Non-Profit

East Central Indiana’s Answer to the Healthcare Talent Shortage is to Grow Your Own

By Jud Fisher, President/CEO, Ball Brothers Foundation— MUNCIE, IN — Indiana needs healthcare talent, and East Central Indiana is demonstrating what it takes to grow your own. The state’s healthcare workforce challenges won’t be solved by recruiting talent alone. We must grow our own. The strongest workforce pipelines begin years before a student ever applies to medical school or a nursing program—they begin the moment young people can envision a future in healthcare. That discovery is happening earlier than ever, often in high school and sometimes before, as more young people start seeing healthcare as a path worth pursuing. To…

Read More

League Plans Registration Events for Voter Registration Day

By Sheryl Swingley— MUNCIE, IN—Because National Voter Registration Day is Sept. 15, the League of Women Voters of Muncie-Delaware County encourages all citizens to check to make sure they are registered to vote by going to VOTE411.org, an award-winning website the national headquarters of the League of Women Voters supports. If citizens discover they are not registered to vote or have been purged from the voter rolls, they can register or reregister to vote on VOTE411.org. Citizens interested in registering with League in person may do so from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, in the John and Janice Fisher…


Who Are You Lifting? A Reflection on Legacy, Loss, and the Athena Award

By Juli Metzger— MUNCIE, IN—We lost Gloria Steinem and Dolly Parton just eight days apart. It’s been a hard stretch to sit with. Two women, two completely different playbooks, and yet both gave us a masterclass in how to live. Parton was a songwriter first and foremost: thousands of songs across six decades, her words doing the work of getting a feeling exactly right, over and over. But she didn’t stop at the page. She backed that gift with her time and her treasure, in scholarships, in books mailed to children for free, in jobs. Steinem was a writer too,…


Muncie School Board Member to Share Information From Education Conference

By Sheryl Swingley— MUNCIE, IN—WaTasha Barnes Griffin, a member of the Muncie Community School Board of Trustees and president and CEO of YWCA Central Indiana, will outline what she learned at the National School Board Association conference and share plans for the relocation of the YWCA facilities at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, in the community room of the YWCA, 310 E. Charles St. The meeting, which is free and open to the public, is being sponsored by the American Association of University Women Muncie Branch. Parking is available on the east side of the YWCA. A ramp is located…


Delaware County Soil & Water Conservation District Launches New Website for White River

By Joe Hamilton— MUNCIE, IN — Delaware County Soil & Water Conservation District (DCSWCD) today announced the launch of a new website (whiterivereci.com) dedicated to White River in East Central Indiana, giving the community a central hub to explore the river, learn about its wildlife and history, and get involved in local conservation efforts. “More than 50 years of continuous water quality monitoring on White River has provided a unique perspective on watershed improvement,” said Joe Hamilton, Vice Chair of Delaware County Soil & Water Conservation District’s Board of Supervisors. “The work of local farmers, communities, organizations, and countless individuals…


Historic 1875 One Room Schoolhouse Donated to Local Nonprofit

By Colleen Cooper— MUNCIE, IN—Schoolhouse No. 3, one of Delaware County’s treasured historic landmarks, has been officially donated by the family of the late Dr. Norman and Hermie Miller to the nonprofit One Room Schoolhouse No. 3, Inc. The announcement was made during a private donor appreciation reception celebrating the nonprofit’s first major fundraising milestone. During the event, supporters learned that the organization had exceeded its initial campaign goal of $52,000, allowing restoration work to begin this September to protect the 1875 brick schoolhouse from further deterioration. Birgie Miller Gresham, daughter of the Miller’s, and representing the family, attended the…


Ball Brothers Foundation Grantee Spotlight: Q&A with Muncie Arts Executive Director Tania Said

By Jud Fisher— MUNCIE, IN — Muncie Arts and Culture Council was established in 2011 to celebrate and support arts in Muncie. Since then, MACC (now known as MuncieArts) has evolved significantly. Today, MuncieArts finds itself at an important moment. Following the completion of several major public art projects, the launch of a new monthly newsletter, the revival of community programs like Box!Box!, and preparation for a new strategic plan, the organization is reimagining its role as a backbone organization for Muncie’s creative sector. That work builds on insights gathered through community input over the past several years and ongoing…


Indiana Governor Mike Braun Recognizes YWCA Central Indiana for 100 years

By Juli Metzger— STATEHOUSE—YWCA Central Indiana was one of 34 businesses and entities recognized Monday by Gov. Mike Braun for their longevity and commitment to their local communities. Braun welcomed representatives of Indiana’s entrepreneurial and business community to the Indiana Statehouse, awarding the Governor’s Century and Half Century Business Awards to Hoosier businesses that have been supporting the state’s economy and communities for more than 100 and 50 years, respectively. “Today is a celebration of these Indiana businesses and a recognition of the dedication and resilience they have shown over the past 50 or 100 years,” Braun said in the…


Community Grants Totaling $174.5K Awarded This Week

By Kallie Sulanke— MUNCIE, IN—The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County awarded $174,500 in Community Grants this week. Community Grants provide nonprofit organizations serving Muncie and Delaware County the opportunity to apply for funding to support their work. Grants are awarded to address the broad needs of Muncie and Delaware County. Organizations interested in applying for funding are encouraged to connect with the Foundation’s Program and Nonprofit Relations team. Through these conversations, Foundation staff and volunteers develop a deeper understanding of the needs within the community, identify resources and support beyond grantmaking, and provide nonprofits more time to focus…


Whitely Community Council Groundbreaking for Centennial Resource Hub Set for August 22

Campaign progress moves the $4.75 million vision closer to building a stronger, healthier, and more vibrant future for Whitely Neighborhood By Whitely Community Council Leadership and the Board of Directors— MUNCIE, IN—For 60 years, the Whitely Community Council has served the Whitely neighborhood and the east side of Muncie, giving neighbors a voice and helping make the neighborhood a vibrant place to live, work, and learn. With significant progress on its $4.75 million capital campaign, the Council will celebrate the next major step toward the Centennial Resource Hub with a groundbreaking ceremony for Phase I on August 22^nd^ at 11:00am…