Helping Maine thrive with community giving
Our 2025 application cycle has closed -
learn more about this year's recipients below!
2025 Wellness Grants
We awarded five $10,000 grants to organizations focused on fostering good nutrition, physical activity and healthy habits that reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Maine Access Immigrant Network
Based in Portland, they help implement the National Diabetes Prevention Program to strengthen the knowledge of how to decrease the risk of developing diabetes, with a focus on serving immigrant and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) communities.
Maine Community Integration
Working in Lewiston to support NutritionRX, a 12-month program to promote healthy eating among new Mainer families by promoting healthy eating and active lifestyles. Through the program, participants learn how to cook healthy meals with a focus on using food as medicine to prevent diabetes and heart disease.
MedHelp Maine
Located in Kennebunk, this program helps Mainers afford medications for a range of conditions—and take them as prescribed—by raising awareness among prescribers and patients public and private programs that provide free or low-cost medications.
Heart of Maine Resource Center
This Dexter-based program provides support to people in the Maine Highlands region, where 20% of residents—including a third of the children—experience food insecurity. This includes building and managing a community garden to support local food access initiatives.
https://www.theheartofmaine.org/
Girls on the Run Maine
Headquartered in Westbrook, GOTR provide support for a program to provide lessons about physical activity to girls in third through fifth grades, along with helping them build confidence and character, while training for a 5K.
More information
- Eligible organizations include Maine 501c(3) nonprofit organizations with an annual budget under $1 million.
- Applicants should be focused on community-based wellness programs that foster good nutrition, physical activity and healthy habits that reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and associated complications like heart disease, stroke, vision problems and kidney disease.
- Volunteer-led organizations with fiscal sponsorship from outside of Maine may also apply
- Did not receive a Community Health Options Wellness grant the previous year (Organizations can apply every other year.)
About 10% of Maine’s population has been diagnosed with diabetes and more than 35% have prediabetes, with more than 6,800 Mainers being diagnosed every year, according to the American Diabetes Association. Community Health Options is committed to preventing diabetes and its complications by working to close gaps in healthcare for its Members and supporting organizations and projects focused on healthy lifestyles across Maine.
Community Health Options Wellness Grants has a partnership with National Fitness Campaign and has so far opened three Fitness Courts® across Maine. To learn more about bringing a Fitness Court to your community, please visit the Maine Statewide Campaign website.