Mt. Shasta, Calif. (April 23, 2026) – Dignity Health announced today it has awarded $520,050 in philanthropic grants to non-profit organizations across Shasta, Tehama, Siskiyou, and Nevada counties. Locally, Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta has specifically allocated $37,600 to three vital Siskiyou County organizations: First 5 Siskiyou, Siskiyou Domestic Violence & Crisis Center, and Siskiyou Food Assistance Corporation. This significant investment underscores Dignity Health North State’s commitment to enhancing the health and well-being of vulnerable and underserved populations within the North State region.
“Building a truly healthy community requires a collaborative effort, and these grants are a sincere demonstration of Dignity Health North State’s dedication to that principle,” said Rodger Page, Dignity Health North State Market President and President of Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta. “We’ve long recognized that improving and maintaining health extends beyond the care we provide in our hospitals and clinics. By investing in these critical services delivered by our non-profit partners, we’re empowering individuals and families to access the support they need, ensuring our North State community can not only heal but also thrive.”
The grant program directly supports initiatives that improve community health, advance health equity, and enhance vital local services through targeted charitable contributions. Collaborating 501(c)3 non-profit organizations applied to receive grant funds to address significant issues identified in the hospitals’ community health needs assessments, including:
- Improving access to primary health care, specialty care, and dental health care
- Access to behavioral health, including substance use disorder treatment
- Basic needs: education, housing, transportation, and food insecurity
- Community belonging
- Violence prevention
- Navigation of care
“It is an honor to help administer these Community Health Improvement Grants,” added Alexis Ross, Dignity Health North State Director of Community Health. “Through these grants, Dignity Health demonstrates its mission and dedication to supporting those who need it most. We are only as strong as the communities we serve, and through active local partnerships, we accomplish so much more.”
This local initiative by Dignity Health North State is part of a broader commitment by CommonSpirit Health, which awarded a total of $15 million to 329 organizations nationwide.
Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta (Mt. Shasta, Calif.) – $37,600
- First 5 Siskiyou: $17,600
First 5 Siskiyou Help Me Grow: Thrive From the Start Project – This is a systems-level initiative in Siskiyou County, designed to reach at least 275 children and families with trauma-informed oral health, nutrition, and parenting education. Through diverse partnerships, the program will provide remote dental screenings and oral health education (addressing the 28% of kids who haven’t seen a dentist), integrate nutrition education/communal meals into parenting classes (linking to food resources), and strengthen child abuse prevention. The project tackles health disparities, food insecurity, and limited care access. Anchoring services with Help Me Grow Siskiyou for early identification and care coordination, helps create a supportive system where every child has the opportunity to grow up safe, nourished, and ready to thrive.
- Siskiyou Domestic Violence & Crisis Center: $10,000
Siskiyou Domestic Violence & Crisis Center – This program will provide shelter staffing for our domestic violence emergency shelter, and to provide motel rooms for clients. Fiscal year 2023/2024 we housed 141 new domestic violence victims and provided 936 bed nights. This grant funding helps support 24-7 staffing, helping us provide comprehensive services to all of our clients and to be able to respond to emergency shelter requests at all hours. Motel funds allow safety for clients that for a variety of reasons don’t fit shelter criteria such as contagious illnesses and/or pets that are not service animals.
- Siskiyou Food Assistance Corporation: $10,000
Food Security and Nutrition Program – This project provides a professional, online course focused on food literacy, nutrition, food storage, preparation, and resilience. Clients engage through interactive modules, video lessons, downloadable resources, quizzes, and guided planning. Graduates receive equipment support and one-on-one mentorship. The program will be integrated amongst current SFA clients, including volunteers milling fresh flour for distribution, providing gamma-seal buckets, mills, and other tools to those who complete the program. This project fosters direct impact by increasing the capacity of families to nourish themselves affordably and sustainably, promoting local food resilience and wellness literacy, and creating pathways for food banks to offer deeper educational services.
Dignity Health North State looks forward to seeing the transformative impact of these programs, continuing its mission to improve the health of the communities it serves, both inside and outside its facilities.
