• American Red Cross, Clark County chapter, received start-up funding to implement an Indiana State Department of Health nurse-assistant training program.
• Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church of Jeffersonville, in support of the Augustus F. Hawkins Literacy Center.
• Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Kentuckiana, for a two-year pilot program to mentor students at Hazelwood school.
• Blue River Services, to outfit one of five bedrooms at the nearly complete Wyandotte Youth Shelter for boys.
• Brandon’s House Counseling Center, to provide free counseling for teens and their families.
• Carnegie Center for Art and History, to fund a permanent exhibit about Lucy Higgs Nichols, a former slave who sought refuge with the 23rd Indiana Regiment.
• Center for Women and Families, to renovate the outdoor courtyard at its New Albany facility.
• Childplace, to add or replace office furniture in its administration building.
• Clark County Superior II Drug Court, to ensure all participants receive clinical assessment in addition to case management assessment.
• Communities in Schools of Clark County, to operate Helping Hands Service Clubs in 10 Title I elementary schools, which serve children with behavioral problems.
• Delta Epsilon sorority, to provide an automated external defibrillator to each of 20 New Albany-Floyd County public schools.
• Down Syndrome Support Association of Southern Indiana, to operate a free speech-language pathology class for people with Down Syndrome.
• Dream Factory, Louisville Chapter, for a Southern Indiana Dream Bank, which grants dreams to children who live in Southern Indiana.
• Falls of the Ohio Foundation, for the second phase of design work on the Crossroads Campaign New Exhibit Project, which begins in early 2010.
• Floyd County Head Start, to purchase an assortment of die cut sets to enhance numerous classroom activities for its preschool programs.
• Floyd Memorial Hospital and Health Services, to provide therapeutic massage to patients with serious medical issues.
• Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, to conduct two outreach programs in Floyd County: Play It Safe, for for up to 30 girls at Silver Street Elementary, and Science Sensations, for 30 girls at Parkview Community Center.
• Guerin Inc., to purchase a standalone lift for elders receiving skilled nursing care at The Villas of Guerin Woods.
• Hispanic Connection of Southern Indiana, to connect Hispanic workers with businesses needing employees; aid in processing immigration forms; and to encourage widespread participation in the Census among the Hispanic community.
• Hosparus — Hospice of Southern Indiana, to purchase five pieces of medical equipment that will aid in caring for hospice patients.
• Howard Steamboat Museum, to conduct community outreach in support of establishing Spring Into Art as an annual event; to continue fall and summer art classes; and to improve the museum’s Web presence.
• Interfaith Community Council, to support its emergency financial services program in Floyd County, which helps families in hardship afford food and avoid utility disconnection or eviction.
• Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana, which plans to deliver financial literacy programs to 250 Southern Indiana youth in 2010, in partnership with non-profit and educational organizations.
• Leadership Harrison County, to fund a SIMSOC (“Simulated Society”) day for its current class. SIMSOC is designed to help participants experience life from differing perspectives.
• Leadership Southern Indiana, to fund a SIMSOC day.
• LifeSpan Resources, to provide emergency financial assistance to clients who need help with prescriptions, utility bills, minor heating/air repairs and transportation fees.
• LifeSpring, to implement evidence-based treatment programs that have proven effective, as well as materials to increase public education.
• Louisville Zoological Gardens to support Zoo For To You, the Zoo’s education outreach initiative, in which zoo educators bring zoo animals and science lesson plans to three underserved elementary schools in Clark and Floyd counties.
• The Nature Conservancy, for a public service announcement, in partnership with movie theaters in Clark and Floyd counties, about the importance of conservation.
• New Albany-Floyd County Public Library, to expand its Walking Books program, with an infusion of new large-print and audio books.
• CAPE Floyd County, to operate its First Teacher program in six Title I elementary schools in Floyd County (with possible expansion into in seven non-Title I  elementary schools). The program aims to improve literacy for kindergarteners by creating a literacy-rich and supportive home environment.
• New Hope Services, to purchase two computers with adaptive hardware and software to aid communication, training and education of people diagnosed with autism and other developmental disabilities.
• New Life Community Development Corp., for an after-school program that provides tutoring and educational enrichment to disadvantaged students in New Albany’s West End. The goal is to double the number of children served.
• New Progressive Baptist Church, to present and promote an educational and drug-free prevention curriculum program to participants.
• Our Place Drug and Alcohol Education Services, to fund an afterschool program geared toward 10- to 14-year-old youth. The program covers prevention of substance abuse, violence and gambling, and also provides homework assistance, recreation and other services.
• Personal Counseling Service, to provide mental health counseling to families who are considered working poor or who lack insurance or access to Medicaid.
• Our Lady of Providence Junior-Senior High School, for its SADD Chapter, which operates a yearlong program for students in grades 7-12 about making good decisions regarding underage drinking, other drug use and impaired driving.
• Serenity, to support its new recovery complex, a 48-bed residential facility that serves homeless men with addictions.
• Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition, to help locate and train volunteers to complete 100 tax returns for elderly and low-income clients who have not been previously served by the coalition.
• St. Luke’s United Church of Christ, to provide food, supplies, pest control and equipment for providing free weekly meals to the hungry.
• St. Mark’s United Church of Christ, to purchase equipment for its soup kitchen and to provide assistance for people facing a housing crisis because of overdue rent or utilities.
• West Clark Community Schools, to support Plug Into Reading. The grant will help Henryville Junior-Senior and Borden Junior-Senior high schools foster reading for pleasure and comprehension by supplementing the district-wide MP3 recorded books program. 

