Second distribution this year from Community Grants Program  The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has approved distributing $3 million from the Community Grants Program to fund health efforts benefiting people vulnerable to respiratory and cardiopulmonary disorders and diseases. The funds are part of $65 million the Port of Long Beach has committed to safeguard community health. The Port of Long Beach Community Grants Program, created in 2016, is the largest voluntary effort of its kind in the nation aimed at mitigating the impacts of goods movement. With Port staff administering the grants, program funds go entirely to residents affected by air and noise pollution created by moving goods. This is the second funding round from the program in 2017. In October, Commissioners awarded $743,631 to fund nine air filtration projects in Long Beach, Compton and Paramount, bringing this year’s total to $3.7 million. “The Port considers itself a part of this community, and we listen to our neighbors. The grants program was created in direct response to the community’s advocacy,” said Harbor Commission Vice President Tracy Egoscue. “This kind of targeted help to our neighbors was exactly what we envisioned when we started the Community Grants Program. We’re honored to help fund these projects to improve community health.” Working with a five-member advisory committee appointed by Mayor Robert Garcia, Port staff made recommendations for funding to the Harbor Commission, which approved the following grants:
  • St. Mary Medical Center (Long Beach) – $970,000 for the Respiratory Rescue Program, including mobile health screenings, education and home visits
  • The Children’s Clinic (Long Beach) – $920,000 for Breathe Better Together, an asthma and cardiopulmonary care program involving medical home visits
  • MemorialCare Medical Center Foundation (Long Beach) – $600,000 for the Community Health Worker Asthma Intervention Program
  • City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services – $360,000 for Cambodian Community Asthma Management Program
  • California Aquatic Therapy and Wellness Center (Long Beach) – $150,000 for the Respiratory Health Improvement Program
The Port has held meetings to determine funding categories to be awarded for fiscal year 2018. Staff expects to bring additional recommendations to the Board early next year. More information about Community Grants Program is available at www.polb.com/grants. To date, the Port has awarded almost $22 million for pollution mitigation to the community, as part of the current grant program and its predecessor. The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $180 billion in trade annually, supporting hundreds of thousands of Southern California jobs.