Stories of Impact: An In-Depth Look at Philanthropy in Southern Indiana (2023)

Opening Gates, pg. 40

A WORLD FULL OF WORDS:

AN ODE TO MY HOMETOWN

In a former professional life, I was a journalist.

In college, I covered Indiana University athletics before transitioning to writing local feature articles. Eventually, I found my way in front of a classroom at Jeffersonville High School - my alma mater - to teach the next generation everything I knew about the craft.

Even today, I love the challenge that storytelling presents. Each article is unique ... because it comes from different, singular individuals. No matter how long you might prepare for an interview, one unexpected response can take your conversation down a completely new pathway. It's an exciting journey that I get a front-row seat for.

So in July 2022, when President and CEO Linda Speed asked if I would be interested in writing a grant follow-up article or two, I nearly leapt out of my chair with excitement. Like a retired athlete, I was ready to show the world (or just Kentuckiana) that I still had it.

Over the next 12 months, that "article or two" evolved into an entire series that dissected the impact of grants made by the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana over the past three-plus decades. I traveled to a horse farm outside of Charlestown, Ind. to learn about equine-assisted therapy for children. I learned about a church in New Albany, Ind. that was instrumental in helping formerly enslaved people.

But most important, I learned that all of the people behind these amazing enterprises are neighbors in our own backyard. They work tirelessly to improve our community for the simple fact that they want to help leave this region better than when they found it. And most of them do it with little to no recognition of the impact they are causing in our community.

Luckily, they all now know a former journalist who can help tell their story. And that's exactly what I've attempted to do in this resource.

I hope these stories educate and inspire you as you read them. And I hope it leaves you with hope for a better future for all residents in Southern Indiana and beyond.

For some families in Southern Indiana, finding fresh and healthy produce is as simple as driving to your local Kroger, loading up a cart, and heading back home to prepare it.

While that might seem like a typical Saturday morning for some, there are countless others around Clark and Floyd counties that simply can’t afford the same liberties. Whether it is due to transportation / mobility issues or financial insecurity, there are invisible barriers preventing some locals from having access to healthy, fresh food.

According to the 2021 Priorities for Progress Community Needs Assessment (CNA), Clark

and Floyd counties saw important reductions in food insecurity between 2015 and 2020. However, those gains disappeared amid the COVID-19 recession, with food insecurity increasing almost 3% since 2019.

New Roots’ Karyn Moskowitz has witnessed these struggles for families first-hand. As the Executive Director at New Roots – a small, grassroots nonprofit organization in Louisville –Moskowitz and her team work directly with families facing limited food resources, helping them overcome them overcome obstacles to healthy nutrition.

Addressing this systemic issue that commonly occurs in low-income communities, doesn’t have an immediate solution. Instead, it involves

tackling the issue from a variety of angles to ensure its sustainability and effectiveness – a task that Moskowitz and her team have been working toward for more than a decade.

“Eating healthy should not be seen as a privilege – it’s a basic human right,” says Moskowitz. “But we also recognize there is a hidden barrier to just giving someone fresh food. That’s where we’re trying to help.”

How the Fresh Stop Market Works

We’ve all been there – it’s dinnertime and nobody in the family has the energy to prepare a meal. So what’s the solution for most?

“It’s fast food,” Moskowitz says. “One of the biggest hurdles we must overcome is shifting families to fresh food. With the high cost of fresh food compared to processed and fast food, it’s easy to see how families can fall into this trap. When you mix in targeted marketing for unhealthy foods, lack of experience cooking from scratch, and poor proximity to markets, it’s a recipe for disaster.”

So New Roots devised a plan to help those suffering from poor food nutrition and selection: a Fresh Stop Market in their neighborhood.

Thanks in part to four grants totaling $45,000 from the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana over the past six years, New Roots has been able to build and expand their farm-fresh food markets to even more fresh food-insecure neighborhoods. While funding has helped support a part-time marketing manager position and operational costs, such as maintaining the nonprofit’s beet mobile truck, most of the funding has gone to local farmers for their produce. A $10,000 emergency grant from CFSI’s COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund also kept operations moving during the height of the pandemic, a critical life preserver for local families trying to stay afloat during that time.

There are food deserts in parts of New Albany, especially since most of the lower-income grocery store options have closed in the past few years,” says Dana Pinkston, marketing manager at New Roots. “The need for fresh, healthy food options is very real in this area and in other bubbles across Southern Indiana.”

Currently, eight Fresh Stop Markets operate under New Roots’ umbrella, including one located at Sojourn Church on Silver Street in New Albany. These markets pop up every two weeks during growing season (JuneNovember) at area churches, businesses, and community centers.

Shareholders, or customers, pay on an incomebased sliding scale that is both fair and equitable. This includes those paying with SNAP Benefits and/or Food Stamps, who pay $6 for a bag containing nine varieties of fresh, local, mostly certified organic vegetables and

Customers at a local Fresh Stop Market

some fruit. In 2016, when CFSI awarded New Roots its first-ever grant of $15,000, the organization was serving 52 Southern Indiana families biweekly. Now, thanks to the financial assistance, the Fresh Stop Markets connects 90-100 families with local, organic farm-fresh produce every other week.

“About a year in, we had roughly 350 total families participating at that time,” Moskowitz says. “Just this past year, we were at 715 families, or 2,145 individuals. So not only did our Southern Indiana numbers almost double, our region-wide numbers did, too. But most importantly, our retention rate for families staying for the entire growing season has stayed around 95%, with roughly 85% of Southern Indiana past shareholders continuing to participate each year.”

The program’s top rate is $40, and most who pay at that level feel good that their shares will subsidize some of their neighbors facing resource challenges. Everyone gets the same bag of food, regardless of what they pay.

Moskowitz also says that the Fresh Stop Market will never turn anyone away who needs the nutrition.

So Fresh and So Clean – How Veggies Can Change Lives

So what is it that makes New Roots’ Fresh Stop Market so important for the community as a whole?

For starters, they are the only local, organic, affordable produce in Clark and Floyd counties.

But their program benefits more than just shareholders who sign up. Its thoughtful approach is bigger than just providing a family with a bag of fresh food – it gives families an opportunity to make a real change in how they live their life.

For some in our community, food is medicinal, especially those suffering from diabetes and heart disease. By incorporating a fresh, plantbased addition to a daily diet, some of the health-related illnesses can be completely preventable. It can also help fight against obesity, an issue that finds the states of Indiana and Kentucky with the fifth- and sixth-worst obesity rates in the country, respectively.

In addition to providing a variety of fresh vegetables, New Roots takes the initiative to educate shareholders on how they can prepare their food with easy-to-follow recipes, nutritional facts, and cooking tips. These will provide guidance to those families who have never cooked with certain types of vegetables or might be afraid to try something new.

“In one of our more recent bags, we had some eggplant in there, which isn’t something people cook with every day,” Moskowitz says. “One of our shareholders told me that they called their family member, who was very familiar with the vegetable, to pass it along to her. It was eventually returned to the shareholder as a full dish of eggplant parmesan. We’ve heard so many of these stories of people passing the vegetables to

Chef JC preparing Bok choy

family members or neighbors, who then create these wonderful dishes that are shared among many.”

Before COVID-19, New Roots would even bring in a chef to each location to give families a demonstration on how to prepare the food. While funding for that initiative dried up during the pandemic, the organization has since partnered with a BIPOC vegan community chef, Chef YahYah, to demo at each market at least twice per season.

“I’m passionate about New Roots’ mission because I lived in a food desert myself. And at that time, there weren’t options for lowincome families to get fresh, organic produce –only non-perishables and meat, which I don’t eat since I’ve been vegan for 18 years,” Chef YahYah says. “I love creating innovative dishes and recipes because most people don’t know what to do with certain produce. They’ve never had it before, so they don’t know how to

prepare it. Being the Chef for New Roots, I’ve helped people who aren’t vegans enjoy creating these Vegan dishes for their families at home – which, in turn, creates healthier lifestyles for families who otherwise may not have ventured into a healthy eating lifestyle.”

With roughly 85 current shareholders, the Fresh Stop Market can provide fresh, organic produce to around 300 people every two weeks. According to Moskowitz, some even travel from as far away as Georgetown, Scottsburg, and Salem to participate.

All produce that is not accounted for by the Market’s closing time is donated to Let Us Learn, Inc., a nonprofit organization in New Albany that is increasing access to healthy food through community and family engagement. In turn, they will distribute the food to families in need, all while doing their own education on proper food preparation.

Customers at a local Fresh Stop Market

A “Growing Community” That Continues to Grow

All of the produce that is used by New Roots’ Fresh Stop Markets comes from local farmers in Oldham, Henry, and Meade counties in Kentucky. This helps the local economy while keeping food grown locally for area residents.

“We are family with our shareholders, but we are also a family with the farmers we get our produce from,” Moskowitz says. “We believe in local farming because the food just tastes better. That’s because it’s grown for taste and nutrition, not just for bounty. It is different than what you might find in a grocery store. We’re hopeful to get some Southern Indiana farmers involved in the future.”

In the meantime, New Roots has partnered with the Floyd County Library to implement a fresh food pantry. In addition to providing plant-based nutrition for those in need, New Roots will also be doubling-down on food education courses and getting more people involved in their work.

Selena McCracken, who works at the library and volunteers at New Roots, says that having fresh, clean food in this population is something incredibly important to her and the library’s visitors.

“The Fresh Stop Markets are bringing a new level of dignity for food pantries, in terms of food,” McCracken says. “Not only can we build relationships with the people who receive them, but we can help them care about their nutrition and what they eat. This is good for the library because people are looking for medicinal food, so we can focus on that angle.”

As for the future of the Fresh Stop Markets, Moskowitz has some ambitious plans, including expanding even further into

Southern Indiana and surrounding counties. In the past, the organization has attempted to expand to Jeffersonville and Georgetown, but the movement failed to catch on in either location.

“We draw shareholders from outlying areas all across Southern Indiana, but sometimes we just never get the necessary buy-in around certain communities we need to sustain,” Moskowitz says. “If we continued to attract funding, plus had more support from local businesses, families, and government leaders in those area, we would love to expand our mission.”

But for now, Moskowitz is focused on letting people around Clark and Floyd counties know about New Roots’ mission and how they can help the cause.

“Our mission is three-fold: we want to use food to educate others on our organization. We want to provide nutrition education to help those receiving the food. And we want to do our part in improving the economy,” Moskowitz says. “We have the room and capacity for more to get involved. Whether that is a visit, volunteering time, or donating to help families who can’t afford to pay anything, we would appreciate whatever someone can give.”

Imagine, for a moment, you’re a single parent working in the food industry. You work hard, putting in 40 hours each week to support your family. After tips, you walk away with what’s equivalent to $10/hour before returning to the warm confines of your one-bedroom rental home.

