Jenniffer Gonzalez Announces $34 Million in Federal Funding for Health, Safety, Forensice Science, and Agricultural Education
The resident commissioner, Jenniffer González Colón, announced 67 approvals of federal funds totaling $34,388,847 from the federal departments of Health (HHS), Justice (DOJ), the Treasury and Agriculture (USDA),
"I congratulate each one of the recipients of these allocations, for the work that today bears fruit with the approval of her proposals to be able to carry out their projects thanks to this federal aid. Each of these items come from budgets of agencies or programs that we have analyzed and discussed in Congress. That is why I emphasize my willingness to promote these initiatives and defend the necessary assignments to the agencies and programs with an impact in Puerto Rico," said González Colón.
Five primary health centers, known as the 330 Centers, will receive $15,461,702 in federal funds from the federal Department of Health under the Health Center Cluster program, which will help them continue to serve the community.
These are: the Health Services and Advanced Medicine Corporation that will receive $5,302,331; the Hatillo Primary Medical Services and Prevention Corporation, which will receive $3,176,185; Morovis Community Health Center Inc will receive $2,634,377; Prymed Medical Care, Inc. in Ciales has been allocated $2,262,544; and Camuy Health Services Inc $2,086,265.
For her part, the president of the Alliance of Community Health Centers 330, Dr. Gloria Amador, stated that "our centers are non-profit organizations where community members are part of the Board of Directors. The 12 organizations affiliated to our Alliance have primary health centers in 36 municipalities around the island. Without a doubt, our entity recognizes and appreciates all the efforts and perseverance of the resident commissioner, Jenniffer González, in requesting funds and defending the federal ones that they benefit the thousands of patients that we provide them with preventive and primary health services".
The Puerto Rico Department of Health will receive $486,059 under the Home Visits program funded by the American Rescue Act. This Mothers, Infants and Early Childhood Program (MIECHV) supports the provision of voluntary home visiting services to children and families living in communities at risk of poor maternal and child health outcomes.
These visits help support families by providing pregnancy education, parenting skills building, and even offerings like diapers, wipes, and hand sanitizers. The new funding also upgraded technology to families who need it to participate in virtual home visits.
The Head Start and Early Head Start program of the Municipality of Ponce will receive $3,717,488.
The Department of Justice provided $899,264 for Guara Bi Inc. under the FY 2021 Second Chance Act Adult Reentry Education, Employment, Treatment and Recovery Program. The organization will be working with the Department of Correction and seeks to reduce reoffending rates and help prisoners before and after their release and re-entry into society.
The Institute of Forensic Sciences of Puerto Rico (ICF) under the DNA Capacity Improvement Program for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) would receive $635,846; These funds seek to identify resources to significantly increase the capacity of the laboratory, thus reducing the response time and the number of samples awaiting analysis in the case work and database sections.
The ICF will also receive $296,966 under the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Enhancement Grant Program. This money will help improve turnaround time for opioid-related forensic reports in the Toxicology and Controlled Substances Sections, as well as forensic reports in the Firearms, Controlled Substances, Toxicology, Pathology and investigations areas of the crime scene; among others.
The Department of Housing of Puerto Rico under the Safe Neighborhood Program (PSN) will receive $151,223, the program is based on the philosophy that community empowerment and organization have been an effective antidote against violence in their communities. The program seeks to expand on the specifics of the 2018-2020 PSN strategic aircraft by expanding the use of shot detection technology, incorporating analysis of currently deployed shot detection and location technology.
The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI) of the Department of the in Puerto Rico $11,990,300 in Financial Assistance (FA) allocations under the Community Development Financial Institutions Program (CDFI Program)
The CDFI program invests in and builds the capacity of CDFIs to serve low-income individuals and underserved communities that lack adequate access to affordable financial products and services.
The Cupey Campus of the Ana G. Méndez University will receive $749,999 from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) of the federal Department of Agriculture (USDA).
With the funds, the campus will be able to execute its proposal with an AFRI focus: Bioenergy, natural resources and the environment, and Agricultural systems and technology. EXPLORA-Ag is a non-formal sustainable agriculture education program with a land-based STEM-Ag learning approach, based on biotechnology and data science, to foster the development of tech-savvy youth, enhance STEM-Ag competence Ag and enhance the development of critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, communication skills, and training in ethics and professionalism required for employment in the food and agriculture sectors or in graduate programs. The project is designed to impact high school youth throughout Puerto Rico.
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