A $2-million grant from The Kresge Foundation will help protect Flint children from the effects of lead poisoning and strengthen the health and human services delivery system in Flint, the foundation’s Board of Trustees announced today.

The grant will be administered through the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, enabling it to expand programming, create a more coordinated and strategic effort to prevent and mitigate the effects of lead poisoning in Flint’s children, and protect the community from future harm.

The bulk of the money – $1.35 million – is to be re-granted to local nonprofit organizations working to prevent and mitigate the effects of lead poisoning, and to advance the current health strategies of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint. Funds will be deployed through the community foundation’s core programs and the Flint Child Health and Development Fund. The fund is seeking to secure $100 million to aid Flint’s children.

Kresge funding also will support enhanced staff capacity at the community foundation as well as the design and implementation of an evaluation of its current investments in the community, to ensure that efforts are impacting the health and long-term well-being of Flint residents.

The grant fulfills a commitment made in May when Kresge promised up to $2.5 million to support a 10-foundation effort to help the city’s residents recover from the poisoning of the city’s tap water with dangerous levels of lead.   

 “This grant will help minimize harm to Flint children, make it easier for Flint families affected by lead poisoning to access the services they require, and build the capacity of local nonprofits providing health and human services,” said Dr. Phyllis Meadows, Senior Fellow with Kresge’s Health Program.  “We expect our contribution will help the community build out the systems that are needed to address some of the long-term issues going forward.”