the Springboard Learning Accelerator program to more schools in low-income neighborhoods, while a two-year, $300,000 grant to Bartram's Garden will fund efforts to restore, maintain, and improve the fifty-acre garden's facilities after unprecedented use during the pandemic and enhance its community-led programs and opportunities for Southwest Philadelphia residents.

"With these latest grants, the Pew Charitable Trusts is pleased to continue to help the Philadelphia region and its residents move toward recovery from the health and economic impacts of the pandemic," said senior vice president Frazierita Klasen, who is leading Pew's work in Philadelphia. "All four grantee organizations are providing critical programs and resources that will enhance the well-being and overall quality of life for Philadelphians from a range of ages, backgrounds, and neighborhoods."