JOHNSON COUNTY — The Johnson County Community Foundation awarded $162,000 to help nonprofit organizations with transportation and other support.
"The funds come from unrestricted endowments that have been set up by individuals, families, businesses," said Stephanie Fox.
Stephanie Fox is the Director of Grants and Scholarships for the Johnson County Community Foundation.
"This round, the grant is serving individuals going through substance issues, we supported a food pantry, a program through a local church that buys shoes for children," said Fox.
Volunteers and board members choose the winners.
Among them is Girls Inc. of Johnson County. The program's mission is to inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold.
"That grant is actually allowing us to do a brand new initiative. Our national Girls Inc. actually gave us some money to start a new project, which is called Project Accelerate, and the foundation just gave us some matching funds," said Sonia Ware McGuire.
Last year, they served nearly 700 children.
"We do after-school and summer camp programs, but we also are in every school district in Johnson County. We go to the schools during the lunch and recess time and take curriculum," she said.
Tara Treatment Center in Franklin was another nonprofit to benefit from the grant.
"We do a great job of rebuilding lives," said Caleb Lane, Director of Business Development at Tara Treatment Center.
The organization focuses on helping people recover from addiction.
"So, this grant specifically is gonna help us purchase a van to transport our women to and from outside recovery meetings to different community events and to different therapies that they partake in," said Lane.
Caleb Lane said the center has seen an increase in people reaching out for help. The funds will help with healing with a holistic approach.
"The staff, the clients, it's just one giant family," he said.
The Johnson County community foundation is now looking to help fund organizations that focus on mental health. An application process begins on October 1 and lasts through October 31.
These funds will support programs that address food insecurity, education, mentorship, transportation, mental health, community spaces, and more.
Full list of awardees:
• Allies Inc — Allies Mentorship Program ($7,500)
• ASSIST Indiana — Merging Missions: Expanding Specialized Services and Survivor Advocacy ($10,000)
• Bluff Creek Christian Church — Shoes for Souls ($5,000)
• Central Nine Career Center Adult Education — Funding HiSET Testing for Johnson County Residents ($7,200)
• Emmalyn's Way — Emmalyn's Way Play Garden ($20,000)
• Friends of the Greenwood Public Library — Bringing Creative Ideas to Life: The GPL Studio ($9,000)
• Gateway Services, Inc./Access Johnson County — Access Johnson County Public Transit ($10,000)
• Girls Inc. of Johnson County — Project Accelerate ($10,000)
• Interchurch Food Pantry of Johnson County — Address Food Insecurity ($7,500)
• Johnson County Learning Center — Early Childhood Family Resource Hub ($10,000)
• Joshua Center, Inc. — Grief-Smart Schools Pilot Program ($10,000)
• Tara Treatment Center, Inc. — Women’s Recovery Transportation Project ($10,000)
• Indiana Center for Prevention of Youth Abuse and Suicide — Creating Circles of Safety: Prevention Education for K-12 Students and Adults ($5,000)
• The Refuge — Technology and Pantry Needs ($10,000)
• Town of Edinburgh — Downtown Plaza Project ($35,000)