So, what’s the kicker? This scenario is completely fictional. And it’s not just the characters that aren’t real.

According to the 2021 Priorities for Progress: Assets and Aspirations in Southern Indiana Report, someone earning $10/hour would need to work almost 71 hours per week to be able to afford the rent and utilities of a one-bedroom apartment. In fact, it takes an hourly wage of

almost $18/hour for a single parent to afford that same-sized residence. It jumps to $21/hour for a two-bedroom rental.

Many in Clark and Floyd counties see the housing affordability trends as disturbing. Roughly 58% of respondents to the Priorities for Progress report listed homelessness as the second-most important concern in our communities, behind adult drug and alcohol abuse (75%). “Without … stable housing,” the report states, “performing well in school, maintaining employment, and engaging in health behaviors that support well-being are challenging, if not impossible.”

One local Southern Indiana nonprofit organization is doing its part to help curb the growing number of families experiencing the real possibility of homelessness thanks to a timely grant from the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana.

Anna: A Story of Hope

When Anna discovered Hope Southern Indiana, she was spiraling and running out of options.

Living in her car and doing her best to care for four children – aged 1, 2, 3, and 5 – Anna found herself in a vicious cycle. Between childcare, rent, and day-to-day expenses, she simply wasn’t earning enough money to justify working a full-time job. Assistance was difficult to find, especially with so many area nonprofits being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Food pantries shuttered and funding opportunities slowed, with some organizations being forced to close their doors for good.

Anna was stuck – a position all too familiar for many in the homeless population. To make matters worse, the mother was facing the real possibility of losing her children to child protective services.

Enter Hope Southern Indiana.

A nonprofit organization based out of New Albany, Ind., Hope Southern Indiana (HSI) empowers and supports individuals and families toward stability. And once Executive Director Angela Graf heard about Anna’s story, there was no hesitation in getting her family enrolled in a long-term program.

“Anna was referred to us from our Trustees. She had just left a relationship and was on her own taking care of four children, all of whom weren’t even biologically hers,” Graf says. “We didn’t know much about Anna – we just knew

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she was homeless and needed our services. She was in danger of losing her children if we didn’t intervene.”

Hope Southern Indiana signed Anna up for their long-term program, which keeps her under the organization’s umbrella for up to two months. They provided her with a room at an extended-stay hotel, clothing for her family, and schooling for her children. Anna was also able to feed her family using HSI’s expansive food pantry – a resource that wasn’t always possible while homeless and lacking reliable transportation.

The organization was able to offer these services to Anna thanks to its Emergency Services Crisis Assistance program. It provides direct assistance to individuals and families in Floyd County, helping with anything from eviction prevention to wrap-around services.

Emergency Relief for the Local Community

When HSI was selected by the public to be awarded a $15,000 grant as part of the CFSI’s 30th Anniversary celebration in December, it wasn’t the first time they had received a timely grant from the Community Foundation to help make a difference in the lives of Floyd County residents. Since 1997, the Foundation had awarded 75 grants for a total of $283,016 to Hope Southern Indiana, helping to funds projects such as a self-esteem camp for middle

and high school girls, and installing window air conditioning units for the elderly population.

Last December’s grant, which was the thirdhighest grant in the organization’s history, couldn’t have come at a better time for the nonprofit. With November and December typically being the organization’s busiest times, Graf says 100% of that funding went directly to the Emergency Services program to help people exactly like Anna.

“We needed that funding so badly, especially in a Covid-19 world,” Graf says. “Lack of affordable housing has continued to be a major issue in our community. In June of 2022 alone, we helped 55 families with their rent and utilities, which was more than $52,000 for the month. Those are not normal numbers. But it’s expected with so many eviction protections expiring. It’s crazy out there for people living paycheck to paycheck. Without the help of the Community Foundation and our other donors, these people would be out on the street.”

The importance of Hope Southern Indiana’s Emergency Services program cannot be understated, especially for those living in Section 8 or public housing. Not only does it provide food and nutrition for families of all sizes, but it also helps prevent evictions, which are automatic when utilities are disconnected.

In addition to financial help, the Emergency Services program also introduces clients to some of Hope Southern Indiana’s selfsufficiency resources, including a Holistic Hardware course. In November 2016, CFSI awarded a $15,000 grant to start the incentivebased program designed to teach individuals 10 tools that will help them in their everyday life. Participants earn $500 at the completion of the five-week seminar, and its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years.

“In our Holistic Hardware class, we let everyone know that we refer to our relationship as a partnership,” Graf says. “Our clients need to meet us almost half-way on everything, so this isn’t a one-sided effort. When they put in the effort to become self-sufficient, you get people like Anna, who just shine. She had a vision and wasn’t afraid to write down her goals to get to where she saw herself.”

Since getting the help she needed, Anna has enrolled her kids into a local childcare program, in addition to taking on two jobs. Tracy Skaggs, a Case Manager for Siemer Institute, even reported that Anna recently interviewed – and was in line – for a new position making more than $20/hour.

And it wouldn’t have been possible without Hope S.I.’s Emergency Services program.

“When we found out about Anna, we knew that more than anything, she wanted to keep her family together. She is a good mother, and we knew we could help,” Graf says. “She took it upon herself to be open about her situation and went out into the community for support. Anna was able to utilize all the resources the best she could, even if that meant she had to be honest about being homeless. And that’s the end goal of what we’re trying to do here: have a vision, endure the valleys, and be rewarded with the victory.”

CFSI's Linda Speed (left) & Crystal Gunther (right) award Angie Graf with the 30th Anniversary Grant

Some might call it a mother’s intuition. But for BAYA founder Tanisha “Tish” Frederick, the red flags in her daughter were clear.

Tish had noticed changes in her daughter Jasmine’s behavior. While she knew middle school was a difficult age for some children to adjust emotionally, mentally, and behaviorally, Tish had a sense that her daughter was struggling to cope with her surroundings.

“We found out that she was being bullied relentlessly, which then led to her becoming a self-harmer,” Tish says. “So we immediately got her into a local treatment center and found some success there. But when we were out,

there was no consistent program out there to do what we needed to do for my daughter.”

Despite Tish’s best efforts, she was unsuccessful in finding an outlet for her preteen daughter.

“I remember just talking with her, and I couldn’t understand why she was so down on herself. I kept telling her ‘You are beautiful as you are,’” Tish says. “And that line just kind of stuck with me”

With some inspiration from her daughter’s struggles, and seven other middle school-aged girls in tow, Tish Fredrick decided to create an outlet of promoting positive self-esteem in young girls and give them a safe space to

discuss topics they deal with on a daily basis. And the organization’s name was fitting:

BAYA – Beautiful As You Are

Now, with the help of local organizations like the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, Tish could use her new nonprofit to reach girls in need all over Kentuckiana.

Understanding Mental Health in So. Indiana

Like everywhere else in the world, Southern Indiana has its own mental health issues.

According to the Indiana Department of Health, 28-percent of Indiana adolescents aged 12-17 have a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral problem. More troubling, 10percent of Indiana high school students attempted suicide one or more times during the last 12 months.

Thanks to a partnership between Community Foundation of Southern Indiana and Indiana University Southeast’s Applied Research & Education Center, the 2021 Priorities for Progress Assets and Aspirations in Southern Indiana was created to take a closer look at issues surrounding our local communities.

Unfortunately, the report highlighted more sobering statistics. Two-thirds of those who responded to the questionnaire rated mental health support for children as “poor” or “very poor” in Clark and Floyd counties. In fact, more than 55-percent of all respondents to the report tabbed mental illness as the greatest social concern in the community.

“People always ask me if I read books or saw something to inspire me to open something like BAYA,” Tish says. “No, I didn’t see any of that – I started it for my baby. All I saw was me trying to save Jazz. I just wanted her to be ok. But then more and more parents would come up to me, and they would say they need

something like this for their daughter. I was just helping to fill a void in our community.”

BAYA, pronounced BAY-uh, officially got its start thanks to early support from the Cabbage Patch Settlement House in 2014. After finding success in after-school programs throughout Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, BAYA would become so sought after that Tish was able to open the organization’s first physical learning center in Clarksville, IN in 2020.

Located just next to Green Tree Mall, the BAYA Center offers empowerment workshops, art activities, and other programs and projects. The building resembles a spa for school-aged girls, including therapeutic salt lamps and a decompression room – where no technology or outside conversations are allowed. There is also space for the girls to create a vision board, meditate, and participate in self-defense and cyber security classes.

The curriculum focuses on coping techniques and self-love for both the bullies and the bullied. It provides the students with consistent lessons that are repetitive and tangible. In the end, Tish always gives the girls something to take away to better connect the lessons to everyday stresses they face away from the Center.

Teen Decompression Room

But no sooner did BAYA open their doors did the COVID-19 pandemic strike, forcing her to shut down the newly opened building and go virtual. Not only was Tish trying to help manage girls’ mental health, but she had to do it from afar. And frankly, she later admitted, she wasn’t prepared for all that comes with running a nonprofit through a shutdown.

Still wanting to provide a “takeaway” learning opportunity for her students, Tish applied for a COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund grant through the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana in June 2020. She was awarded $3,000, using that funding to purchase months’ worth of supplies for each participant in the program.

“The COVID relief grant came right on time for us,” Tish says. “I didn’t want to, but we had to move to virtual classes at that time. So thanks

to the Community Foundation, we were able to use the funding to purchase bags of supplies for the kids for that month’s lesson. They got canvas, paints, journals, pens, yoga mats –anything they would need to run a workshop from their home.”

Having those supplies made it possible for BAYA to maintain its mission throughout the pandemic.

“The students would jump on our normal time on Saturday and our yoga teacher would work with them for an hour. Then we would have our empowerment workshop for an hour and finish with art for an hour,” Tish says. “The girls still got everything they would get in the building, but we were just on Zoom. It was cool, though, because we were getting kids from out of state jumping on. They wouldn’t have the supplies we provided, but they could still interact with everyone else in the group. So that’s maybe the future of BAYA one day.”

BAYA Executive Director Tish Frederick

Slowly Getting Back to Normal

While Tish says she still feels like her organization’s mission was fulfilled during the virtual meetings, she was ecstatic upon hearing the news that her BAYA Center could re-open.

“There were a lot of tears and even more excitement when we opened back up. They were finally able to be back,” Tish says. “It was like the family was back together. I had a parent come in and say ‘I feel like I know you because you helped my daughter get through COVID. I had her on with you every week and she’s so thankful that you have this center for kids like her.’ I think it helped kids that were having a hard time. They could look forward to Saturdays because they knew they got to do this fun stuff with their group.”

