ToRCH Be Well Leadership Board awards grants to three Pettis County organizations

The Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH) Be Well Leadership Board recently awarded $180,000 in grant funding to Pettis County Health Center, Sedalia Community Helping Hands and United Way of Pettis County for projects that will improve health and well-being for residents in Pettis County.

The ToRCH program is sponsored by the MO HealthNet Division, which manages the Missouri Medicaid program. ToRCH is a model of care that directs resources to rural communities committed to addressing health influencers such as safe housing, transportation and access to healthy foods that impact the overall health of eligible Medicaid recipients. Bothwell Regional Health Center is one of six statewide hospital community hubs leading a program.

Allison Brosch, ToRCH Be Well board chair and State Fair Community College Health Sciences dean, said the latest grant awards show how the program continues to support organizations improving community health in Pettis County.

“The ToRCH program has shown strong success since it got off the ground in early 2024,” she said. “In 2025, the program helped over 500 people with a variety of services including healthy meals, environmental home modifications, pest and mold control, transportation services and nutritional counseling. Granting funding requests allows us to extend resources to community-based organizations and reach more people.”

Pettis County Health Center received $90,000 for its Pathways to Wellness program, a community-focused initiative designed to improve health outcomes by educating residents on the importance of preventive care and helping them access care before health issues become severe.

“The program will target people who are not regularly engaged in preventive care and may be unaware of recommended screenings, routine checkups and early intervention services,” said Malinda Nevils, Pettis County Health Center administrator.

Funds will be used to conduct outreach and education at 20 to 30 community events across the county, including a large-scale event in October; provide chronic disease prevention education focusing on hypertension and diabetes awareness; distribute educational materials on nutrition, physical activity and preventive care; and engage 15 to 20 local employers and provide workplace-based health education.

“Through these efforts, Pathways to Wellness increases awareness of preventive services such as wellness visits, chronic disease screenings, immunizations and behavioral health check-ins,” Nevils said. “By prioritizing prevention and early education, we want to reduce late-stage diagnoses, improve continuity of care and empower community members to take an active role in their health and ultimately decrease avoidable emergency department visits and long-term health care costs.”

Sedalia Community Helping Hands, which assists low-income, disabled and elderly homeowners with maintenance projects to prevent or resolve city code violations, received $50,000 to purchase a 7,500-square-foot building at 116 S. Ohio in downtown Sedalia.

“Having the funds to purchase this building is a major move forward for our organization,” said Paul Beard, Helping Hands treasurer. “We will have a permanent location for meetings, and most importantly, we’ll have a warehouse for tools and construction materials. We receive many donations and having a central location will allow us to connect volunteers, donors and friends with the resources needed to repair and maintain homes in healthy and safe conditions, which contributes to healthier living conditions and better health outcomes for residents.”

United Way Pettis County (UWPC) received $40,000 for a part-time Program Assistant to increase the rate of services provided and assist more people in the community.

UWPC works to unite people and resources to improve lives in Pettis County. Rachelle Simon, UWPC executive director, said that in the last year, the organization has taken on three new programs – Needs Based Fund administration, ToRCH Environmental Modifications support and Mercy Services United.

“Looking at those three new programs alone, we helped more than 950 people in 2025,” Simon said. “UWPC has just one full-time employee, and supporting these programs means talking to, assessing and helping each person. Having another employee will increase the rate of services we provide and the number of people we can serve, specifically those who need emergency financial assistance, health and safety improvements in their home and those who use Mercy Services United.”

Including these grants, the ToRCH Be Well Leadership Board has awarded more than $538,000 to 10 organizations since September 2024.

“ToRCH is designed to support community-driven solutions,” Brosch said. “By investing in organizations that already serve our residents, we can expand access to resources and create healthier environments across Pettis County.”

Community-based organizations interested in learning more about ToRCH grant funding should email torch@brhc.org.