CHART Teen Task Force recipient of $7,500 grant from Riedel Foundation

HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Riedel Foundation has awarded a $7,500 grant to the CHART Teen Task Force to help in its efforts to decrease unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases for teenagers in Hannibal.

The grant award will be divided with $5,000 going toward the CHART Teen Health Fair, and the balance to fund the infant and pregnancy simulator program and the sexuality education program in the Hannibal school district.

In a press release, Dr. Sandra Ahlum, a founder of the program, said, “There has been a significant change in the number of births to teens in Marion County since 1995, when the CHART Teen Task Force started its work.”

She notes that births to teens from ages 15 to 19 in Marion County decreased 81 percent from 1995 to 2021. The Riedel Foundation has been a long-time supporter of CHART.

“With this grant, we can really see where Riedel funding has helped make a difference,” Riedel trustee April Baldwin said. “When CHART submits a follow-up report, we see how many teenagers have been reached through their programs, and we see their efforts reflected in the fewer incidences of teenage pregnancy.”

More than 500 teenagers turned out earlier this year for CHART’s annual health fair. They also sponsored sexuality programs for 800 students. In addition, 180 students took part in the pregnancy and infant simulator classwork.