Liberty HealthShare announced March 4 that applications are now open for the third round of its Sharing Hearts Fund for Pediatric Wellness, a charitable program the Canton, Ohio-based healthcare sharing ministry created in 2025 to help Stark County families in need with the cost of routine children’s medical care. Up to $50,000 is available in this grant cycle. Applications are being accepted through May 15.
The fund addresses a specific gap in pediatric healthcare access, not treatment of illness or injury, but the routine wellness visits that families frequently postpone when money is tight. Grant eligible services include physical exams, dental exams and teeth cleaning, vision exams and eyeglasses, and hearing tests.
Two Rounds, Nearly $25,000 Awarded So Far
The Sharing Hearts Fund has distributed almost $25,000 to 10 Stark County families since it launched in early 2025. The first grant cycle, completed in April of that year, awarded approximately $17,000. A second round, completed in December 2025, added approximately $10,000 more. The third round, now open, more than doubles the total funding made available in any prior cycle.
National public health data cited in the press release underscores why the fund was created. About one-quarter of families have missed or delayed well-child visits in part due to cost. Research also shows that out-of-pocket expenses correlate with lower use of preventive services — meaning children from lower-income households are less likely to receive the routine screenings that catch problems early.
A Ministry Investing in Its Hometown
Liberty HealthShare, founded in 1995, is headquartered in Canton, Ohio, which sits in Stark County. Chief Executive Officer Dorsey Morrow described the fund as an extension of the organization’s identity as a community institution, not just a national ministry.
“Liberty HealthShare is blessed to be able to support children with important medical needs that they otherwise would have to forego due to cost,” Morrow said in the announcement. “This is our way to be a force for good in our hometown.”
That framing has been consistent since the fund launched. Morrow has said publicly that the ministry reached a stable enough operational position in recent years to take on direct charitable work at this level. “We are at a good spot operationally, financially, administratively, that we can take on something like this and really make a difference in people’s lives,” Morrow said in an August 2025 interview.
The fund operates with a clear financial firewall: all dollars awarded come exclusively through donations and grants that are separate and distinct from Liberty HealthShare’s operational funding as a healthcare sharing ministry. Member contributions are not involved.
How Families Apply
Families who want to apply must reside in Stark County and demonstrate financial need. The application asks them to identify the specific procedure they are seeking and explain their financial situation. Applications are available online at www.libertyhealthshare.org/sharing-hearts. Paper forms can also be picked up at Liberty HealthShare’s offices at 4455 Hills & Dales Rd. NW in Canton. All submissions must be received by 5 p.m. on May 15 to be considered for this round of grants.
A Committee Rooted in Local Knowledge
Grant requests are not reviewed by Liberty HealthShare staff alone. An Application Review Committee, made up of Stark County civic and social service leaders, evaluates submissions and recommends awards. The committee includes Jenn Warner, executive director of the Legacy Project of Stark County; Scott Schnyders, chief executive officer of Refuge of Hope; Amanda Anschutz, president of Compassion Delivered; and Rev. Walter Moss, retired senior pastor of Canton Foursquare Church. Liberty HealthShare is represented by Chief Executive Officer Dorsey Morrow and Amy Hagan, vice president of medical services.
“These are people who know the needs of the people in Stark County,” Morrow said of the committee in a previous statement. “They have been instrumental in our efforts to find the families who need this funding the most.”
About Liberty HealthShare
Liberty HealthShare is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Christian medical cost-sharing ministry founded in 1995 and based in Canton, Ohio. It serves members across the United States through six medical cost-sharing programs, with suggested monthly share amounts for individuals ranging from $87 to $369 and family options starting at $319 per month. The ministry employs roughly 160 team members.
Liberty HealthShare holds a four-star rating from Charity Navigator and a GuideStar Gold Seal from Candid. It’s the only healthsharing ministry in the country to hold both distinctions simultaneously. The organization also carries an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Anyone wishing to support the Sharing Hearts Fund can make a tax-deductible donation at libertyhealthshare.org. For more information about the fund, contact Diana Willey at (330) 942-0268 or [email protected].
