VOL. 31 NO. 4
DECEMBER 2021
L E G A C Y
Delaware County Cardinal, Photo credit:Matt Howell
Where neighbors create legacies
LET’S TALK
REHABILITATING HOUSES, CREATING HOMES
As we entered 2021, we knew that the challenges of 2020 weren’t entirely behind us. Across our community, the pandemic affected health, homes, jobs, and lifestyles. These challenges didn’t push our community apart. Instead, they provided opportunities for neighbors to help neighbors. At The Community Foundation, we are fortunate to see a broad view of the community. We saw organizations share information and resources to ensure that community members had what they needed during this still tumultuous year. As The Community Foundation, we used our resources to support and enhance these opportunities. In this issue of Legacy, we share the importance of unrestricted funds in ensuring that the Foundation can respond to the community’s needs as they arise. Through the story of ecoREHAB, we show how grant funding helped strengthen the organization, so its staff and board could develop a program that improved the lives of eight individuals in our community and more to come in the future. As we approach the end of the year, we invite you to create more opportunities for Muncie and Delaware County. Thank you for your commitment to The Community Foundation today, tomorrow, and always.
Kelly K. Shrock, President
Two STEP students put siding on the home at the work site.
H
ome. For many of us, it’s a place where we can walk through the door at the end of a long day. It’s a place where we can put up our feet, spend time with the people (or pets) we love, and feel safe and warm. Housing organizations ensure safe and affordable housing options are available all across our community. For more than a decade, ecoREHAB of Muncie has help create homes through sustainable design, rehabilitation, and education. The organization started in response to Muncie’s blight elimination plan. With the support of students from Ball State’s College of Architecture and Planning, ecoREHAB transformed dilapidated dwellings into inviting, energy-efficient homes to restore neighborhoods while promoting sustainability. The organization fosters economic prosperity, environmental protection, and social equity. From 2009 to 2019, ecoREHAB revitalized homes following green-building principles. As the organization stepped into its second decade of service, it felt growing pains. A plan was in place for increased staff and community-wide fundraising. There was a focus on its mission to position it as more than a housing organization. continued on page 2
Operational support can be vital as an organization seeks growth. The Community Foundation awarded ecoREHAB a $20,000 grant in 2019 to support developing capacity. That funding helped ecoREHAB rebuild its staff, hire a new executive director, enhanced internal controls, increase brand awareness, and implement bookkeeping efficiencies. “There was a desire to grow in the number of houses rehabbed and do more across the community,” said Jason Haney, executive director of ecoREHAB. “This grant allowed us to build capacity. It allowed us to focus on partnerships. We can rehabilitate housing, strengthen the workforce, and share expertise with other organizations.”
STEP participants build tool boxes as an introduction to construction drawings and tool use.
The Community Foundation awards grants, like this one, through donations to The Unrestricted Fund of The Community Foundation. From the Foundation’s beginning in 1985, donors have put their trust in the Foundation. Through relationships and connections across the community, the Foundation identifies community needs. The Foundation helps address them those needs through grantmaking. With increased capacity, the staff and board of ecoREHAB had the opportunity to assess their role in the housing community. In addition to a continual pipeline of houses needing sustainable rehabilitatation, a challenge presented itself – there aren’t enough qualified workers in the construction field.
Then, opportunity knocked. Muncie Mission was seeking to expand transitional housing available for graduates of its recovery program. In partnership, ecoREHAB would rehabilitate a home near the Mission’s campus. The new home would use sustainable design, making it a long-term win for Muncie Mission. The next step was to marry sustainable housing rehabilitation with opportunities for at-risk individuals to receive introductory job training.
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Providing learning opportunities has always been a part of our mission,” said Jason. “Extending skill-building to community members seemed like the next step in making our community more sustainable.”
In late 2020, ecoREHAB approached the Foundation with a grant request to pilot STEP, a Skilled Trades Education Program. The sixteen-week construction trade training combines classwork, prototyping, job shadowing, and onsite training. STEP expands ecoREHAB’s educational mission. The program serves at-risk individuals, sixteen and older, interested in introductory job training in the construction field. Participants receive technical training in carpentry, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical. They also build soft skills. The grants committee and Board of Directors of the Foundation saw this as an opportunity to be a part of something innovative. The Community Foundation was able to respond to this request with a $25,000 grant from unrestricted funds.
