Port of Los Angeles Approves $550,000 For Nine ‘Healthy Harbor Grants’ – Administered By Harbor Community Benefit Foundation

The Los Angeles Harbor Commission has approved nine “Healthy Harbor Grants” totaling $550,000 that will help promote health care, health education, community outreach, and access to respiratory care in the harbor communities of San Pedro and Wilmington.  The grants were funded from the Port Community Mitigation Trust Fund, administered through the Port of Los Angeles’ partnership with San Pedro based Harbor Community Benefit Foundation (HCBF), an independent non-profit organization created to mitigate the environmental impacts of port operations.

“The Port is committed to supporting our local communities’ well-being through a variety of channels, including the Harbor Community Benefit Foundation,” said Ambassador Vilma Martinez, who serves as President of the Los Angeles Harbor Commission.  “This program provides an opportunity for health interests, care providers, schools and other community organizations to apply for grants for projects and programs that improve the overall quality of life for Harbor Community residents of all ages.”

“HCBF’s Healthy Harbor Grant funds connect San Pedro and Wilmington residents to a wide array of health and wellness resources,” said Mary Silverstein, Executive Director of HCBF.  “Our local programs foster new partnerships and collaboration between the community and the Port, promoting economic growth and improving community health.” 

HCBF was created in 2011 as a result of the settlement known as the “TraPac Memorandum of Understanding” in which the Port agreed to establish the Port Community Mitigation Trust Fund to support collaborative efforts to grow and green the port, and to alleviate the effects of environmental and public health impacts of its business operations on the community.  The trust fund is administered by HCBF.

“The Port of Los Angeles is proud of its partnership with HCBF,” said Harbor Commission Vice President David Arian. “They have done an excellent job engaging the community and should be applauded for their efforts.”

Previously, the Harbor Commission approved $1,306,000 in grant funding administered by HCBF, to serve the harbor communities of San Pedro and Wilmington. Community Benefit Grants were awarded in December 2013 totaling $506,000, aiding 19 diverse organizations whose program priorities included beautification, education and training, safety, employment, and community initiatives.  In 2012 and 2013 $800,000 was awarded in the first two rounds of Healthy Harbor grants. Successful projects included the opening of a handicap accessible respiratory clinic in the Wilmington Health Center, a dedicated asthma clinic in the San Pedro Harbor Community Clinic, asthma education and outreach, exercise programs, and the establishment of annual community health fairs in both Wilmington and San Pedro.

The third round of Healthy Harbor Grants awards $550,000 to nine community organizations serving the San Pedro and Wilmington communities:

$67,000 – LA BioMed (Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center) is one of the country’s leading non-profit biomedical research institutes.  Grant funding will expand an established 8-week summer fellowship program, adding 20 high school students from Wilmington and San Pedro; students will investigate the effects of port-related impacts on respiratory health in the Harbor community; includes a stipend for each student.