FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Katie Ottinger, Community Investment and Grants Officer
The Community Foundation awards Mini Grants
GREENFIELD, Ind. (February 6, 2023) – The Community Foundation of Hancock County recently issued grants to several organizations from component funds of the Community Foundation.
Hancock County Probation Department was awarded a grant from the Addictions and Substance Abuse Education and Treatment Endowment Fund for its Jail Intervention Program (JIP). JIP is an 8-week educational addiction treatment program within the Hancock County Jail. The overall goal of JIP is to provide the necessary tools and information to offenders who are suffering with addiction issues, mitigating their risk of recidivism, while also promoting a positive, substance-free lifestyle. The Addictions and Substance Abuse Education and Treatment Endowment Fund was established in memory of Mildred Hawkins Wilfong and benefits agencies that provide direct services for education and treatment to people who have suffered or are suffering from addictions to alcohol or controlled substances.
Greenfield Central School Foundation was the recipient of a grant from the Jeanne H. Tracy Meddock Fund for Music Opportunities. The Greenfield-Central Orchestra program maintains a modest inventory of cellos for students who cannot afford their own instruments. Due to use by students over time, the horsehair on the bows degrades and needs to be replaced. This grant will pay for those replacements. This fund memorializes Jeanne Meddock’s passion for music and its impact on the young with financial support for organizations providing music education, music programs, and support for the purchase or rental of instruments.
Regreening Greenfield received a grant from the Clean and Green Fund for the cost of pruning 70-90 dormant trees in Greenfield. This fund is a member of the Community Foundation’s Spirit of Community fund family. Grants from this fund provide support for conserving and protecting Hancock County’s natural environment through recycling, clean energy, and green initiatives.
The Community Foundation also issued three grants from the Hancock County Enrichment Fund to close out the 2022 grant year. The first was to Agape Therapeutic Riding Services to construct a concrete firepit for riders and volunteers to enjoy while participating in their therapy experiences. The second grant was issued to the Hancock County Humane Society to use for purchasing food for their community pet food pantry. The third grant was for the Talitha Koum Women’s Recovery House to install a fire pit, pea gravel surround, and year-round seating for 10 people. This project is being completed as a Leadership Hancock County group project. The Hancock County Enrichment Fund was created by the Community Foundation. This comprehensive, unrestricted fund addresses a broad range of needs–including future needs that often cannot be anticipated. The Enrichment Fund helps support long-term solutions; respond quickly to emergencies; and meet changing social, cultural, educational, and environmental needs in our local community.
All these grants were issued from a pool of funds that is set aside each year to meet nonprofit organizations’ needs that arise outside of the major grant cycles.
CFHC provides philanthropic leadership by encouraging giving, learning, community pride and civic engagement. Working with caring individuals, families, and organizations to create or grow existing permanent endowment funds is critical to the organization’s mission. These funds generate income that is distributed in the form of grants and scholarships to enrich and enhance life in Hancock County, as well as support the donor’s favorite charitable causes, both at home and afar forever. CFHC has granted millions of dollars since its inception in 1992.
