2022-2025 Grant Recipients
Partnering to Rebuild Lives and Community
Thanks to the volunteers who make up our Community Impact Committee and our Board of Directors, United Way of Monroe County announces agency program partnerships for the 2022-2025 funding cycle.
This marks a shift for our United Way, as we move to more focused relationships with our partners. This shift provides operational support for programs that best align with our framework for rebuilding resilience in the years to come.
Agencies selected for partnership passed rigorous certification standards, meeting the criteria for excellence in our field and for partnership potential. They also demonstrate the ability to turn your financial support into action and impact as we rebuild lives and rebuild our community from the pandemic.
United Way is proud to partner with these organizations and to provide them with financial support, professional resources, technical assistance, opportunities for collaboration, volunteer power, and much more. We continue to challenge ourselves as a convener and problem-solver in our region, and we are grateful to our partner agencies for taking on these challenges with us.
Alongside the following annual program grants, United Way donors directed an additional $278,812 to nonprofits through the 2021-2022 fall fundraising drive:
American Red Cross of Southeast Indiana
Emergency Services
$10,571
The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Disaster Cycle Services help families to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, most commonly home fires. On the preparedness side, the American Red Cross of Southeast Indiana builds resilience by helping our most vulnerable and highest-risk individuals and organizations to improve their readiness for an emergency. They teach children about disaster preparedness, home fire safety, and emergency coping skills, so they can be prepared to act in an emergency. American Red Cross teaches adults preparedness, Hands-Only CPR, and fire safety. Additionally, they provide organizations with continuity of operations assessments, training, and support, so they can keep their doors open when an emergency strikes.
Amethyst House
Residential Substance Abuse Treatment
$12,314
Amethyst House provides residential and outpatient services for people with drug and alcohol addiction. Its mission is to provide a foundation for recovery by partnering with individuals, families, and communities impacted by substance use disorders, offering high-quality residential and outpatient treatment services and guidance for healthy living. Amethyst House helps residents of Monroe, Owen, Greene, and other counties across the State of Indiana and other states with essential, basic needs by providing sufficient food, a stable place to live, crisis management skills, health care, and wellness, and specifical treatment for substance abuse. Barriers like unemployment, low wage rates, mental and physical illness, exposure to violence, substance abuse, and disabilities can prevent individuals from meeting these basic needs and Amethyst House is here to help those in need.
Area 10 Agency on Aging
Endwright Center
$16,000
The mission of Area 10 Agency on Aging is to serve as a leader in providing resources, solutions, and connections for seniors, persons with disabilities, and family caregivers living in Monroe and Owen counties. The Endwright Center exists to provide a safe, supportive space for individuals 50 years and better to improve their strength and balance, provide positive physical and social interactions, and enable them to actively participate in the community. The Center’s activities support individuals to better manage their health, as well as any chronic conditions they may be at risk for or are experiencing.
Beacon, Inc. (formerly Shalom Community Center)
A Friend’s Place
$19,699
Beacon is a solutions-driven, antipoverty organization, dedicated to aiding and empowering people experiencing hunger, homelessness, and poverty in our community. For the past 21 years, Beacon has continued to grow, becoming one of the most comprehensive responses to extreme poverty, most notably homelessness, in Monroe County. Beacon provides daytime and emergency overnight shelter, hunger relief, permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, social services and case management, employment support, street outreach, eviction prevention, prescription and health care assistance, life essentials (restrooms, laundry, showers, mail, ID, etc.), and other health and human services to hundreds of adults and children each day and thousands each year. This funding will help Beacon provide shelter and the support services necessary to help people move back home. Friend's Place is the only year-round, nonreligious shelter for adults in the region. Providing sober shelter targeting Monroe County residents, Friend’s Place serves approximately 225 people each year, providing well over 14,000 nights of shelter.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana
Volunteer Recruitment for Bigs
$14,107
Big Brothers Big Sisters of South-Central Indiana's mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships to ignite the power and promise of youth so that all youth achieve their full potential. Mentoring is one component of their program that involves other elements, such as tutoring or life skills training and coaching. The supportive, healthy relationships formed between mentors and mentees are both immediate and long-term and contribute to a host of benefits for mentees.