2008 Grant Award Winners

November 25, 2008

Forty-five local charitable organizations received a pre-holiday boost Tuesday when they received grants from the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana.

The organizations were recognized at the Community Foundation’s annual grant event at Kye’s in Jeffersonville. The organizations all serve residents of Clark, Floyd and Harrison counties, the three counties served by the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana.

Melissa Harbeson, program officer for the Foundation said a total of $150,000 was awarded to 45 organizations throughout Southern Indiana, one of the largest grant cycles the Community Foundation has had in recent years. Money for the grants came from the Community Foundation’s Community Endowment Fund. A total of $296,840 was requested through 68 grant applications. “This year, we increased the maximum amount available through individual grants from $2,500 to $5,000, which brought us more applications,” Harbeson said. “We also saw more interest because of the increased needs in our communities due to the economy. There simply are more people who need help this year than in the past, and we’re happy to do our part.”

A committee of 26 dedicated volunteers spent countless hours sifting through the proposals. Members of the committee did follow-up work with the applicants, including visiting some of the sites, making phone calls and other work to make sure everyone had all of the details they needed to make decisions about which grants should be funded.

Harbeson explained that the volunteers evaluated each grant application according to how many people would be affected by the money received and other criteria that helped the committee sort through the applications.

“Making those decisions is never easy, as each of the grant applicants certainly deserved funding,” Harbeson said. “We look in detail at how organizations are going to spend the money and attempt to determine who has the greatest need.”

Following is a list of the organizations that received grants today in alphabetical order:

