Texoma Health Foundation awarded 6 million dollar donation

SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) - For 15 years The Texoma Health Foundation has provided health and wellness resources to Texoma residents in need.

CEO of the foundation, Michelle Lemming said their main focus is mental health.

She explained, “So for the last 10 years, we have drilled in on what does it mean to have mental well-being and how do you create an environment that is mentally well, whether it’s in your home, or at work, or in community.”

Working with organizations like The Child and Family Guidance Center and The Grayson County Women’s Crisis Center, the foundation opened THF park in 2019.

The foundation’s work caught the attention of philanthropist, Mackenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder and Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos.

Lemming said, “I didn’t understand who the donor was at all at this point, this was just a firm contacting us and they said, there’s a philanthropist that’s interested, we’re seeing if there’s any alignment.”

So after months of a rigorous vetting process, The Texoma Health Foundation was granted a generous 6 million dollar donation.

Scott’s firm was impressed with the foundation’s work and told lemming, “that we know you’re doing good work, we just want you to do more good work. We don’t care how long it takes you to get out in the community, we don’t care what you invest it in, but we know you’re going to do good with it, so go do good with it.”

So what good does the foundation plan to do first with its millions?

Lemming said, “We’re planning the planning. All these rules on making sure, are we considering every opportunity? how can we listen to the community, we want to hear.”

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