But it wasn’t solely the “fun” activities that the girls returned for. Instead, they came back for the opportunity to be with other girls that are navigating this strange thing called life. They came back to be around a positive environment that would encourage them to be their authentic selves, something many feel they’re not able to do outside of the BAYA Center walls.

“I have several girls here that go by different names so that they can finally let their hair down,” Tish says. “We had a guest come in and

do personality tests, and one of my girls got results that suggested she is an introvert and not outgoing. I couldn’t believe it because that’s not how she acts here. But she said, ‘No, Ms. Tish. In here, I can be myself. But out there, I’m not like that.’ Come to find out, it’s because she feels safe here and can express herself. She doesn’t have that outlet anywhere else.”

Stories like that are part of the reason the Southern Indiana community is getting behind BAYA even more. Even Chelsea Jordan, a freshman counselor from Jeffersonville High School, volunteers a few Saturdays each month, expanding her role as a mentor outside of Greater Clark County Schools. Tish, in turn, has also started bi-weekly meetings at Jeffersonville High School, with a goal of getting into local middle schools soon.

“I had heard about BAYA, but I had never seen it in action,” Chelsea says. “But then as the girls were speaking about it more, I could tell how it changed their life. I think Tish will continue to fine-tune the program as she goes on, but there is already a noticeable impact at Jeff High. The relationships she has with some of the lower-societal students is inspiring and something we absolutely need more of at JHS.”

And the growth will continue for the foreseeable future. Thanks to a recently awarded Capacity Building Grant from the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, BAYA has an additional $14,000 in funding heading their way for strategic planning and leadership development, which will further the organization’s mission even more. Tish is using this funding to put into motion the organization’s strategic planning from 2020, as well as attend conferences on social and emotional learning. “The Capacity Building Grant is going to help so much. You don’t understand – when we got that grant, I was

absolutely thrilled to finally be able to go to these renowned conferences,” Tish says. “We did a strategic planning session three years ago and hiring somebody was a big part of that. Well then COVID hit, and funding dried up. And it was hard to do anything. So now, we’re in a position where we can get somebody in here, and we are just so excited for the growth possibilities that brings.”

And growth is something Tish is becoming more of an expert on by the day. After starting with just seven middle school girls less than a decade ago, BAYA's membership exceeds 500.

“This place means so much to these girls. And I know it means so much because when we have to close up for holidays, they’re always asking when it’s going to be back open again," Tish says. "We even have former members returning and mentoring today’s kids. This is their home. They come in the door and kick their shoes off like they live here. They love it here because this is where they can be safe and they can be themselves. No judgement, no bullying, no cliques. It’s just a big family and a big sisterhood for girls who really need it.”

As for Jasmine, Tish’s daughter who was the inspiration behind the nonprofit? Dubbed the

“Test Subject” for Tish’s early curriculum, Jazz is 21 years old and attends Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL on a track scholarship. Tish says her daughter, who still volunteers at BAYA, is “doing great” and is scheduled to graduate early this December.

“When my mom started this group, I thought it was just to give me a group of friends that were like-minded and going through similar situations. But it really wasn’t that – she was just supporting me the only way she knew how,” Jasmine says. “As I got older, I saw the value of what she was doing for me and other girls like me. For the first time, it helped me find myself. It showed me who I was outside of what other people thought of me. It took all that negative energy away. Today, I’m so thankful she took this on.”

BAYA Graduation Ceremony

The scene was becoming all too common for Doug Drake, the President and CEO at Personal Counseling Services (PCS) in Clarksville.

Each month, dozens of concerned parents or guardians would flock to the organization, with hopes they could help improve their children’s behavior in school. In many instances, teachers and counselors suggested getting the student tested for possible placement into special education classes, recommending PCS as a potential resource.

But the testing process was expensive. Assessments range between $300 – $2,500, with some students needing multiple rounds and versions. Following testing, psychologists

could spend up to a week writing comprehensive summaries, a task in which they, too, will be compensated.

All-in, the psychological testing can cost families thousands of dollars – something most insurance companies reimburse at a very low rate – forcing out-of-pocket costs to skyrocket.

After re-living similar scenarios with marginalized families from across the region, Doug decided his organization needed to do something about it.

“There are people out here that need this service – and there are many reasons why they might need it,” Doug says. “If a child is young

and behaving in a manner that is concerning to those who interact most with that child, then psychological testing should be done. And if it isn’t, the end results for both that child and the community could be catastrophic.”

Filling a Community Need

Mental health issues continue to be a concern in Clark and Floyd counties. According to the 2021 Priorities for Progress: Assets and Aspirations in Southern Indiana Report, the two highest priorities for mental health include concerns about “affordable health insurance that includes mental healthcare” and “affordable mental health services”.

“The two-county region needs to support families with easily accessible mental health services delivered through school-based programs that can detect and respond to needs as they emerge,” the report states.

Understanding the need, Doug decided to take matters into his own hands and began a conversation with the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana (CFSI), specifically asking questions about its new Catalyst Grant program – which has since been rebranded into the Capacity Building Grants Program.

The Catalyst Grant program awarded grants to organizations with projects aimed at promoting community, health, and well-being, as well as improving our area’s quality of place for everyone in the region.

“Once the opportunity for a Catalyst Grant came around, that opened a door and I remember calling the Foundation to make sure this idea we had was a fit,” Doug says. “Once they said it was, our gameplan was to get a library of psychological tests – we needed $15,000 to get started – and just replace the test as it was used. We never knew what tests

the psychologists were going to administer, so we wanted to make sure we had whatever was needed to get help get each child diagnosed.”

In 2014, Personal Counseling Services was awarded $15,000 to create their psychological testing library, complete with various instruments and assessments that would last the organization roughly 8 to 10 years. It was exactly what Doug needed to begin his vision of offering free psychological tests for area children.

“That initial gift was the gift that keeps on giving, even to this day. We continue to replenish collections of testing materials as they become depleted,” Doug says. “But we needed that support up front because the initial cost is huge, and the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana was there for us.”

Success Seven Years in the Making

Dr. Meg Hornsby has been working with Personal Counseling Services for 12 years. She was introduced to PCS by her supervisor, who happened to be working with the organization. Once Dr. Hornsby decided to do her post-op studies there, she quickly fell in love with the mission of the group.

“Once I saw that PCS served families that had fallen through the cracks, such as not qualifying for Medicaid but unable to afford health insurance, I realized there was this big gap for families with children who had nowhere else to turn,” Dr. Hornsby says. “After our conversations with CFSI, we were able to ask for a wide variety of specific tests that measure cognitive abilities, academic abilities, trauma inventory, psychomotor abilities, and

more. I credit that success to the Community Foundation because there was no way we could have offered that as a nonprofit.”

Dr. Hornsby has also used her time at PCS to involve her alma mater, Spalding University, by bringing in and supervising a team of student interns to help with case loads. This, in turn, helped out the patient’s family, as any testing involving an intern didn’t cost the families a dime.

While the COVID-19 pandemic shut down services for nearly two years, Personal Counseling Services has still seen more than 60 students (roughly 1 per month) complete the program. Many of those students will go on to graduate high school and experience a normal adult life.

“I remember Vince Klein from New Albany/Floyd County Schools called me up about this one child. He said, ‘Everyone has given up on this child, but I think there is hope there.’” Doug recalls. “I knew we could help, so we took this child into our residential treatment program and saw them for almost two years. They’ve since graduated from a local college and hold a job in a great profession. It’s an awesome story.”

While its success can obviously be attributed to months, sometimes years, of hard work by both the student and the therapist, Doug

knows none of it would be possible without the support of the initial Catalyst Grant from the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana.

“Superficially, the grant from CFSI helped us establish a psychological testing library. But much greater than that, having these tests allowed us to be the instrument of change that makes a positive impact on the lives of our children and youth in this region,” Doug says. “To me, that’s the important part. Helping them.”

For more than 30 years, CFSI has been a partner and resource to nonprofits across Kentuckiana. And thanks to our numerous grant programs that are so valuable to local organizations, our communities can continue to feel the impact of these grants for generations.

Psychology Testing Materials

CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION:

It all started with a group of stakeholders, an empty wall, and a lot of Post-It notes. What would eventually unfold would go on to lay the foundation for one of our region’s newest nonprofit organizations: Align Southern Indiana (ASI).

Align Southern Indiana’s Beginnings

In 2015, the Metro United Way (MUW) in Louisville received a grant to focus on grassroots capacity building in Southern Indiana. The focus of the grant was to share important data and understand how all three sectors – public, private, social/nonprofit –within the community are interconnected.

At that same time, the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana and the Indiana University Southeast’s Applied Research and Education Center released their 2015 Assessment of Needs and Priorities in Clark and Floyd Counties – the area’s first-ever Community Needs Assessment (CNA) – which reported on potential gaps and overlaps in services and funding throughout the two counties.

The timing couldn’t have been better. With a common goal of understanding and improving Southern Indiana communities, both Metro United Way and CFSI began engaging key community stakeholders and leaders about the possibility of creating a regional quality of life strategy, using the CNA as a guide.

But as the community partners began perusing the 46-page resource and discussing their own thoughts, they quickly realized the varying levels of support needed for residents included several areas. From meeting basic human needs to enhancing arts and culture, families were experiencing debilitating hardships throughout their communities. And those difficulties didn’t just end at the Clark and Floyd County borders either – it extended into Harrison, Scott, and Washington counties in Southern Indiana, affecting both rural and urban areas.

Tasked with creating change, the team of community partners quickly got to work on how to solve these issues.

“Over two meetings, numerous stakeholders lined the walls with Post-It notes with top issues on their mind,” says Dr. Rita Shourds, ASI President and CEO. “In the end, all of those notes could be condensed into five foundational areas of focus. This was a significant show of collaboration between five counties to recognize that for real change to occur, issues within these foundational areas of focus must concentrate on systemic change.”

The five foundational areas of concern the group focused on were:

Economic and Talent Development Education

Regional Leadership Quality of Life Quality of Place

When it was clear that a new nonprofit organization was needed, Alignment USA was selected as the model to approach the issues, as it focused on cross-sector collaboration, community convening, and community engagement. The model also held a proven track record of success nationwide.

To finalize their non-profit status, the organization would go on to create a Governing Board, obtain a 501(c)3 public charity status from the IRS, and hire Dr. Rita Hudson Shourds as its first Executive Director.

With the principles and structure of the nonprofit in place, Align Southern Indiana was born.

The Role of CFSI Partner. Resource. Steward. It’s the expected role(s) we play as a community foundation. And Align Southern Indiana allows CFSI to wear all three hats at once.

The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana played an integral role in the initial planning of ASI. While the Metro United Way partnership and the creation of the Community Needs Assessment helped get Align on the right philosophical path, it was CFSI’s initial gift of nearly $70,000 that really helped launch the nonprofit’s opening on July 1, 2017.

