Grants for all of 2021 total more than $1.2 million

Fort Wayne, Ind. – The St. Joseph Community Health Foundation recently awarded more than $700,000 in grants to local non-profits and grassroots organizations, bringing the total amount awarded in 2021 to $1,247,044.

The St. Joe Foundation is sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ and invests in programming and operations that improve the health and well-being of vulnerable residents in four impact areas: Refugees & Immigrants, Food Insecurity & Nutrition, Prenatal & Infant Care and Access to Health & Wellness.

“We are pleased to partner with local non-profit agencies that address the health and wellness needs of low-income residents and put a priority on treating all people with dignity and respect,” says Meg Distler, St. Joe Foundation executive director. “We are proud that since 1998, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, through the St. Joe Foundation, has invested more than $23.8 million in Allen County services to 257 local agencies to support vulnerable and marginalized residents.”

Fall 2021 grants include:

• A Hope Center: $30,000 to provide free pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) testing to promote healthy pregnancies and healthy babies.
• A Mother’s Hope: $30,000 to pay for a portion of the counseling costs for A Mother’s Hope residents, who are pregnant women experiencing homelessness.
• Associated Churches of Fort Wayne and Allen County: $15,000 for A Baby’s Closet program to provide essential baby items to low-income families so they can safely and adequately care for their children. The agency also offers peer mentoring and support for new mothers.
• Bridge of Grace Compassionate Ministry Center: $15,000 for programs that aim to improve spiritual, physical, and emotional health in Southeast Fort Wayne neighborhoods.
• Brightpoint/Language Services Network: $15,000 to support and expand the capacity of the Language Services Network to ensure quality access to healthcare-related translation and interpretation, and to hire a part-time Burmese Language Advocate to offer clients information and resources.
• Center for Nonviolence, Inc.: $20,000 for the Access to Healthcare for Refugee, Immigrant & Minority Populations Program, which provides education, case management, medical translation and other related services to minority and non-English-speaking populations.
• Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana, Inc.: $25,000 to provide nutritious food to food-insecure families.
• Early Childhood Alliance: $26,000 for the Learning Around Town-Community Ambassador Program, which shares information with childcare providers about safe sleep and healthy growth and development for children prenatal to age three.
• Healthier Moms and Babies: $20,000 for operating support to help prevent infant mortality and improve the outcomes of local pregnancies, particularly in the 46806 zip code.
• Heart of the City Mission Foundation: $15,000 for the Food Rescue program, which addresses food insecurity among at-risk populations by rescuing food from area restaurants and distributing it throughout central Fort Wayne.
• Lutheran Social Services of Indiana: $20,000 to enhance the health and wellness of teen parents and their children through the Education Creates Hope and Opportunity (ECHO) Program.
• Matthew 25 Health and Care: $140,000 to support the Medical and Dental directors’ positions.
• McMillen Health: $27,500 for the next phase of development of the Healthy Tomorrow app, which supports pregnant and new mothers with substance abuse disorder.
• Miss Virginia’s Food Pantry: $15,350 to support the purchase of food items for the Balanced & Nutritional Food Program.
• Redemption House Ministries: $20,000 to assist in hiring a Director of Wellness nurse to oversee the health and wellness programs for residents of Redemption House.
• Super Shot, Inc.: $75,000 to support Super Shot Community Immunization Clinics.
• The Lighthouse: $5,000 to support residential mental health services related to substance use disorder as it impacts individuals and families.
• Women’s Care Center: $55,000 to help grow the number of visits for programs of prenatal care, improving birth outcomes and parenting education.
• YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne: $35,000 for the Youth Advocacy initiative of the Status Offender Court Alternative Program (SOCAP), in which Y staff help vulnerable youth access healthcare and other supports needed to assist them in creating a healthier life and a path to future success.
• Young Life: $20,000 For general operating support to assist pregnant and parenting teens and help them raise healthy children.
• YWCA Northeast Indiana: $31,200 for Therapeutic Addictions Recovery Services, an essential health care service for women suffering from substance addiction, and support for infants born while their mothers are enrolled in YWCA Addiction Recovery Services.

During the last half of 2021, another $28,000 was awarded to 13 nonprofit or grassroots agencies to offer the Our HEALing Kitchen classes, a partnership with Parkview Health that offers a garden-to-kitchen cooking curriculum for vulnerable residents. Also during the last half of the year, $30,000 in grants less than $5,000 was awarded to seven organizations.