Holmes nursing program uses grant to benefit Canopy Children Solution's Cares Center

Pictured are (left to right) Victoria Bailey, Jessica Orozco, John Bullock, Sarah Brown, Toni Freeman Plotkin and ADN instructor Jennifer Bertucci, PhD, RN.

The Holmes Community College Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program was recently awarded the “Fighting for Kids Social Emotion Health Post Covid-19” grant in the fall of 2022. ADN instructor Jennifer Bertucci, PhD, submitted the grant application in benevolent efforts toward the residents of Canopy Children Solution’s Cares Center (CARES).

Through a partnership with Skyhawks Sports Academy, the funding from the grant will provide physical fitness, emotional support and coping skills to increase the holistic well-being of the recipients. Skyhawks Sports Academy is the nation’s leading provider of youth sports with a mission to teach life skills including teamwork, respect, sportsmanship and a healthy lifestyle.

Canopy CARES provides behavioral health, education and social services to children with serious emotional and behavioral challenges caused by traumatic experiences. Canopy CARES’ mission is to help children and families overcome extraordinary challenges by providing a continuum of behavioral health, educational and social services. The organization offers multiple therapeutic interventions to help children overcome challenges so that they may thrive and return to their homes, communities and school.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a decline in mental health conditions. “As the United States approaches two full years of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental illness and the demand for psychological services are at all-time highs—­especially among children,” said Ashley Ambramson in her article "Children's mental health is in crisis."

The grant program aims to combat the resulting psychological effects of the pandemic among our community’s children. Holmes ADN student volunteers and Skyhawks Sports will implement three 45-minute sessions a week over a period of 20 weeks. The partnership will support the community’s Canopy CARES in addition to providing ADN students the opportunity to learn about psychosocial, behavioral treatments options for children and adolescents.