In the first two years following ASI’s launch, the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana supplied more than $165,000 to the nonprofit.

Camp Kindergarten

As of 2022, CFSI has contributed a total of $530,000 into the organization, the largest investment in the Foundation’s history.

“As a former Board Chair and longtime volunteer for CFSI, I remember funding requests to meet emergency needs or to assist in providing temporary safety nets for our citizens,” Shourds says. “Personally, I am proud to be associated with a community foundation that chooses to think strategically at approaching our most pressing issues. I feel like I have come full-circle with my involvement with CFSI, and I am proud to spend the final years of my professional life collaborating with an organization that means so much to me.”

The Current (& Future) Plans for ASI

To understand the mission of Align Southern Indiana, pretend the organization is the maestro of an orchestra. Sitting at the helm, the maestro methodically directs each section of instruments to an intended solution: a perfect song. And when all sections are working in harmony, the results are beautiful.

In the same way, Align Southern Indiana is responsible for aligning resources, addressing needs, and producing solutions, with hopes that the region will achieve its potential as the best place to live, work, and play. And while a lot of good work was already underway in the five-county service area, much of it lacked coordination and guidance to avoid overlaps and duplications – as well as gaps – in services, resources, and funding.

By providing neutral, over-arching leadership to support the complex needs of the region, ASI gives Southern Indiana the momentum to move the needle on addressing pressing needs and priorities to directly impact as many people as possible for future generations.

“I became very interested in the formation of this collaborative approach very quickly, and I was excited to implement this innovative process,” Shourds says.

“I think early on, CFSI recognized the importance of looking beyond the present and into the future by investing to create systemic change. I know it’s not often a popular choice for donors because of the length of time to see measurable results, but CFSI has absolutely been an innovator in strategies to benefit future generations.”

One of the most popular ASI programs benefiting future generations falls under the ‘Education’ section of the foundational areas of concerns: Camp Kindergarten. And like the Align organization itself, the program started by simply getting people in the same room to talk.

With the support of 12 Southern Indiana public school Superintendents, a meeting was called to discuss early childhood education concerns. Eventually, one common theme was identified: students coming into kindergarten were illprepared to learn on day one.

Following the Align process, a group of stakeholders were tasked with identifying skills students lacked. But teachers, administrators, and counselors quickly realized that no two school districts were measuring “incoming readiness” the same way. So, before the group could begin identifying skills needed for success, it first needed to determine what skills should be measured.

Trails Project

After several months, the group created a list of incoming traits a student would need to possess to be ready to learn on day one. These skills included recognizing letters and numbers, personal self-help and guidance, and other general school tasks. Eventually, an Alignment Team (A-Team) was created to work on the assessment tool used to measure the expected skill.

Their first strategy would turn out to be Camp Kindergarten, a program aimed to help provide a more stable transition to students’ first days of schooling. Since being fully integrated into multiple school districts’ calendars, this evidence-based program has helped transition students to kindergarten through activities, with a goal of lowering social anxiety of the first days of school.

Not only do students acquaint themselves with the daily rituals, the school’s layout, and proper bus etiquette, but it also allows them to acclimate themselves to a “typical day”. In turn, students who attend Camp Kindergarten are more likely to become leaders for their peers and less likely to display inappropriate behaviors.

“I have been in different school districts during my tenure and have never had such an organization like Align Southern Indiana, with which to work,” says Johnny Budd, Superintendent of Borden / Henryville School Corporation. “In a short time, I realized their importance to us as a district by providing resources, programming, and a willingness to listen to what we need for our students, teachers, and families. I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Align.”

Last year, a total of 2,156 students participated in the program. Currently, the A-Team is working on the implementation of the next strategy: encouraging parents to see their home as a school during those important years birth to 5.

“One of our upcoming programs involves working with parents in interactive play, which will be a collaboration with local libraries,” says Shourds. “The ’Playing is Learning’ program will be piloted in early 2023, and we hope it will provide parents and children with an opportunity to see everyday activities as a way of teaching early learning foundations outlined by the Indiana Department of Education’s Early Learning Development Framework.”

In addition to collaborating with local early childhood education providers, this A-Team will also host a workshop in March 2023 to encourage quality learning in childcare.

“After four years, I feel like the school districts are completely immersed into Camp Kindergarten and administering the assessment test, which is exactly what we aimed to do,” Shourds says. “This year, the work with parents and childcare providers begins. And in the future, strategies working with prenatal care providers and hospitals will be formed. Having strategies that will continue to Camp Kindergarten

be developed until every incoming kindergarten student is ready to learn from day one will truly help us create systemic change for the Align region.”

In addition to Camp Kindergarten, ASI’s other A-Teams are hard at work, creating programs just as impressive as Camp Kindergarten in their own sectors. The “Trails” A-Team, for example, is in the midst of producing the region’s first comprehensive trail plan to improve the area’s quality of place. Thanks to a READI grant of $70,000, Align will provide a blueprint to the creation of a larger network of trails to attract talent, improve the region’s health, and create opportunities for growth in tourism.

In total, all five foundational areas of concern have projects and/or programs that will continue to connect Southern Indiana moving forward.

Shourds hopes that Align will allow residents

to focus on their many shared commonalities as the nonprofit approaches regional concerns collectively. But ultimately, she hopes that the nonprofit will help our communities continue to grow together.

“I think if we’ve learned anything about ourselves over these past couple of years, it is the fact that now with the ability to work from home, you can really live anywhere you want to and work from there,” Shourds says.

“Ultimately, what we want is for people to want to live here, hopefully work here, but if not, have the ability to have amenities that they would have in any other community –right here in Southern Indiana.”

Trails Mapping Meeting

ACCESS TO THE ARTS:

–Handel’sMessiah,Song15,Recitative (soprano)

Southern Indiana is home to an impressive share of small theaters. From Derby Dinner Playhouse and Clarksville Little Theater in Clark County, to TheatreWorks of SoIN and the Ogle Center in Floyd County, the region possesses countless outlets for Kentucky and Indiana art enthusiasts.

But while individual artistic expression has no cost barriers, the same can’t be said for affordable access to shows and performances. On top of transportation to the event, ticket

costs can set a family back hundreds of dollars – a price tag that’s just not feasible for some in our community.

According to the 2021 Priorities for Progress –Assets and Aspirations in Southern Indiana report, which was produced in partnership between the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana (CFSI) and the Indiana University Southeast Applied Research and Education Center, only 45-percent of the nearly 450 respondents to the needs assessment survey agreed that people at all income levels have access to art and cultural activities – a troubling statistic for a community focused on inclusion.

“Ibringyougoodtidingsofgreatjoy,which shallbetoallpeople.”

“The region needs to build on existing efforts to make art and cultural activities more widely available to people across all income levels, including removing barriers to kids’ participation in school and community-based programs,” the report states.

To add more affordable artistic endeavors in Southern Indiana, the Louisville Orchestra applied for a Community Assist Grant in 2021 from CFSI, with hopes of presenting a special holiday performance of Handel’s Messiah to Clark and Floyd County residents. The organization was awarded $5,000, which went toward offering a unique cultural experience for local families and residents, who might not otherwise have had access.

Bringing Holiday Joy to Southern Indiana

“That mile-wide river can seem like 10 miles sometimes and that really bothers me.”

When Edward Schadt’s career allowed him to return to the Kentuckiana area, he had no issues living and working on opposite sides of the Ohio River. As a Louisvillian, Edward would trek to New Albany, IN for work each day, where he spent time in development at Rauch, Inc. When he got home, he would even go as far as convincing his Kentucky neighbors to get more involved in upcoming Southern Indiana events.

So, when Edward began his role as the Director of Leadership Giving with the Louisville Orchestra, it was only natural of him to think of the Sunny Side of the River.

“I always want us to try to make sure that Southern Indiana is included in our programming because we have so many

people from that area who regularly come and attend concert series and shows. So as much as we can, I want us to reach out across the river,” Edward says. “When the possibility came up for a concert of Messiah, I knew it would be a good idea to get one in Southern Indiana, specifically Clark County.”

Since the Louisville Orchestra has a presence in Floyd County thanks to its programming at the Ogle Center on the campus of Indiana University Southeast, the organization hadn’t reached Clark County residents since its RiverPops Orchestra Concert Series at the Riverstage ended in the summer of 2019.

That eventually changed when the Orchestra stumbled upon Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Jeffersonville. According to Edward, the church was very receptive to holding a live performance in their large sanctuary, and actually had the space and amenities available to pull it off.

But while the 2019 version went off without a hitch, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the performance for 2020, putting the entire Southern Indiana program at risk of not being renewed. However in 2021, with pandemic restrictions easing, the Orchestra was able to re-engage conversations with local community leaders about resurrecting the holiday performance for Clark County residents.

“We were engaged with Southern Indiana once before, so I contacted (CFSI President & CEO)

Linda Speed since we knew each other,” Edward recalls. “I remember I told her that I would love the Orchestra to do something in Jeffersonville since the Riverstage wasn’t going, and she directed me to the Foundation’s Community Assist Grant program. It was just what the doctor ordered.”

The Community Assist Grant program supports local programs or activities through a one-time grant, with a goal of positively impacting the lives of people living in Clark and Floyd counties. Organizations can apply for any amount up to $5,000 – which is exactly what the Louisville Orchestra did.

While a $5,000 grant isn’t enough to support an entire performance, the funding was used to help increase access to the performance through affordable ticket prices, including offering discounted tickets to students and a sliding scale option for those in need.

“Giving those who don’t typically have an opportunity to access our performances is a huge push for the Orchestra right now. It’s really the direction we are going as an organization,” says Jessica Burleson, Manager of Institutional Giving at the Louisville Orchestra. “We have done that often in Louisville and found success with it, so I would love to see us able to do that across the bridge in Indiana because I feel like the arts are so essential for children and the community. In this time of recovery from COVID-19 and social unrest, music can be such a great healer for our community.”

Messiah: A Holiday Showcase

Thanks to the support from the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, the performance of Handel’s Messiah went on as planned on Dec. 5, 2021. A total of 159 people were in attendance, with 28 musicians sharing their art with the audience. Many even stuck around following the performance to express

their gratitude for the opportunity.

“I was supposed to meet my sister for dinner after the performance, but I was late meeting her because so many people came up to me afterward and just started talking,” Edward recalls. “They said two things, really: they expressed their thanks and asked when we could do it again. And again. And again.”

While the performance was a smashing success, more importantly, it brought arts, culture, and creative expression to Southern Indiana, which is essential to maintaining a rich community life and contributing to growth, community, and economic development. Their hope moving forward is that their impact reaches beyond one performance, creating ripples in the community that improves the region’s overall cultural health.

