The GE HealthCare Foundation and the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation (CAFF) have partnered to launch “Powering Milwaukee Forward,” a philanthropic initiative aimed at improving access to essential resources in Milwaukee’s underserved communities. The program will provide $1 million in grants to 10 local nonprofits.
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, founder of CAFF, emphasized the city’s impact on his family and the need to support communities facing barriers to basic needs. “It’s time to support these underserved neighborhoods and help provide what they need to thrive,” said Antetokounmpo. “I’m excited to team up with GE HealthCare and the GE HealthCare Foundation to leave a lasting legacy for Milwaukee.”
Research from various health organizations has shown that access to basic needs, known as social determinants of health, plays a critical role in overall wellbeing. In Milwaukee, health disparities are closely tied to racial and socio-economic factors. Many neighborhoods with high rates of heart disease, infant mortality, and other health issues also face poverty, food insecurity, and lack of housing.
The Powering Milwaukee Forward initiative will target these disparities by focusing on five key areas:
- Housing: Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, Acts Housing.
- Education: Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee.
- Healthy Food: Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, Hunger Task Force.
- Safe Environments: Milwaukee Parks Foundation, Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers.
- Maternal and Infant Healthcare: African American Breastfeeding Network, Children’s Wisconsin Foundation.
GE HealthCare CEO Peter J. Arduini expressed the company’s commitment to addressing healthcare inequities, noting the initiative’s potential to make a lasting impact by improving access to essential resources in Milwaukee.
For more details, visit Powering Milwaukee Forward.