INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.– Forty-six community organizations in central Indiana received grant money Tuesday from the Central Indiana COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund (C-CERF)
The grants total $7,305,000 and will be used to help stabilize community organizations who are helping Hoosiers during this pandemic.
Here are the organizations and amounts received:
| Alternatives Incorporated | $50,000 |
| American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis | $250,000 |
| AYS | $400,000 |
| Barbara B. Jordan YMCA | $50,000 |
| Boone County Senior Services | $20,000 |
| Caring Center/Project Help | $25,000 |
| Catholic Charities Indianapolis | $250,000 |
| Christamore House | $100,000 |
| Churches in Mission | $50,000 |
| CICOA Aging and In-Home Solutions | $75,000 |
| Coburn Place Safe Haven | $50,000 |
| Community Alliance of the Far Eastside | $100,000 |
| Concord Neighborhood Center | $100,000 |
| Early Learning Indiana | $250,000 |
| Edna Martin Christian Center | $250,000 |
| Family Promise of Hendricks County | $25,000 |
| Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center at Crooked Creek | $50,000 |
| Flanner House of Indianapolis | $200,000 |
| Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana | $750,000 |
| Good Samaritan Network of Hamilton County | $50,000 |
| Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana | $250,000 |
| Hawthorne Community Center | $100,000 |
| Hendricks County Senior Services | $50,000 |
| Horizon House | $100,000 |
| HVAF of Indiana | $50,000 |
| Immigrant Welcome Center | $20,000 |
| Indiana 211 Partnership | $200,000 |
| Indianapolis Urban League | $200,000 |
| John H. Boner Neighborhood Centers | $250,000 |
| The Julian Center | $250,000 |
| La Plaza | $100,000 |
| Martin Luther King Community Center | $100,000 |
| Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center | $100,000 |
| Meals on Wheels | $20,000 |
| Meals on Wheels of Hancock County | $20,000 |
| Midwest Food Bank | $250,000 |
| PACE | $50,000 |
| St. Vincent de Paul Society | $150,000 |
| The Salvation Army | $250,000 |
| Second Helpings | $750,000 |
| Sheltering Wings | $50,000 |
| Shepherd Community, Inc. | $100,000 |
| Southeast Community Services | $200,000 |
| Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana | $100,000 |
| Wheeler Mission Ministries | $250,000 |
| YMCA of Greater Indianapolis | $400,000 |
These grants are the first phase of C-CERF funding. The relief fund received investments from Lilly Endowment Inc., Central Indiana Community Foundation (through the Glick Fund and The Indianapolis Foundation), Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, and United Way of Central Indiana.
The fund now stands at more than $17.8 million.
“Our coalition of funders has been in daily communication with community leaders across Central Indiana to assess emerging needs and direct service providers to better understand their most pressing challenges,” said Ann Murtlow, president & CEO, United Way of Central Indiana, which is administering the fund. “With this information, the founding funders of C-CERF were able to make decisions on grants to organizations that serve in critical service areas that provide flexibility to problem solve in a rapidly changing environment.”
C-CERF focuses on funding these types of services:
- Childcare for healthcare workers and first responders
- Food access for those struggling to make ends meet
- Homeless and shelter care that allows for safe health practices
- Strengthening access to resources for seniors and immigrants
- Disaster planning and infrastructure support to connect people to services
- Multi-service centers to help them address current and emerging needs in their neighborhoods
One of the places to receive a grant is Midwest Food Bank. The Executive Director John Whitaker is grateful for the grant, but says they still need aid and volunteers coming in to help.
“Already 1 in 7 Hoosier are food insecure; over a million people. You add another million people; you add another 30 percent to that we need another 30 percent of resources to take care of the folks in need now,” Whitaker said.
Gleaners Food Bank sent FOX 59 News a statement about the grant money:
“As the coronavirus emergency has rocked our community and state—Gleaners has led the way to meet the growing need for food with compassion and swift action. We’re grateful to United Way of Central Indiana and to the donors to the COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund for quickly recognizing the challenge and distributing funds to organizations like ours that are working diligently to meet rising demand. At the current rate of need across our 21 counties, we anticipate needing approximately $500,000 weekly for food purchases. United Way of Central Indiana, along with countless organizations and individuals, have kept Gleaners top of mind for their philanthropy during this critical time. We could not begin to meet the demand if not for generous gifts like this.”
To learn more or to donate to the C-CERF, text HELP2020 to 91999 or visit their website.