“I think it’s essential to have a connection with the Community Foundation for us to cross that bridge,” Jessica says. “Having the buy-in from the community is so important, and having that financial support is hugely important for us to be able to continue to do these types of things in the future. We could not have done that performance without the support of the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana.” CONTACT

First-time home ownership can be a rite of passage for those lucky enough to experience it. Getting the keys and spending your first night in your newly purchased house is typically a cause for celebration and reflection.

But homeownership isn’t easy – competitive purchase prices, closing fees, and potentially expensive upkeep costs await … and that’s just in the first month. Financially, owning a house is just not a possibility for everyone in our community.

According to the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana’s Priorities for Progress: Assets and Aspirations in Southern Indiana

2021, which explores the community’s aspirations for building on its assets to address the area’s highest priorities and greatest challenges, access to affordable housing sits at the top of the region’s wish list.

One look at local real estate websites begins to paint a clearer picture of the issue. Based on available homes in Floyd County, as of December 2022, the average cost of a threebedroom house is $267,450. In Clark County, the figures aren’t much better, with a threebedroom home selling for a median price of $248,500.

With soaring prices, hardworking families are being pushed out of the housing market, especially with the lack of affordable housing

options in Clark and Floyd counties. The rental market also remains a challenge, according to Priorities for Progress, as low vacancy rates has kept rent prices high since 2008.

Fortunately, local nonprofit organizations are teaming up to provide housing opportunities to lower-wage workers and families. And the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate is at the epicenter of this residential change, teaming up with organizations – including the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana (CFSI) – to give families an opportunity at firsttime home ownership.

Habitat for Humanity Making Waves in Clark & Floyd Counties

When Jackie Isaacs took over the local Habitat for Humanity chapter in New Albany in November, she knew she had big shoes to fill replacing Jerry Leonard, who spent nearly a

decade as the Executive Director at the nonprofit. But Jackie wasn’t afraid of a challenge, especially possessing 15 years of experience working at the Louisville affiliate of Habitat for Humanity.

“I spent a lot of time in Louisville, but I actually live in Floyd County, so the move over here just makes sense,” Jackie says. “I’m really happy to take charge of some projects on this side of the river and bring the experience I learned from Louisville over here.”

Since 1991, the New Albany affiliate of Habitat for Humanity has built nearly 50 homes locally, including 10 that were built in Henryville following the devastating tornadoes in 2012. CFSI partnered for that rebuilding process, offering emergency funding and staff volunteer time to support that community in a time of need.

Jackie Isaacs

Roughly four years later, the two organizations, along with other community businesses and nonprofits, teamed up again to help fight the affordable housing crunch. In 2016, Habitat for Humanity applied for – and was awarded – a Catalyst Grant worth $15,000.

“Every dollar that comes into this affiliate goes directly towards filling the home with necessary amenities, and every donation goes toward growth of current and future builds,” Jackie says. “So when we were awarded the $15,000 from the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, that money essentially covered the electrical and HVAC systems – two important aspects of the home. The CFSI grant played a vital role.”

The house, which is located in downtown New Albany, would go on to be purchased by Keisha Williams, a New Albany resident who is still living in the house.

Keisha’s Story

Keisha Williams was born in Chicago, but was raised in Kalamazoo, Mich. Like so many vulnerable women, Keisha was a teen mom who was trapped in an abusive relationship. As her relationship continued to deteriorate, she d th d i i t fl th t i it ti

“My situation wasn’t right, and I shouldn’t have been treated the way I was treated. And I didn’t want my children to think that staying in a situation like that is ok,” Keisha says. “So I moved into a shelter and I did everything that was asked of me. I know my worth and I deserve better.”

Originally, Keisha and her family were slated to move to Utah. But a last-minute reconnection with her mother, who was moving to Louisville, Ky. in the coming weeks, changed that trajectory. With only the belongings they could carry on their backs, the mother and her five young children boarded a Greyhound bus en route to the largest city in the Bluegrass State.

“When I got to Louisville, I lived in the projects. I didn’t have Section 8 – I just paid my rent every month,” Keisha says. “A landlord eventually came to me with an opportunity one day. He said he was donating land in New Albany to Habitat for Humanity, and that I should keep an eye on the property. Well, I did, and I eventually qualified for the program through Habitat. I did all the necessary steps, took all the classes – I just really bought into the whole thing. I wanted my kids to have a foundation to build from, and I think that’s what sold it to Habitat. I just told them that I want an portunity to break these generational urses.”

Eventually, Keisha was approved to purchase the house in 2016. And while Habitat provided the house’s foundation, Keisha was responsible for everything on the inside: painting, decorating, and other household tasks.

“All of the kids helped work on the house, painting and doing everything I asked them to do,” Keisha says. “It was work, but it made them take pride in this house. It was theirs. It’s not the best and it’s not all extravagant, but it’s a place that we can call home. They took ownership in that.”

Keisha Williams

The home is a far cry from the public housing where her family started. Nestled on a quiet street that overlooks greenery from the front porch, it provides something that Keisha and her family had never experienced in Michigan: a sense of community.

“I had temporarily lost some of my kids to the system. They were just on the wrong track, but we lived in places where they were exposed to things like that daily,” Keisha says. “Being here, they didn’t see that. They were exposed to a community who looked out for each other. Everyone got along, and we never really had any issues with anything or anyone around here.”

The Habitat for Humanity program has been especially inspiring to one of Keisha’s sons, Kaiden. The current high school student is taking construction classes at Prosser, where he has found a passion for building homes. And one of the class projects they do annually is – you guessed it – helping to build homes for Habitat for Humanity.

“When the house was being built, we drove by the site every single week to track progress and all Kaiden wanted to do was get out and help,” Keisha says. “He was too young at the time, but now he loves the construction classes he’s taking at Prosser. He takes pride in his work, and now he wants to open his own construction business one day. It’s crazy how the experience has kind of come full circle for him.”

Ultimately, the home has provided Keisha with an opportunity to build something special for future family generations.

“This house provided that foundation and security to know that even if we have to cram beds in here, it’s about everybody helping everybody,” Keisha says. “It has given us an opportunity to thrive and survive. When

COVID-19 hit, yeah it was a struggle, but with my mortgage payment, I wasn’t struggling as much as other people who had high rental rates. It gave me a sense of stability because I know at the end of the day, I can just come home.”

In addition to providing her with a sense of stability, the house has also improved Keisha’s sense of self-worth.

“I am a better version of myself. It’s not that I’m better than you, but I am definitely better than I was when I was there,” Keisha says. “I used to walk to the grocery store and take a cab back. I did all of that. So, to sit here right now and tell you that I have a house and two vehicles –nobody can tell me about the struggle. I did that. I survived and I thrived, all for the sake of my children.”

How Does the Habitat for Humanity Home Buying Concept Work?

For participants, the home-buying process offered by Habitat for Humanity is a lifechanging opportunity to improve generational wealth. But the program has also been very beneficial for Habitat for Humanity, according to Jackie, as it has created a ripple effect felt by many throughout the Southern Indiana community.

“I always try to dispel the notion that Habitat is a free giveaway program,” Jackie says. “It obviously costs money to build the houses, and then we sell them at-cost. That money would have gone into the hard cost of the home, so we basically charge under the value of the home and try to find sponsorships like the Community Foundation, donors, and other supporters to help us defray the cost. It turns into a community-oriented project.”

The genius of the plan, for Jackie, comes from the financial side of the purchase. Home buyers will pay 0% interest for 25 years, with mortgages covering all overhead costs.

“In reality, the more we build, the more we can build,” Jackie says.

It also helps the homeowner too, such as Keisha. After purchasing the house in her 30s, she is poised to pay off her mortgage before she reaches age 60.

“I have a 20-year mortgage payment left that I’m going to have paid off by the time I’m 55,” Keisha says. “I’ll be done paying this off before I retire. Like, come on, who gets this opportunity?! I will forever be in debt to Habitat for Humanity for this opportunity.”

And building more is exactly what Habitat for

Humanity is planning to do. The organization plans on building 10 homes over the next two years in Jeffersonville, creating a newly formed community from what is currently an empty street.

“That empty street is going to be filled with kids on bikes and people grilling,” Jackie says. “This homeowner is somebody that’s going to care about that community so it can transform the neighborhood and the entire community by having a home buyer that will be there for a long time.”

As for the future of the house with Keisha? Well, let’s just say she has some inspiring plans on her own.

“The future of this house will be dedicated to my grandkids. I will have different rooms for my boy and girl grandkids – plus a big ‘ol master room for me,” Keisha laughs. “But I feel like if I ever had a chance to rent this out, I would rent it out to second-chance renters because people make mistakes when they’re younger. They deserve an opportunity like the rest of us. If not that, then I would like to turn it into a Safe Place or domestic violence shelter. It’s a passion to help people in a way that will continue to benefit our community as a whole.”

In today’s environment, the Town Clock Church, which is nestled on the corner of East Third and Main Street in New Albany, may just look like any ordinary clock tower found in a historic small town.

But for many in this area, that 171-year-old structure signifies so much more than its timekeeping abilities. Instead, it is a reminder about the triumph of the human spirit in the 19th and 20th centuries.

For everyone of that period, the 150-foot tower – adorned with four clock faces that can be seen from all directions – was the official timepiece of the area. According to the tower’s official history, riverboats and their crew along

the Ohio River used it not only as a guide, but also a keeper of the hours.

But for the African American community, the church and its grand spire stood as a symbol of resistance to slavery and a haven for freedom seekers. Shielded by the dark of night, it is believed many runaway enslaved people used the church’s 10-story tall steeple as a guide toward an Underground Railroad station.

In subtle – and not so subtle – ways, the Town Clock Church has guided the community since 1852, serving as a statement of all that is good in humanity, according to the church.

In 2013, urgent repairs and renovations were required to restore and preserve the structure. With estimates nearing $400,000 for the project, the church launched a communitywide drive to restore the significant and historic landmark, which included collaborating with the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana.

With an initial gift of $5,000 toward the renovation, a link between the Friends of the Town Clock Church – a nonprofit established for ongoing maintenance, beautification, and long-term planning for the building – and CFSI was formed.

Ten years and more than $20,000 in grant funding from CFSI later, the contributions from both entities are still positively contributing to the life and landscape of the Southern Indiana community.

Town Clock Church’s Rich History

It all started with a difference in philosophy regarding the abolishment of slavery.

The Second Presbyterian Church – now known as the Second Baptist Church and nicknamed “Town Clock Church” – aligned itself with the progressive movement of the time. The church believes early members risked death daily by actively engaged in the hiding, feeding, medical care, and transport of enslaved people from areas of danger to freedom.