Boy Scouts - Hoosier Trails Council
Developing Youth and Families
$6,731
It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. The Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation’s largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations. They deliver programs to area youth that build character, train them in the responsibilities of citizenship, and develop personal fitness. For over a century, the Boy Scouts of America has helped build the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. Their experience has demonstrated that helping youth is key to building a more conscientious, responsible, and productive society.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington
Afterschool Programs
$19,905
The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington is to empower all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as caring, productive, responsible citizens. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington (BGCB) is a guidance organization whose mission is to empower all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as caring, productive, responsible citizens. BGCB has over 70 programs designed to build character and citizenship, achieve greater academic success and strengthen life skills and healthy lifestyles while providing hope and opportunity to youth in grades K-12. The Club is unique among other local youth organizations for several exceptional reasons: It is a community-centered program with all three Clubs being conveniently located near those members who need us most. It is facility-based, staffed with full-time trained youth professionals and caring adult volunteers. It boasts specialized creative programs, low annual dues of only $20, and scholarship opportunities to welcome ALL children.
Cancer Support Community South Central Indiana
Cancer Support Services
$8,500
Cancer Support Community South Central Indiana’s (CSCSCI) mission is to ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community. So that no one faces cancer alone, CSCSCI focuses on five pillars of psychosocial support programming which include individual and group support, education classes, wellness programs, social connection events, and information, assistance, and referral. All programs are open to patients, caregivers, and family members alike, and are always completely free. The role of CSCSCI is to provide the tools, support, and confidence a patient needs to navigate their cancer journey. CSCSCI’s comprehensive suite of services offer evidence-based, carefully designed, and professionally led programs aimed at helping those impacted by cancer find support, strength, and most of all – hope.
Catholic Charities, Bloomington
Increasing Equity through Mental Health
$14,600
Catholic Charities Bloomington (CCB) is dedicated to enhancing the dignity and functioning of all persons in the community-at-large through education, social services delivery, and advocacy.
They are committed to working within our communities to remove barriers that reduce the quality of life for marginalized populations. Catholic Charities also provides help and creates hope for all who are in need in our community. The funding for this project will increase therapists of color therefore decreasing barriers to mental health services for BIPOC residents. CCB’s addition of more BIPOC therapists not only enhances the quality of life and care for residents in Bloomington but also shifts this larger paucity in the mental healthcare field. CCB's program will directly create a more resilient and inclusive Monroe County and Bloomington.
Community Kitchen of Monroe County
Emergency Free Meals Service
$20,360
Community Kitchen's mission is to work alone, and in collaboration with others, to eliminate hunger in Monroe County and surrounding areas, through direct service, education and advocacy. The Emergency Free Meals Service is the largest and most central program of Community Kitchens agency. It encompasses several components to make sure that as many vulnerable individuals and families as possible are being reached. While our emergency free meals service remains available to anyone in need, Community Kitchen strives to target those most vulnerable in our community for additional meal services. Community Kitchen patrons are impoverished, vulnerable, and at-risk. Our clients report significant difficulties in many areas, including having enough money for food. In addition, Community Kitchen provides free meals to HIV+ clients in partnership with IU Health Bloomington Hospital’s Positive Link.
Girl Scouts of Central Indiana
Girl Scout Leadership Experience
$7,743
The Girl Scouts of Central Indiana's program builds girls with courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Girl Scout Leadership Experience, which is the council’s primary program and one that aligns both directly and indirectly with United Way of Monroe County’s Resilient Individuals priority area. The Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) is the basis for all Girl Scout programs and activities and encourages girls to Discover themselves, connect with others, and Take Action to make the world a better place. Guided by supportive adults and peers, Girl Scouts engage in age-appropriate activities that are girl-led, cooperative, and hands-on. Participating in the GSLE helps girls develop important leadership skills they need to become successful adults, and girls who engage in the GSLE are more likely to enjoy and attribute their leadership skills to Girl Scouts. The GSLE delivers “fun with a purpose” by helping girls gain valuable life skills and amazing new experiences while having fun and building friendships.
