Non-Profit

Community Foundation Announces Additional 2022 Scholarship Recipients

By Kallie Sulanke— MUNCIE, Ind.—Congratulations to the following scholarship recipients – Samuel Brumley, a senior at Yorktown High School, is the recipient of the Jim Leffler Memorial Scholarship. Samuel plans to study computer science at Ball State Univetsity. He is the son of Joel and Susan Brumley. Woodrow Elliott II, a senior at Muncie Central High School, is the recipient of the Dylan T. Stafford We Before Me Scholarship. Woodrow plans to study business and health and human performance at…

Read More

Fifty-Year Old Women’s Stock Club Full of Muncie History

By Patricia L Lang, Professor Emerita, Chemistry MUNCIE, Ind.—It’s not Plunder and Lunge. It’s Ponder and Plunge, a woman-only stock club in Muncie, Indiana. The name says it all, with emphasis on the PONDER part. The club recently celebrated 50 years of stock investment education. The club was founded in 1971 by four accomplished Muncie women: Esther Ball, Thelma Hiatt, Martha Wickham and Aline Emens. All of these women began as teachers and had remarkable careers. Esther Ball served the war…


New ‘Grow-a-Row Produce Donation Network’ in Delaware, Blackford, and Jay Counties

By Lindsey Cox— MUNCIE, Ind.—The Food Council of East Central Indiana is spearheading a project this growing season in Delaware, Blackford, and Jay counties: Grow-a-Row. The project encourages local gardeners to donate excess garden produce to community partners that can distribute the produce to neighbors in need. Gardeners can purposefully Grow-a-row specifically for donation. Or, gardeners can also choose to donate their extra produce at the point in the summer when they’ve got so many veggies, they don’t know what…


Educators Lead STEM and Maker Programs at Madjax

By Kyra Zylstra— MUNCIE, Ind.—Robotics, drones, engineering, bookbinding, and more.  Join Madjax this summer for camps and workshops for students and families led by professional teachers. Camps will be held in Muncie and Anderson and will serve elementary through high school students and include options to learn as a family or with a mentor. Muncie Puppy Publications, June 13-27 Technology Career Exploration, June 27-30 Innovating with a Maker Mindset, July 11-14 Anderson Food Engineers, June 13-17 Robobusters, June 27-30 Drones and…


East Central Indiana Robotics, Team 1720 Receives Grant

By Frank Braswell— MATTHEWS, Ind.—East Central Indiana Robotics, Team 1720 the PhyXTGears recently received a $10,000 grant from the Give to Grant Cycle through The Community Foundation of Grant County, Indiana, Inc. Thanks to this grant, East Central Indiana Robotics, Team 1720 the PhyXTGears is able to fund ongoing needs for registration and travel fees for robot competitions, and purchase robot parts. According to Meagan Mathias, Grants Manager for Community Foundation of Grant County: “The Community Foundation of Grant County is…


YMCA of Muncie Exceeds Annual Campaign Fundraising Goal

By Kristen McConnell— MUNCIE, Ind.—The YMCA of Muncie exceeded their annual campaign fundraising goal providing access to programs and opportunities to all in our community. Campaign Co-Chairs, Mark Foerster and Chris Walker, along with 70 volunteers, implemented a grass roots campaign that began in February with an in-person launch event and cumulatively raised over $173,000. Chris Walker, Campaign Co-Chair and Principal at Muncie Central High School, had this to say about the campaign, “The success of the annual campaign is…


8twelve Coalition Receives Ball State University’s 2022 Community Partner Award

By Suzie Jones, Project Coordinator, Office of Community Engagement, Ball State University— MUNCIE, Ind.—On May 2, the 8twelve Coalition received the 2022 Ball State University Community Partner of the Year Award at Ball State’s Immersive Learning Showcase.  President Geoffrey S. Mearns presented the award to Jena Ashby, a leader of the coalition. The annual award recognizes an East Central Indiana business, organization, or agency that demonstrated excellence as a co-educator and community partner during the previous year.  Partners are nominated…


Yorktown’s Ginger Thompson Recognized With Ball Brothers Foundation’s Excellence in Teaching Award

By Melissa Jones— MUNCIE, Ind. — Ginger Thompson didn’t always teach this way. When the high school Spanish teacher began her career 17 years ago, she said she was “a traditional teacher.” “I had a textbook and that’s what I used to teach my students. I used the methods that my Spanish teachers had used with me in high school and in college because that was the best methodology we had at that time,” she said. But as Thompson began…


Over $17,000 Raised for Local Food Pantries Through United Way’s ‘Feeding our Neighbor’ Campaign 

By Kim Williams— East Central, IN – Heart of Indiana United Way’s first Feeding Our Neighbors fundraising campaign, raised $17,207 to support local food pantries. The campaign, run during the month of April, was designed to address the region’s increased need for healthy food during this challenging financial time for many families. “The reality is that 1 in 8 Hoosiers struggle with food insecurity, and 1 in 7 are children. Pair that with the increasing costs for food and we know our local food pantries are seeing more families…


George and Frances Ball Foundation Earmarks $400K to Muncie Children’s Museum

By Muncie Children’s Museum— MUNCIE, Ind. — The George and Frances Ball Foundation awarded $400,000 to the Muncie Children’s Museum More to Explore Campaign in 2020, designed to re-imagine and re-invigorate one of the community’s greatest treasures. Historically, Education and Youth have been the primary focus for the George and Frances Ball Foundation. In 2020, the Foundation awarded more than $2.9 million across 28 organizations focused on children, young adults, and educational attainment. The Muncie Children’s Museum was one of…