Geographically, the Kentuckiana region posed a unique anomaly. With just the mile-wide Ohio River separating Floyd County, Indiana (a northern free state) from Louisville, Kentucky (a southern slave state), the difference in the two lands for an African American during this time was night and day.

Just across the river from New Albany, men, women, and children were sold on the auction

blocks in the wharf area and transported via river trade upon their purchase. From this location, they could have seen the 10-story tall steeple – a haunting reminder of just how close they were to freedom.

Built by Isaac P. Smith, the structure was erected in 1852 in the Ionic order of the Greek Revival Style. And thanks to its 150-foot steeple and an intentional location along the banks of the Ohio River, the church eventually became a beacon of hope to freedom-seekers who could see it from neighboring riverbanks.

It was once speculated that the basement was the main corridor used to hide or keep fugitives from danger. While that theory cannot be validated one way or another, there is proof that the church’s Lecture Room held the food, clothing, and bandages that were later administered by members of the congregation to the freedom-seekers. These abolitionists helped obtain medical care for many of the enslaved people – who were in dire need of treatment – before they could continue their road to freedom.

In addition to caring for the newly-freed enslaved people, church records and court documents also revealed that the pastors of Second Presbyterian baptized, married, and buried African Americans.

Almost 25 years after slavery was abolished in the United States, a congregation of Black Baptists – many of whom were former enslaved people – eventually purchased the building. Since then, the church has maintained its original appearance, both inside and out. Today, it still serves its congregation, primarily

supporting the restoration of the historic landmark.

While the previous grant contributed to updating the church’s exterior, this funding went directly toward rehabilitating the inside to mirror its 1852 look. With the support of other local companies and organizations, updates included removing previously-installed wood paneling and fixtures, restoring brass gasoliers to the entry way and gathering area, and painting walls and trims that match the sanctuary’s original stained-glass window. African American, with roots back to its original members.

The late Dr. Blaine Hudson, a University of Louisville professor and author, called the crossing point between Portland and the church in New Albany “the most important crossing point in the greater Louisville area.”

The Renovation Process: 10 Years Later

When CFSI first partnered with the Town Clock Church in 2013, the historic building had not undergone a major exterior restoration since the early 1980s. But with New Albany celebrating its Bicentennial, all of that was about to change.

To support the church’s restoration efforts, a local community-wide project was put into motion. Improvements included refurbishing the clock faces and ornamental pieces, updating the tower, and putting the spire back on the tower as it originally stood. (According to the church’s website, the original steeple was struck by lightning several times, but a bolt in 1915 split the steeple in two. It was removed two weeks later and the clock tower, which was unaffected, was capped.)

Three years after making its initial gift of $5,000, the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana contributed a follow-up Catalyst Grant of $10,000 to continue

The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana has also played a role in helping the Town Clock Church to modernize, awarding $2,500 in 2020 to purchase surveillance cameras around the grounds. This allows the church to monitor its building, reducing the potential for criminal activity.

The most recent award was made in July 2020, allowing for the church’s illustrious history to be put together into an Underground Railroad Documentary. The video dives into the historical significance of the church, as well as offering a glimpse into the basement that saved so many fleeing families and individuals. Much of that documentary can be found on the Town Clock Church’s website.

This powerful and historic structure still stands today as a testament to the courage of community members acting against a wrong that they felt needed to be righted. In addition to being included on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure of the Downtown Historic District, the Town Clock Church has become a place for visitors of all faiths to learn how ordinary people risked their lives for the good of those escaping the chains of slavery.

Jerry Finn speaks at the Town Clock Restoration Event

Kids helping kids – it is the goal of every parent and school system across the United States.

“Helping others” teaches children that they have a sense of connection with other people. Studies have shown that successful peer helping not only plays a major role in children’s development stages, but it also helps properly meet their adolescent needs.

But in our modern era of technology, it is easier than ever for kids to immerse themselves in virtual realities. Over time, this can lead to increased isolation, which could eventually impede their social skills.

That is part of the reason why two local groups

run primarily by high school-aged students –Miles for Merry Miracles and the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana’s Youth Philanthropy Council – have made it their mission to help give back to their communities – and each other – in their own unique ways.

Helping Your Fellow Student

While Miles for Merry Miracles (M4MM) and the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana’s Youth Philanthropy Council (YPC) might not seem all that similar on the surface, their mission statements feel intertwined.

Miles for Merry Miracles, which is based out of Greenville, IN, has been supporting youth

development since 2008. With a mission of improving and enhancing the communities through youth development and wellness initiatives, M4MM focuses on engaging, educating, elevating, and serving Southern Indiana youth.

“The mission of Miles for Merry Miracles is three-fold,” says Beckham Watts, the organization’s co-President and senior at St. Xavier High School in Louisville. “First, we want to engage with the community and educate both the youth and policymakers about current issues in our community. Next, we want to elevate the conditions of the people we are serving. And finally, we want to get the youth of our area to learn valuable life lessons from community service, which includes kindness, empathy, heart to serve, and compassion.”

Similar in nature, the Youth Philanthropy Council is designed to encourage youth to not only give and serve in their communities now, but to also make philanthropy a habit for future generations.

Created at the turn of the century by generous donations from the Paul Ogle Foundation and Cinergy Foundation – which created permanent endowments to support the youthled work in Clark, Floyd, and Harrison counties – the YPC program invites students from local public and private high schools to play a leading role in grantmaking. Members not only learn about the history of philanthropy and its impact on our society through the years, but they also run their own competitive grant cycle, awarding and allocating funds with the help of local adult mentors.

The student-led group has been awarding annual grants since 2002, specifically to nonprofits in the Southern Indiana region that focus on youth-related activities. In its more than two decades of giving, YPC has awarded

grants totaling $160,000 to 296 nonprofit organizations.

“The YPC grant cycle is a way for the Foundation to help young people develop the skills to evaluate projects worthy of investment and to help them learn to be good stewards of funds,” says Crystal Gunther, Vice President of Community Philanthropy at CFSI. “Equally important, it aids the nonprofits in our community supporting youth and youthrelated programs.”

Since 2002, nearly 400 high school students from all high schools in Clark and Floyd Counties have participated in the YPC. With two similar organizations serving the same communities, it was only natural for the programs to eventually establish a working relationship. And in 2011, just three years after M4MM’s inception, the duo finally got the opportunity to have their work cross paths thanks to a $1,000 grant opportunity.

The Moving Pieces Behind the Scenes

Each January, the YPC opens its grant application to any area nonprofit that has a youth-related activity, program, or project that benefits Clark and Floyd County youth. The project must meet one of these youth-specific requirements:

Promote healthy development and a safe environment

Provide opportunities to benefit the community

Develop the skills of young people

Develop positive relationships between youth and adults

Once the application window closes on Jan. 31, YPC members get to work. During the group’s February meeting, students are assigned to groups based on the school they attend, with

an adult mentor helping to guide them through the evaluation process.

“Having the adult mentors is such a key resource for our members because they are able to review the applications with them and use their experience to guide through the evaluation process,” says Margaret Brinkworth, CFSI Program Associate. “Then, they let the kids go to work. Some years, members will contact the organization’s Director with specific grantrelated questions. Others have chosen to do an actual site visit to learn more about the scope of the project and how many people it can serve. But the young people are the ones taking the initiative to do their research to help validate the need in the application.”

After a month of working in their groups to evaluate the assigned applications, each group uses the last official YPC meeting of the year to make a presentation on their assigned grant applications, highlighting important details for the other YPC members to consider. Once the presentation portion of the evaluation process is completed, allocations of available funds are then made and grantees are selected.

This process provides opportunities for the council members to develop their communication, presentation, and leadership skills. It provides opportunities for them to work with others, both peers and adults, to accomplish something meaningful and impactful. Many of these youth build and develop friendships that they wouldn’t have necessarily had if they didn’t participate in the YPC program.

Establishing a Bond Over Service

After initially hearing about the YPC grant program, Miles for Merry Miracles discovered one of their projects met the YPC grant program criteria and applied for a grant in 2011. The funding, they hoped, would improve their program, which encouraged youth to participate in service projects for families in need during the holiday season. This included a partnership with the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree to provide gifts and food for Angel Tree children.

The organization was eventually selected as a YPC grant recipient and awarded a $1,000 grant for their project.

WAVE3's Dawn Gee poses with Hailey Barrett & Beckham Watts

"The money we received from the grant was used to fund our biggest project, the Angel Tree Shopping Day, which happens in early December,” Watts says. “Working with the Salvation Army, our student volunteers were able to provide clothes and Christmas presents for 386 Angels in 2022 and more than 2,000 since we started! The Angels that we bought clothes for were in underserved communities and financially at risk, so we were proud that we could take some of the stress off the parents by purchasing children’s clothes for the Christmas season.”

More than 12 years after their paths initial crossed, Miles for Merry Miracles and the Youth Philanthropy Council are still making a difference in the community. Since 2011, YPC has awarded the organization 16 grants worth more than $22,000. In typical philanthropic fashion, M4MM has been diligently putting all the funding they have received to good use –which, in turn, is giving their program a boost for future members.

“All of the money raised or donated goes straight to Miles,” says Hailey Barrett, the organization’s other co-President and senior at Floyd Central High School. “We are a nonprofit, so we don’t get a lot of donations, but any that we do get is very useful. We normally use our donations for supplies that we might need in the future, such as tables, U-Hauls, and decorations. We want the volunteers and the families that we help to have the best experience possible when working with us.”

And to have the best experience possible, Watts argues, Miles for Merry Miracles must continue to lean on local partners like the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana for support.

“It is important to us that we have so many community partners because it shows that our local organizations truly believe in what we

stand for, and they want to play a part in helping us out. Every little thing that they do for us goes a long way, and we couldn’t pull off the extraordinary events that we do without the support of our community.”

As for Teresa Hebert, who oversees the Miles for Merry Miracles organization, she has relished watching current and former members flourish in philanthropy all over the state.

“One of my biggest joys in working with the youth over the last 15 years has been seeing the amazing metamorphosis the youth leaders experience as they progress through our nonprofit,” Hebert says. “I’ve seen them get through high school, go on to college, enter their careers, and start their families. Some of our earlier youth leaders are now doctors, parents, and leaders in the churches, communities, and professions. It has been a real thrill watching them grow."

Thanks to a student-led partnership built around philanthropy, both the Miles for Merry Miracles and the Youth Philanthropy Council have provided an outlet for students to give back to the communities they call home.

“We try to get the youth involved because they need to know that they can make a difference,” Barrett says. “If we don’t educate those kids younger than us, then I think we would see way less community outreach. But also, kids talk to each other. If one teen says they are having fun doing service projects that help the community, it could encourage the people that they are spending time with to do the same. Getting youth involved is so important because ultimately, it will only help out the community more in the long run.”