Electrician Jay Ullom teaches STEP students how to install electricity.
The program was conducted in partnership with Eastern Indiana Works and Ball State University’s College of Architecture and Planning. Through Eastern Indiana Works, trainees were paid and provided clothing and tools for the program. They also had access to career counseling and interview preparation services. Ten participants started the program.
2021 FOURTH QUARTER COMPETITIVE GRANTS THE FOUNDATION AWARDS 7 GRANTS TOTALING $75K
We are pleased to announce that $75,118 has been awarded to seven nonprofit organizations during the final Quarterly Competitive Grant cycle of 2021. Action for Animals received $3,750
for the Trap/Neuter/Return program which utilizes trained volunteers to trap free roaming cats to receive spay/neuter surgery and rabies vaccinations.
Delaware County Fire Chief’s Association received $4,692 to provide
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communication capabilities for fire and EMS departments across Delaware County that support back-up dispatch services between departments.
American Red Cross received $5,000 for the Home Fire Relief program that helps Delaware County residents access the resources they need after a fire.
Christian Ministries of Delaware County received $7,500 to provide rent and utility assistance to keep families facing eviction or utility disconnection in their homes.
Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District received $10,000
to match funds awarded by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to address environmental problems in the Upper White River Watershed.
ecoREHAB of Muncie received $25,000 to support the second cohort of the STEP: Skilled Trades Education Program, which provides technical and soft skills training in the construction industry.
Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana received $19,176 to
provide food and resources to local veterans and active military families and to support the Neighborhood Van Distribution Program.
Fourth Quarter Competitive Grants have been awarded from The Unrestricted Fund of The Community Foundation and the following funds: Stefan and Joan Anderson Fund, Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Fund, Bassett Family Fund, Louisa and Waldo Beebe Unrestricted Fund, Gordon and Pam Cox Fund, Linda and Connie Gregory Fund, Jeff and Beth Lang Fund, Jim and Mary Rosema Fund, Charles and Claudia Sursa Unrestricted Named Endowment Fund, and Faye Wingate Fund
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ecoREHAB plans to continue the program in 2022 with a second cohort. A $25,000 grant awarded during the fourth quarter of 2021 will support the program in the coming year.
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STEP was designed to build the workforce, but it does so much more. It offers hope to the participants and their families,” said Jason.
Jason shared how participants created their own wooden toolbox during the first week. “Many of these participants came in as dropouts – from school, the workforce. In one week, they became builders. We asked them to consider, “if you can do this in one week, think about what you can do if you keep going.”
STEP students on the first day at the work site.
On May 7th, eight participants graduated from STEP at a small ceremony in the chapel at Muncie Mission with their families present. For four participants, the introduction to the construction trades propelled them toward jobs within the industry. For others, STEP provided a safe platform in which they learned how to work as part of a team, develop interview skills, gain confidence, and hone problem-solving skills, all skills transportable to other industries. The success of STEP may lie in providing participants with a safe space to explore their talents, personality, and work style.
Just as ecoREHAB will continue to focus on sustainable design, rehabilitation, and education to improve our community’s housing, The Community Foundation will continue to work toward making Delaware County a place that people choose to call home. Because of donors like you, The Community Foundation can continue to open doors for organizations like ecoREHAB and the community members they serve.