HealthNet Bloomington Health Center (formerly Volunteers in Medicine)
Medical Services
$21,915
HealthNet is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) federally qualified health system that provides primary care, dentistry, mental health, and support services to the medically underserved. HealthNet's mission is to improve lives with compassionate health care and support services, regardless of the ability to pay. (Measurable improvements in resiliency) is done by providing primary care, dental care, and behavioral health care for the entire family. Within this is included such specific services as well-baby care and pediatrics, immunizations, women’s health, prenatal care, treatment of diabetes and other chronic conditions, mental health, psychiatry, health education, social work, and support services.
Hoosier Hills Food Bank
Food Collection & Distribution
$21,025
Hoosier Hills Food Bank (HHFB) collects and distributes food through direct service programs and non-profit partner agencies to those in need in Brown, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, and Owen counties. We distribute approximately 5 million pounds of food annually and partner with nearly 100 other non-profits including food pantries, shelters, kitchens, youth programs and senior programs. Hoosier Hills Food Bank is essential to ensuring that agencies that provide food to the most vulnerable people in our community have the supplies they need. The investments in our infrastructure, including our facilities, vehicles, equipment, and food safety-trained staff pay long-lasting dividends as do the state and national partnerships we bring to bear on the issue of food insecurity. By providing a regular supply of food to our partner agencies, we enable them to place greater emphasis and focus on implementing their programs.
Indiana Legal Services
Fostering Resiliency Through Legal Aid
$14,910
Indiana Legal Services uses the law to fight poverty, empower clients and improve access to justice. Their Vision Statement is Dignity, fairness, and equality for all people under the law. With the Fostering Resiliency Through Legal Aid program, ILS will provide free legal help to individuals who face legal obstacles to family stability, income security and safe habitable housing. The attorneys and paralegals in our Bloomington office will help individuals with family law matters, a variety of public benefits programs, education issues, employment matters, housing problems with landlord-tenant disputes or unsafe conditions and expunging criminal records in accordance with Indiana statutes. By expunging criminal records and helping to secure special (restricted) driving privileges, people who want to re-integrate into their communities can find jobs and reduce their chances of recidivism.
Monroe County Community School Corporation
MCCSC School Assistance Fund
$6,220
The mission of Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) is to ensure that every child enrolled within MCCSC is valued, and that every child has the opportunity to reach their highest potential educationally, intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally. The MCCSC SAF is used for school clothing, shoes, coats, vision and emergency dental care, emergency prescription assistance, hygiene products, school supplies, and transportation assistance. Meeting the basic needs of students greatly impacts a child's potential for success in school. When school social workers assist with meeting the basic needs of our students, there is measurable improvement in student school attendance, learning, and school graduation. The MCCSC SAF is a resource that helps school social workers build relationships with students and caretakers and creates a caring, safe, and inclusive community. The MCCSC SAF sets students up for success by assisting with basic needs, so they are prepared to learn.
Middle Way House
New Wings Shelter
$25,100
Middle Way House (MWH) works to support all survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking; and to educate the community through outreach and prevention programs. The vast majority of MWH's clients are cut off from financial resources and subsequently food, transportation, and healthcare access by their abusers. Middle Way House's crisis line, housed in the New Wings shelter, answered over 5,800 crisis calls from survivors in 2021. The New Wings Crisis Shelter and its associated childcare program constitute a broad program area that includes emergency shelter, transportation assistance, personal advocacy, legal advocacy, and crisis intervention. Middle Way House also serves any survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, harassment, or human trafficking regardless of age, economic status, religion, sex, or gender.
Monroe County United Ministries (MCUM)
Your Path
$8,650
The mission at Monroe County United Ministries is to create lasting solutions to economic, educational and social injustice in our community through quality services, collaboration and innovation. Our vision is to eliminate generational poverty for the people we serve. Your Path is targeted toward those who are ready for support in making improvements in one or more stressful areas of their lives pertaining to their household’s ability to become and remain self-sufficient. This program looks at five important and interconnected topics that contribute to the household’s self-sufficiency: family stability, well-being, financial management, education and training, and employment and career.