Over the years, many attributes have become synonymous with the Kentuckiana area: a love of basketball, a passion for bourbon, and a mecca of Midwestern hospitality.

But perhaps more than anything else, the region is known for its horses. Each year, as the temperatures warm and the flowers begin their bloom, the interest in these majestic creatures culminates with one of the largest spectacles in sports: the annual running of the Kentucky Derby.

For the Greatest Two Minutes in Sports, all eyes are focused on these beautiful creatures as they race around a mile-and-a-quarter track,

jockeying to etch their name into Derby folklore. Around here, everything comes to a standstill when you hear the call to the post, because this region belongs to the horses.

And no one can attest to that sentiment more than Shara Wiesenauer – a licensed mental health counselor and horse specialist. With the help of a $2,500 Community Assist grant from the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, Shara was able to combine her knowledge of counseling with her love of horses to create a therapeutic outlet that was missing in the area: equine-assisted counseling.

Coming Out of the Gate

The drive out to Opening Gates is filled with every sensation one might look for when traveling to a farm: birds chirping, fresh country air, and greenery as far as the eyes can see. With such authentic scenery, for a moment, you might even forget you’re driving in Jeffersonville, Ind.

Located on Charlestown-Jeffersonville Pike, the sprawling farm has been in Wiesenauer’s family for more than 100 years. When her grandmother passed, she split the property, with Shara’s aunt receiving the land north of Utica Sellersburg Road, and her mom being gifted the land (and current location) to the south.

For Shara, her entire life has revolved around that farm and those animals. Some of her earliest memories are focused around riding the horses, providing them the care they needed and deserved. As she grew older, Shara’s caring nature led her to a career in youth counseling – but deep down, her heart was always back at the stables.

In 2006, she got a call from a close friend who had just seen a news report that changed Shara’s professional trajectory.

“I was working at a local youth service agency when a friend asked me if I had heard about equine-assisted counseling,” Shara recalls, joking that her friend was ‘dangling a carrot’ with her question. “I wasn’t familiar with it at the time, but I asked her to tell me about it. She said she saw something on TV last night and told me to go find the clip.”

It was an ‘ah-ha’ moment for Shara once she watched the video. She saw how therapists were successfully combining partnering horses and helping people. Soon, she found herself going down a rabbit hole of information, teetering with how she could possibly pull this idea off locally.

“Honestly, I just typed equine-assisted counseling into a search engine, and I found an organization that was considered the original founding fathers of the therapy,” Shara says. “So I reached out and went to visit them. I talked to some of their clients, and they kept saying how amazing it was. I didn’t get one negative response. At that point, I knew this was something I had to do for our community.”

According to GoodTherapy.org, equineassisted counseling is a type of experiential mental health treatment that involves a person in therapy interacting with horses. The therapy is designed for people of all ages and has been shown to treat a wide range of mental health issues, addressing physical and psychological concerns associated with a diagnosis.

“Any reason you can come to traditional counseling, we can do that here,” Shara says. “So that means anxiety, depression, selfesteem, relationships, social skills – any reason you do traditional therapy, we can work on it here. We just have the added bonus of using the horses in our sessions.”

As good as the idea seemed, implementation was a different story. Despite her willingness to promote her new program, the organization

didn’t get a running start out of the gates. With no marketing professional on staff, Shara was relying on word of mouth to promote her therapy – something that wasn’t successful early on.

“When I first started the program, people kind of looked at me like I was crazy,” Shara says. “And they would assume that I was just playing with horses. Or they would think that I was doing therapy on horses. There was a lot of explaining to people what we did and offering them to come out and see firsthand.”

In 2011, Shara applied for a Community Assist Grant from the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana. She hoped the grant, which awards funding up to $5,000, would not only help provide equine-assisted counseling to atrisk boys in Clark and Floyd counties, but would also help spread the word about the services she offered.

"The number of kiddos we can serve is directly

related to our funding. So when we applied for that grant from CFSI, we were hoping it would allow us to serve even more kiddos completely free of charge,” Shara says. “We have so many that need services that can’t afford services, and we won’t turn them away.”

Opening Gates was eventually awarded $2,500 for the group counseling – the organization’s first-ever grant. Thanks to the funding, the male clients met for 12, 90minute sessions during March, April, and May in 2012. The boys learned tools while working with the therapy horses, such as decisionmaking, gaining independence, earning trust, and accepting rules and boundaries.

It also helped open other doors for future students who struggle with traditional counseling approaches.

“The grant from the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana was the first grant we got here at Opening Gates. I’m not sure where we’d be if we didn’t have the Foundation’s

support early on,” Shara says. “It allowed us an opportunity to start going into local school systems and letting them know that if a child needs counseling and cost is an issue, we can provide some students with counseling free of charge thanks to this grant we received. The response we got from the school counselors and teachers to this program was just remarkable.”

Racing Down the Homestretch

Initially, Opening Gates served any client who was aged five or older. To date, the organization has stuck with that philosophy, though it does vary from season to season. During busy times, Shara will go back to focusing on kids because “it seems they are the largest population locally that is needing services and finding it difficult to get them.”

“With kids, we do a lot of self-esteem groups and social skills work. Those seem to be the two core areas where kiddos struggle,” Shara says. “Parents will say they struggle with anxiety or with depression, so we backtrack to get to the origin of it, which typically involves social issues or self-esteem issues.”

And the results, Shara says, are almost instantaneous.

“Oh, it’s amazing to watch,” Shara says. “I used to do the traditional talk therapy, so I can kind of comment on both sides. I would find myself kind of banging my head because there is only so much you can do. If a kiddo doesn’t want to talk, you’re going to sit and look at them and hope for the best. But out here, I don’t care if they talk – it’s how they interact with that horse. And I’ll make sure that I pick a horse that demands that they interact with them. They’ll annoy the fire out of these kids until they interact with them. And then I use that.”

Post-COVID, Shara has noticed an uptick in anxiety and social skills, especially among

demands that they interact with them. They’ll annoy the fire out of these kids until they interact with them. And then I use that.”

Post-COVID, Shara has noticed an uptick in anxiety and social skills, especially among children and teenagers. In some cases, she says, the anxiety is so debilitating that it affects other outlets of the children’s lives.

“This extreme anxiety is the main thing I’m seeing right now and it’s really affecting these kids,” Shara says. “And then that is affecting everything else they’re dealing with. They don’t really want to go to school, their grades are suffering, they’re struggling at home with their parents – the list goes on. It used to be across the board with what children were dealing with, therapy-wise. But now, it’s heavy on anxiety.”

Crossing the Finish Line

Fortunately, Shara and her team of horses are perfectly suited to help take some of the burden off schools and parents, allowing kids an outlet to begin working through their issues.

“We are here to provide mental health services – we just get to use horses in our sessions,” Shara says. “We want our patients to enjoy counseling because if you don’t enjoy it, you’re not going to engage in it and get out of it what you need to. With the horses, they are nonjudgmental. This is a natural setting and you’re outdoors – it’s not a traditional in-office setting. So, if traditional counseling hasn’t benefited you, then give our approach a shot.”

Close calls and second chances – Mike Hemphill has experienced both during his lifetime.

For example, while he was training to serve his country in the Vietnam War, the war … ended. Mike missed seeing active duty in the Vietnam War by 21 days – close call.

When his post-military life eventually brought him to become the President of the Henryville Community Association and the Post Commander for the local American Legion post, it was only because of a second opportunity that was afforded to him thanks to a newly passed law.

So when his organization applied for a Community Assist Grant to build a memorial for Henryville veterans, but was ultimately turned down, Mike didn’t let the bad news deter his ambitions. Instead, he reacted like most people with a military background would.

“I was going to get the job done one way or another,” Hemphill recalls.

But if life has taught Mike anything about close calls and second chances, it’s that they appear only when they’re least expected.

A Military Bond

If you ask Mike Hemphill about his feelings

toward missing the Vietnam War by 21 days, he’s direct with his response.

“I was ready,” Hemphill says.

But when the war officially ended on April 30, 1975, Mike found himself dressed for a party that was no longer happening. Like other soldiers, he returned home, got a job, and lived a normal life. He met his wife, Nancy, and the pair were married in 1991.

But despite being out of the military for more than a decade, Mike craved the comradery that came with being a part of a unit. The only option for him, though, came from the local American Legion post, which had roughly 40 members. And because Mike never officially saw active duty, he was turned away, as the organization only allowed members with wartime duty to join.

“It was a lot like not being able to join the VFW (Veterans of a Foreign War). I can’t join the VFW because I wasn’t a veteran of a foreign war,” Mike says. “People like me had no group – we couldn’t join any other group. Eventually they must have looked at it and decided to change it so that veterans like me could be involved in their organization.”

With organizational numbers dwindling nationwide, Mike was given a “second chance” to join the American Legion thanks to the newly passed LEGION Act, which was signed into law in 2019 and announced it would accept any honorably discharged veteran to join veteran organizations.

Wasting no time, Mike was eventually named the Post Commander of the American Legion post, a role he had been serving for the past three years. His first act as Post Commander was to change an outdated flagpole and replace it with a new one.

Little did Mike know at the time that this small

project would blossom into something that would touch the entire community of Henryville.

Building a Monument of Reflection & Hope

“It was a flagpole. It had a concrete base with some flowers, but that’s it.”

When Mike Hemphill described the original monument found outside the Henryville Community Association building on North Ferguson Street in Henryville, his description was lackluster. While he appreciated the monument, he felt that those veterans deserved more.

Henryville had not had its own veteran’s memorial since 1913 when the Grand Army of

Mike Hemphill

the Republic (GAR) Monument was erected in the Mt. Zion Cemetery, which was the main entrance into the city at the time. But when construction of Interstate 65 began, the old monument was forgotten.

When the time came to replace the original flagpole memorial, Mike knew he wanted to do something special with the design. Working in tandem, the Henryville Community Association and the local American Legion post mocked up a design, priced out materials, and began the fundraising process.

To help raise money, Mike’s wife, Nancy, suggested applying for a grant through the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana. After perusing the various grant programs, Nancy decided to apply for a Community Assist Grant, which funds projects that benefit

to $5,000.

“Nancy had written some grants for other organizations, so when we were talking about how we were going to fund that, the Community Foundation’s name came up,” Mike says. “She took it upon herself to send them a grant request for $2,400.”

Unfortunately for Mike and Nancy, the Community Foundation turned down the grant request. While the application went through the review process and the project was deemed appropriate, there are always more opportunities than there are funds available each quarter. Due to the large number of submitted applications, CFSI’s limited grants funding went to other worthy area projects.

“We were raising money already through

residents of Clark and Floyd counties in amounts up

fundraisers, so we were going to get the job done one way or another,” Mike says. “When we got the notice that we had been turned down, we were sad. But instead of doing the project in six months, we were just going to finish it in a year. We were determined that we were going to do it.”

