Mammogram screenings for uninsured and underinsured women, cardiovascular disease education for older adults, and an adaptive exercise program for adults with disabilities are among the areas of need being addressed by grants just awarded by The Blue Ribbon Foundation of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Nine grants were approved at the July 15 meeting of the foundation's board of directors, providing $73,142 in funding to regional nonprofit programs that will serve more than 2,000 individuals.The foundation awarded the grants to health education and prevention programs in eight counties across northeastern and north central Pennsylvania. Each project met criteria under one of three grant categories: health and wellness mini-grants, health and wellness impact grants, and access to care grants for the uninsured and underinsured."We're pleased to be in a position to support such an array of critical health and wellness programs," said Cynthia A. Yevich, executive director of The Blue Ribbon Foundation. "Without these grants, it's likely that at-risk individuals may not otherwise have access to the services they need."Local grants include:• Palmerton Hospital will provide free mammogram screenings to 95 uninsured and underinsured women from Carbon, Luzerne and Monroe counties thanks to a $9,975 foundation grant. Participants will also be educated about the importance of yearly screenings.• With $5,000 in foundation funding, Eastcentral Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center will provide the Youth Mental Health First Aid program to 150 community participants in Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties. YMHFA is an evidence-based program designed to train individuals who work with adolescents to better understand and recognize mental health and crisis situations.• The Greater Hazleton YMCA/YWCA will use $8,836 in foundation funding to waive the fee for, and expand, its existing Arthritis Aquatics Program. No fewer than 120 individuals from Carbon and Luzerne counties will take part in specialized exercises led by a certified instructor and designed to increase strength and flexibility, as well as reduce pain.• With a $9,929 foundation grant, counselor advocates at Women's Resource Center Inc. will be able to provide 600 hours of safety planning assistance to 400 women from Lackawanna and Susquehanna counties who are at risk for domestic violence and/or sexual assault.