Mother Hubbard's Cupboard
Food Pantry Program
$20,640
Mother Hubbard's Cupboard (MHC) increases access to healthy food for all people in need in ways that cultivate dignity, self-sufficiency, and community. MHC’s five programs (Food Pantry, Garden Education, Nutrition Education, Tool Share, and Advocacy) form a holistic approach to tackling the issues of hunger and food insecurity. MHC’s Food Pantry Program is the largest in the region, distributing nearly one million pounds of healthy groceries to our neighbors in need last year. MHC's unique combination of programs work together to meet the immediate emergency food needs of community members, to equip them with skills and resources they need to live healthier, more self-sufficient lives, and to advocate for change in the conditions causing hunger and poverty.
New Hope for Families
The Roof at New Hope
$20,950
New Hope for Families helps families impacted by homelessness regain and maintain stable housing and provides excellent, nationally accredited early childhood programming aimed at breaking the cycle of homelessness and poverty. The Roof is a lean program that focuses on its core role of moving families from homelessness into an affordable lease. New Hope serves families impacted by homelessness as they self-define. This program specifically provides shelter and supportive services to families experiencing homelessness.
Planned Parenthood - Bloomington
Sexual and Reproductive Health Care and Education
$15,700
Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawai'i, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky (PPGNHAIK) is a leader in reproductive health care, rights, and education in Alaska, Hawai'i, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, and western Washington. We are unwavering in our belief that all people deserve high-quality, affordable health care. We're tireless in our efforts to provide education and information so people can make their own health decisions. We proudly fight for people to be able to get the sexual and reproductive health services they need. PPGNHAIK offers sexual and reproductive health safety-net services to all people in Monroe County. Planned Parenthood remains the nation's leading provider of family planning services, reproductive health care, and sexual health education. Our work differs from other health care providers because our doors are open to all people who need care, no matter their income or insurance status.
Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation
RBB School Assistance Fund
$2,042
The Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation (RBB) recognizes that education is the heart of our community. The United Way student assistance program helps our students in every aspect of their lives. The RBB School Assistance Fund promotes bold innovations to help all learners succeed and to prepare them to change their world for the better. The funding will give the Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation the ability to provide students with clothing, shoes, eyeglasses, and much more so that they can succeed in school and beyond. The requested funding will also help to improve student attendance, behavior issues, and overall academia.
Salvation Army
Housing and Utility Assistance
$10,629
The Salvation Army mission is to serve those in need without discrimination and to partner with others to fight poverty and human suffering. This is an international movement and part of the universal Christian church. Our housing assistance program allocates and disburses funds to help those in danger of eviction to be able to stay in their homes. This is meaningful because then they aren't forced to move from place to place to find a new living space. Without this service, there would be an increase in the reliance on shelters and in homelessness in our county. Payments are made directly to landlords to make sure the assistance properly addresses the need of the household. The utility assistance program provides funds to help those in danger of losing power and keeps the household from losing electricity, water or gas. The program helps residents with their electricity, gas, propane, water, and other utilities. This assistance is geared towards intervention as it helps households in times of difficulty so that they can remain in a stable place to live with water, lights, etc.
Stone Belt
Employment and Pre-employment Services
$12,036
Stone Belt believes in the uniqueness, worth and right to self-determination of every individual. Therefore, it is their mission, in partnership with the community, to prepare, empower, and support people with developmental disabilities and their families to participate fully in the life of the community. Stone Belt's Supported Employment program assists individuals with disabilities to choose, obtain, and retain employment in integrated settings. Working in partnership with businesses across south-central Indiana since 1986, our program assists individuals with finding jobs and receiving on-site training. The goal is for individuals to gain meaningful employment in community settings. Clients are supported in learning the skills they need to experience success and longevity in their chosen careers. Stone Belt also provides education and support to adults and youth with developmental disabilities in south-central Indiana.