Cedars-Sinai Blog
A Giving Mission: Cedars-Sinai Community Benefit Program
A healthy community is a thriving community. That's one of the guiding principles behind Cedars-Sinai's Community Benefit program, which is dedicated to helping the most vulnerable Angelenos.
The Community Benefit team offers a variety of assistance programs and services to reach community members throughout Los Angeles.
We have a deep-seated belief that every human being has value, and we want to make sure they can access the care they need—whether it's physical health or mental health.
Each year, Cedars-Sinai awards millions of dollars in grants to more than 100 local health organizations and community partners. This high-impact philanthropy aims to address health disparities by focusing on social determinants of health, improving access to care and the quality of that care.
"Part of our mission is to improve the health status of our community," says Jonathan Schreiber, vice president of Community Engagement. "We have a deep-seated belief that every human being has value, and we want to make sure they can access the care they need—whether it's physical health or mental health."
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Other flagship programs include COACH for Kids, a free mobile medical clinic, Healthy Habits, a program in more than 20 Los Angeles schools dedicated to helping students and families in vulnerable communities adopt healthy lifestyle changes, and Share & Care, an in-school art therapy program for children and adolescents who are experiencing emotional or educational challenges.
Behind each of these offerings is a team of dedicated staff as well as an organizational history of helping others. As a hospital built on a strong Jewish tradition, Cedars-Sinai is driven by the directive to be a blessing to those around us.
When the hospital first opened in 1902, its mission was to be welcoming and inclusive of people from all backgrounds and to take care anyone who was in need of help. Now, 118 years later, that mission is as important as ever.
"At Cedars-Sinai, we are deeply rooted in our Jewish values and ethics, and we haven't lost sight of that," says Jonathan. "One of the ways we live those ethics is by being there for our community in a myriad of ways through our Community Benefit programs and services."
In order to provide the most-needed services, a community health needs assessment along with an implementation plan is developed every three years. Based on this comprehensive study, Cedars-Sinai is able to determine the most-pressing health issues facing our community and plan for how best to serve those in need.
Learn more about how we're working toward a healthier Los Angeles through our community programs.
