By: John Carlson— “I like trains.” That was it, one child’s fondest wish, hinted at in a card hanging from an artificial Christmas tree in a Muncie church’s narthex. There was more on his wish list, but not much more. A couple items of clothing. A pair of socks. Maybe a pair of shoes. Other cards on this tree represented additional little kids and their wishes. A Barbie doll. A toy car. A dinosaur. And the simple clothing items like…
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By: Frank Baldwin— Muncie, IN—The Baur Foundation awards Muncie Mission with a $175,000 grant to continue expanding their transitional housing program. The J. Robert & Joanne N. Baur Foundation granted Muncie Mission Ministries $175,000 to fund the Mission’s expanding transitional housing program, and the development of programming to improve healthy lifestyles and job creation. Muncie Mission has nine transitional living units with another six in development. Transitional housing is available to graduates of the life recovery program offered by the…
By: Lissa Silotto— Indianapolis, IN —Indiana Philanthropy Alliance (IPA) has appointed Linda Speed as its new Board Chair and welcomes Stephanie Overbey and Jenna Wachtmann as new members to its Board of Directors. Current Directors becoming officers in 2019 include Theresa Farrington Rhodes, elected as Vice Chair, and Tracy Souza, elected as Secretary. “I value the connection with other grantmakers in our state to learn, collaborate, and make a greater impact through informed grantmaking,” said Speed. “I look forward to ushering in a new era with…
By: Mike Rhodes— Muncie, Indiana—During the holiday season, many of the City of Muncie’s public safety officials kick-into high gear in order to bring a little holiday cheer to underprivileged children around the area. Toys For Tots In early November, the familiar Toys for Tots collection boxes began to spring up inside businesses around town. For 2018, around 65 boxes have been distributed throughout the community. Families who wanted to participate in the Toys for Tots program were first screened by staff at…
By: Jeff Lang— Muncie, Indiana—Thanks to the generous support from people like you, United Way of Delaware County is winding up another successful fundraising campaign. We’re not done. Not quite yet. But it’s close and I wanted to say thank you. Like many of you, I have much to be grateful for this holiday season, and one thing is this place I call home. I came to Muncie for a job a few decades ago and I’ve never left. Never…
By: Lorri Markum— Muncie, IN — Meridian Health Services is pleased to announce that Madison County Community Health Center will be joining its organization with an anticipated effective date first quarter of 2019. This collaboration will bring great strengths to each and offer patients access to a broader spectrum of healthcare services that will provide community benefit. Meridian Health Services is a regional, progressive, not-for-profit healthcare system with a gross annual revenue of $137 million. Meridian specializes in “whole-person” health…
By: Ball State Marketing and Communications— Muncie, Indiana – Ball State University’s Board of Trustees recently discussed implementing a more decentralized, incentive-based approach to budgeting designed to better align the allocation of resources with the priorities of a new strategic plan. “The new model will incentivize all colleges and units to promote student success, stimulate strategic growth, encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, and support academic excellence,” said President Geoffrey S. Mearns. “The current budget model has served us well for many…
By: Stephanie Fisher— Muncie, Indiana—Stories connect us. They build empathy and understanding across difference, and they are the basic building blocks of community. This mantra has been the driving force behind the work of The Facing Project, and now the 501(c)(3) non-profit is pleased to announce they are partnering with Archives and Special Collections at Ball State University to archive its catalog of stories. The Facing Project catalog consists of over 1,500 first-person stories collected over a six-year period in…
By: Amy Logan— Muncie, Indiana—The Boys & Girls Clubs of Muncie is delighted to announce the 2019 Great Futures Dinner. To help us celebrate the Clubs 85th year of service to the community, The Boys & Girls Clubs will host the 2019 Great Futures Dinner on January 24, 2019 from 6 -8 p.m. at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie. This event serves as a way to showcase the Club kids’ work, fundraise for future programming, and honor the members of…
By: Kallie Sullanke— Muncie, Ind. – Funders in Delaware County have come together to pool knowledge, experiences, and resources to make a collective impact on a current issue in the community. The Funders Forum Collaborative awarded $31,000 to three Delaware County organizations to support programs that address drug prevention and recovery in our community. Delaware County CASA Program received $15,000 to launch a Family Recovery Court in Delaware County. Family Recovery Courts have been identified across the state and nation…