The Drexel University School of Public Health received two grants totaling more than $1.25 million to help fight child hunger and study the impacts of food insecurity on babies and their families across the Philadelphia region through The Philadelphia GROW Project.
Operated by the School of Public Health, The Philadelphia GROW Project helps low-income babies and toddlers, as well as their families, achieve normal weight gain, good nutrition and proper development through clinical services, research and advocacy. Dr. Chilton, an assistant professor at the Drexel University School of Public Health, serves as the principal investigator of the program.
The Claniel Foundation provided more than $1M to maintain The GROW Project’s core clinical services, while also creating an enhanced behavioral health program and additional medical initiatives. The grant is an increase and renewal of the Claniel Foundation’s previous support of The GROW Project.
A grant of $225,000 from The Pew Charitable Trusts was also received to provide behavioral health services to children who suffer from malnutrition through The Grow Project’s emergency clinic.
The GROW Project’s clinic, which is located at the St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, currently serves 170 families. In addition, more than 3,000 families have been interviewed at the clinic as part of the Children’s Sentinel Nutrition Program (C-SNAP), which is a national multi-site research project to help prevent child hunger and promote children's health.