• Arts Council of Southern Indiana received funding toward the publication of an arts guide.
• Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kentuckiana received funding for Developmental Asset Building, which is a mentoring project, at Green Valley Elementary School.
• Blue River Services Inc. received funding for renovations at its facilities.
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Harrison County received funding for a cooking program for youth.
• Brandon’s House Counseling Center Inc. received funding for free counseling for teens, parents, and families.
• Bridgepointe Services and Goodwill, Inc. received funding for new computers to aid in the training of youth and adults.
• Center for Lay Ministries received funding to hire professional support for its Aftercare Group that offers continued support for Bliss House graduates. Graduates attend the group as support for their ongoing sobriety.
• Charlestown-Clark County Library received funding for a reading program for Henryville Junior/Senior High School.
• Christian Formation Ministries received funding to build a database of employers who are willing to hire those with criminal backgrounds, including those with felonies.
• Clark County Superior II Drug Court received funding for a drug court resource center to help participants gain skills, knowledge and attitude that will aid in self-sufficiency.
• Clark Memorial Hospital Foundation received funding for updating its patient education materials.
• Communities In Schools of Clark County Inc. received funding to expand the Project 3,2,1 READ to two more Clark County elementary schools. The program provides extra assistance for students who are struggling to read.
• Dream Factory Inc., Louisville Chapter, received funding for a southern Indiana Dream Bank, which grants dreams to children who live in Southern Indiana.
• Family and Children First received funding for its Middle School Express program, which is an activity-based program aimed at helping parents prepare children for middle school.
• Floyd County 4-H Corporation Board received funding for educational workshops.
• Floyd County Head Start received funding for a child safety and physical wellness project, which will replace the child restraint systems at the Corydon Pike location.
• Floyd County Youth Services Bureau received funding for New Directions, which is an after-school program focused on serving at-risk children in seven New Albany elementary schools and one middle school.
• Floyd Memorial Hospital and Health Services received funding for therapeutic massage for Clark County patients with serious medical issues.
• Friends of the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library received funding for two early literacy stations which include a monitor, keyboard mouse and printer. The stations and software encourage the exploration of learning by children ages 2 to 10.
• Guerin Inc. received funding for nutritious meals for senior citizens associated with its facilities.
• Harrison County Alternative Education Center received funding for wireless and remote education to assist students who are suspended or expelled.
• Harrison County Community Services Inc. received funding for its Food First program, which provides food for those who need it.
• Heuser Hearing and Language Academy received funding for audiology services for residents of Southern Indiana.
• Hosparus, the Hospice of Southern Indiana, received funding for the bereavement care program. The counseling program provides grief support for families who are residents of Clark, Floyd and Harrison counties.
• Indiana University – Bloomington received funding for its 21^st Century Scholars 2009 Character Camp. The camp raises awareness about bullying and prevents bullying through character-building and problem-solving skills.
• Interfaith Community Council Inc. received funding for its new volunteer management software for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.
• n Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana received funding for its financial literacy program for students. JA will serve students from Charlestown and River Valley middle Schools.
• LifeSpring Inc. received funding for its supported employment program, which assists mentally disabled, mentally ill and substances dependent patients of LifeSpring in becoming productive employees.
• Louisville Visual Art Association received funding for free art classes for children, including six classes in Southern Indiana.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana received funding for its wish-granting program.
• Mercy Long Term Care Initiatives doing business as Providence Retirement received funding for an outdoor therapy horticulture garden and koi pond.
• New Albany-Floyd County Parks and Recreation received funding for the purchase of automatic external defibrillators.
• New Progressive Baptist Church received funding for its education and drug addiction prevention program.
• Noah’s Ark Children’s Village Inc. received funding for improvements to a large, multipurpose room for special events and meetings.
• Paul W. Ogle Cultural & Community Center at Indiana University Southeast received funding for cultural scholarships and family programming.
• Piankeshaw Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution received funding to replace a furnace and air conditioner at Scribner House.
• Rauch Inc. received funding toward the renovation of its Place to Create building in New Albany.
• Serenity Inc. received funding toward the construction of a recovery campus with a residential building and a community support building.
• Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition received funding for marketing its free tax preparation services to low income families.
• Southern Indiana Rehab Hospital received funding for Project Lilly, which is a facility dog program.
• The Falls of Ohio Foundation, Inc. received funding for design work for a new exhibit.
• Visually Impaired Preschool Service received funding for music, dance and art therapy for blind children.
• YMCA of Southern Indiana received funding for DIAMONDS, an outreach program for at-risk girls. Funding will reduce teen pregnancy, prevent drug use and alcohol abuse, increase self esteem, teach self-improvement and conflict resolution skills.
• Youth Count received funding for What’s Next Asset Building Training for youth that teaches community members how asset building with youth can be strengthened and can include more assets.