URBANA — The Provena Covenant Medical Center Foundation has awarded more than $65,000 to six local agencies for programs that impact community health needs.

The grants were announced July 18 through a new fund called “FAITH2” — the Fund to Accelerate Innovation Towards Healing and Hope.

“Each of the programs being funded present an exceptional opportunity for helping the community to address chronic health needs,” said Mark Palmer, Foundation Board chair, at a press conference Wednesday. “They show true innovation and will help build community capacity moving forward.”

A volunteer committee led by Bridget To, Foundation Board member, selected the awardees from a pool of 33 initial letters of intent and 13 full applications.

“We had a fantastic community response for this new grant program, and are excited to announce that we will have another funding cycle in spring 2013,” said To.

The breakdown of organizations, programs and fund amounts follow:

— Faith in Place, $20,000, to allow the Central Illinois office to offer a healthy eating curriculum, including cooking classes and canning workshops, to improve access to and knowledge about healthy eating. It will also allow for the hiring of an intern.

— St. Matthew Lutheran Church Sola Gratia Farm, $4,200, to implement The Farmer’s Classroom, which will provide hands-on instruction for adults in the preparation and integration of fresh, natural vegetables in daily family menus, as well as an interactive program for children to develop an appreciation for vegetables.

— ECI Refugee Camp, $24,000, to initiate an ongoing program for parents of children attending their Saturday School Program. The program will be created in collaboration with Frances Nelson Health Center, the Champaign County Public Health District and the University of Illinois Extension to provide parents of refugee and immigrant children with training on how to access healthcare in our community, as well as educate them on how nutrition and diet affect obesity.

— Illini Medical Screening Society, $1,239, to provide health screenings free of charge at the University of Illinois.

— Avicenna Community Health Center, $10,000, for preventative health care using biomedical technologies and health exchange information network in an academia-community partnership.

— Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, $6,275, to provide a small office at the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen. It will be staffed during soup kitchen hours by a rotating schedule of agency representatives and their assistant chairperson.

The Provena Covenant Medical Center Foundation supports the hospital through a comprehensive program of philanthropic support that addresses capital needs as well as funds including the newly formed FAITH2 community endowment.

For more information, visit provena.org/covenant/foundation or call (217) 337-4714. Key dates and application deadlines for the 2013 funding cycle will be posted as they become available.