The Ultimate Second Chance

While Mike and the rest of his team began brainstorming how to complete the memorial without the funding of a Community Assist Grant, the grant process wheels were still churning at the Community Foundation behind the scenes.

While not every grant application received is funded by CFSI, it doesn’t completely eliminate the hope of a project being funded. Along with each fund statement mailed quarterly, donor advised fundholders receive a list of Unfunded Grants, which spotlights the projects that met our qualifications but lacked funding.

Ultimately, the goal of the Unfunded Grants flyer is to prompt action of any donor advised fundholder who feels a personal connection to the project. While nothing is ever expected of the donors financially, it offers them a glimpse into the grantmaking process and an opportunity to personally fund a project. Since 2017, approximately 25 unfunded projects have been picked up by CFSI donor advised fundholders.

In the case of the Henryville Veterans Memorial monument, it wasn’t picked up by a single fundholder. It was funded by two.

One of those gifts came from an endowed

donor advised fund: The Reinhardt Family Fund. A CFSI Board Member since 2022, David and his wife Donna confessed they didn’t really know anyone personally in Henryville. But David remembers seeing a particular Unfunded Grant project that struck a chord with him.

“I’m not really sure what it was about this project because we have no particular ties to the Henryville area,” David says. “Like a lot of people from the area, we remember the community suffered through a terrible tornado about 10 years ago. We just wanted to do a little bit to help a community that has been through so much, yet continues to thrive.”

With the help of another anonymous donor, the Henryville Community Association organization walked away with two separate $2,400 grants, totaling $4,800.

“We were surprised – it was like, wow!” Mike recalls. “Honestly, we thought the grant process was over. We thought that was it, and we would need to wait until the next grant cycle. Then, Nancy received that notification and was thrilled! That was fantastic. We didn’t

The veterans’ monument prominently features a flagpole proudly displaying the Red, White, and Blue on top of a three concrete-step platform. The middle step holds an intricate battle cross, a touching tribute to fallen soldiers. Each branch of the military is represented with engraved stones on the bottom step, along with a dedication plaque from 2022.

“We wanted to make sure every veteran could see themselves in this memorial,” Mike says. “The military branch blocks were donated to us from the Concrete Lady and we have every branch of the military – except for Space Force. But that’s coming!

“The community just loves the memorial, though,” Mike continues. “We’ve gotten comments on our Facebook group page about how it looks so great and they’re glad to see it return to our community.”

Community Celebrating Community

In a way, the Henryville Community Association was able to have its cake and eat it too.

Not only did the Henryville Community Association have enough funding to complete their monument “the right way”, but they were also able to update their headquarters, including painting the building’s interior, hanging new shutters, and installing a new dehumidifier for the basement. By updating the facility, Mike says that rental requests have gone up, bringing in even more funding opportunities for the organization.

“The first thing on our mind was to complete the memorial because it was something our town hadn’t had since 1913,” Mike says. “But when we learned the monument was being covered, we turned our attention to this

building, which was crumbling and falling apart. It needed some TLC. We’ve put a lot of work into restoring it some and I think the community sees that. So, what the Community Foundation has done is just help us do what we do, which is helping our community.”

Over the past year, the organization has played a key role in hosting events for the city. Because of its convenient location along Ferguson Street – the main road in Henryville –the nonprofit has supported numerous community happenings, including a car show, chili cook-off, and Henryville Community Day.

“Everyone in the area has just really bought into this place,” Mike says. “I think the community is proud of this space once more.”

Ultimately, Mike knows that without the generosity of the two donors, the organization would not have been able to have the success they are currently experiencing. And if he ever comes to face-to-face with the two donors down the road, he knows exactly what he would say to them:

“Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And not just the Henryville Community Association or the American Legion Post –thank you from the entire community itself.”

Its name is the Hispanic Connection of Southern Indiana.

But as William Shakespeare so eloquently wondered in Romeo and Juliet: “What’s in a name?”

Truth be told, the organization does so much more than just connect Hispanic individuals to resources. And to say its reach goes further than just Southern Indiana would be an understatement – the nonprofit has helped people in a dozen or more states as far west as California.

In fact, the nonprofit performs immigration services that simply aren’t available in most

pockets of Indiana. Unfortunately, agencies like the Hispanic Connection are scarce throughout the Midwest, leaving an underserved and vulnerable immigrant population at even greater risk.

That’s why Lillian Rose, the Hispanic Connection’s President & CEO, has made it her life’s work to ensure immigrants of all backgrounds and nationalities get the support they deserve to become successful, legal residents of the United States. Since the organization opened in 2003, Lillian and her team have helped over 2,000 families obtain their permanent legal status and U.S. citizenship.

But at 82 years old, Lillian knows her professional career will conclude sometime soon.

With no immediate succession plan in place, Lillian and her Hispanic Connection team were told about a brand-new grant program that focused on improving the inner workings of local nonprofit organizations. The Capacity Building Grants Program, which was launched by the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana in April 2022, is dedicated to supporting organizations as they continue to provide the essential services they are uniquely positioned to offer.

Without missing a beat, Lillian and her team got to work on an application, using their past experiences as inspiration to seek funds to help create a realistic transition plan for the organization’s leadership.

The Leader Behind the Machine

Lillian Rose is a woman who wears many hats.

(And they should all come with a strap because even after eight decades on Earth, she still works at a break-neck speed.)

And boy – is she impressive.

Acting in the leadership she exudes, Lillian answers phones in Spanish and relays information to her crew in a mixture of English and Spanish. She is an expert on family-based immigration benefits, has counseled thousands of clients to obtain immigration relief, and is constantly learning about the ever-changing landscape of immigration in the United States.

She’s also a painter, because of course she is. Some of her art even adorns the walls of the Hispanic Connection’s headquarters in Jeffersonville. But if Lillian would tell it, she’s only the person she is today because of the team she surrounds herself with.

“My team is very important to me because they do so much for this organization,” Lillian says.

The Hispanic Connection of Southern Indiana got its start as its own 501c3 in the early 2000s following years operating under the Hispanic Ministry of New Albany Deanery umbrella. Originally, the organization helped just the Hispanic community. But today, the nonprofit works with clients from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Taiwan, China, Pakistan, Germany, and more.

The organization provides legal services and emotional literacy services to all immigrants. They are involved with the legal processes of immigration and local courts, even representing clients at interviews with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Essentially, they work as the buffer between their clients and the United States Government, ensuring all the legal and ethical boxes have been checked for citizenship.

Lillian Rose

And as United States immigration numbers have been increasing since the 1970s, Lillian is finding her staff busier by the day.

“It has been a tsunami of asylum requests lately. You heard about the problems at the border? Well, they’re here now and it’s a mess,” Lillian says. “I am trying to clean things up and get people where they’re supposed to be. But because we’re not lawyers, we can’t represent them in court – the most we can do for asylees is to submit their asylum and help them once they qualify for their work permit.”

Since she became President/CEO in 2014, Lillian has worked diligently at turning her organization into a regional hotspot for immigrants seeking asylum and citizenship. And her clients appreciate her efforts, as alternative immigration options are limited in this part of the country.

“We’re the only ones in Southern Indiana doing what we do,” Lillian says. “There is an organization in Jasper, Ind. that is run by a collection of nuns, but even they are coming to us to asking questions. I know there is an Office of Immigration in Indianapolis, but there, it can be difficult to even be seen. So, it’s just us, and we do the best we can with what we have.”

But who can’t use a little help sometimes?

Building Organizational Power

When Hispanic Connection board member Keith Pulliam talked with Lillian one day and discovered how much work she was doing behind the scenes with no end in sight, he

knew he had to help. And as a board member of the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, too, Keith knew exactly which way to point Lillian.

“Keith, our board member, said something about a new capacity building grant program that just started at the Community Foundation, where he was also a board member,” Lillian says. “I get my staff and we check out the website. Sure enough, most of the things we were looking to accomplish were listed there.”

With funding opportunities up to $25,000, Lillian knew the grant would not only cover the planning and preparation of her leadership transition, but she could also request funding for other projects to help with day-by-day cases. In addition to a leadership succession plan, the Hispanic Connection application included a request for support of in-person training, a smart board purchase for remote training, a new copier, and funding for a case management program in their application.

The organization’s application was eventually

(L-R:) Michelle Espinoza, Lillian Rose, Juan Chavez, and Olga Oliva make up part of the Hispanic Connection of Southern Indiana team

selected, and the nonprofit was awarded their full request of $23,710.

Admittedly, Lillian’s first purchase was replacing a decades-old copy machine: “Oh, it’s beautiful. We can do so many things with this new one.”

The other important item on the application was to engage a consultant to create a leadership succession plan for the organization. And after more than 20 years of leading local immigration matters, compiling all her duties is sure to be no small task.

“Working with Lillian over the years, I have learned the ins-and-outs of her brain and how she works,” says Quita Rose-Corrao, a consultant for the Hispanic Connection and Lillian’s daughter. “So when we began working on the succession plan, we had to look at all the things my mother does now, what she has done in the past, and everything else that is in her head. What we learned is that it’s all in her head, so we are working together to get it on paper for her successor. She’s the epitome of a leader with a vision.”

With the Hispanic Connection having served more than 200 individuals so far in 2023, Lillian knows their work in this area is only going to grow in the coming years. And with only five full-time employees, there is potential that the task could be a daunting one. That’s why, according to Lillian, receiving the Capacity Building Grant was so instrumental for the organization’s growth – and she encourages other nonprofits in a similar situation to apply.

“This grant was just what we needed, and it came at a perfect time,” Lillian says. “I think this is something every nonprofit in this area should consider. Have a vision and think through how you want to expand. We have a tendency to want to run, but we can’t.

Organizations must go slower. So come up with an idea for the next 2-3 years and be prepared for it to change. But have a good idea with who you want to service and how you can do that.”

A Career Fulfilled

As for Lillian, she knows retirement is near. She might even know when it is – but she’s not telling anyone yet. She doesn’t want anyone to worry about the organization’s future because, after all, the leadership transition plan that the Community Foundation grant helped put in place will ensure the organization will be in good hands to continue its mission uninterrupted for years to come.

Instead, she wants everyone to know how thankful she is that people throughout the community still think about her organization and the type of people that it serves.

“I think the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana is just wonderful. I think that of all the various foundations that do this type of work, the Community Foundation is probably the most compassionate and successful organization because it truly answers the needs of us, the nonprofits,” Lillian says. “They’ve never closed the door on us and always listen to us. I think it’s a great organization because it answers the needs of our community … which is exactly what a community foundation is supposed to do.”

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN INDIANA, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.CFSOUTHERNINDIANA.COM