UNRESTRICTED CHAMPIONS The Community Foundation works with our neighbors and friends to build a steady source of charitable assets for our community. While all funds at the Foundation benefit our community, The Unrestricted Fund of The Community Foundation provides the most flexibility in addressing the challenges and opportunities of today and in the future. You can help us keep opening doors for this community with a year-end gift to The Unrestricted Fund of the Community Foundation. This year we are excited to recognize a group of individuals who have seen the opportunity to make a difference in their community through The Community Foundation. These Unrestricted Champions have put their trust in the Foundation through lifetime giving to The Unrestricted Fund of $25,000 or more. We extend a special thank you to these donors. - Mrs. Bertha L. Arbogast - Norman E. and Joyce M. Beck - Mr. and Mrs. R. Donald Bell - Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Bracken - Richard W. and Dorothy J. Burkhardt - Edwin F. Koch, Jr. M.D. - Laurie Lunsford - David and Joanna Meeks - W. Robert Porter - Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ringoen - Charles W. and Catherine Rothhaar - Mr. and Mrs. Wilbert C. Schade - Ms. Patricia Schaefer - Carol E. Seals - Mr. and Mrs. Van P. Smith - Mr. and Mrs. Reed Voran - Mrs. Geraldine Whitinger - Sherman and Marjorie Zeigler
We are also grateful for the support of individuals who have established a named unrestricted fund at The Community Foundation. The Community Foundation uses these funds to award grants and open doors in our community. Founders of these funds get special notifications about the programs and projects in the community that their fund supports. We are grateful for these named unrestricted fund donors. - Gary W. Addison - Stefan and Joan Anderson - Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball - Phil and Esther Ball - Mr. and Mrs. Larry L. Bassett - J. Robert and Joanne Baur - Waldo and Louisa Beebe - Patrick and Jane Botts - Jack and Jane Buckles - Patrick and Marilyn Cleary - Mr. and Mrs. Gordon D. Cox - William C. and Margaret H. Dutton - Anissa and Edgar Faulkner, III - Ermalene and Edgar Faulkner, Jr. - Ron and Cheryl Fauquher - Mr. and Mrs. John W. Fisher - Buelah M. Frogge - Michael and Catherine Galliher - Connie R. Gregory - Linda S. Gregory - Mr. Julian and Dr. Suzanne Gresham - Gayle and Jeannine Harrold - Richard D. Hughes - Ms. Roni Johnson
- John and Marcia (Ressler) Kelly - Jeff and Beth Lang - John and Katherine Littler - Michael O. and Nicole T. Lunsford - John R. Miller - Jon and Barbara Moll - Bill and Kate Pingry - Jerome and Edie Reaves - Jim and Mary Rosema - Martin D. and Helen B. Schwartz - Kent Shuff and Steve Fennimore - Jeanne and John Smith - Kelly and Donna Stanley - Daniel and Catharine Stewart - Charles V. and Claudia B. Sursa - Mr. and Mrs. David Sursa - Gary and Amy Thomas - Wayne E. and Carolyn K. Thomas - Mr. and Mrs. B. McClellan Warrell - Joe and Lani Wilson
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P.O. Box 807, Muncie, IN 47308 Phone: (765) 747-7181
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Legacy is a publication of The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County, Inc.
MEMORIALS AND HONORARIUMS
The following individuals were remembered or honored through gifts to The Community Foundation from August 1, 2021 to October 31, 2021.
Memorials
Tiny Adams Leonard Atherton Honorable Robert Barnet Jr. Esther Bartlett Warren Beebe Oran (Bud) Birt John Blackburn Patrick Botts Stephen and Beatrice Brademas Ray Brassart Patricia and Franklyn Brinkman William Bruns Elizabeth “Betsy” Cartwright Ruth Chin Pamela Jo Craddock Earl Dillon Patsy Donn Dick Edwards Jim Faulkner Jackie Findley Roger Gilcrest William H. Gruppe Clarence W. Gullion John Haack
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Sue Harris Gregory Hill Bob and Ellie Holt Jack Isenbarger Lucy Jarvis Reba Maxine Jones Kathleen Keil Mary Ann King Anastasios and Sophia Koumoulides John Lambert, Jr. Timothy E. Linegar Marilyn McDaniel Charles McPeek Erma McVicker Jack Peckinpaugh Jill Pickart Stefanie L. (Smoot) Pitman Dr. John Reno Steve Robert Verna Schaaf Cathy Schrecongost Edward Siler Dixie Smith Jeanne Smith Barbara Sparenberg John R. & Mary K Stanley
Charlene Stonebraker Danny Taylor Fredrick Vester Rex Waldo II Jim Warrner Kaye Whitehead Carol Wire Pets: Sammy Bell Dawnzie Max
Honorariums
Mary Dollison Shirley Freer Maci Goodpaster Connie Gregory Ned Griner Charlie and Charlotte Hetrick Michelle Hockwalt Betty Kendall John Kitty Dale Lindley Michael Lunsford Nicole Lunsford Carol E. Seals Russ Vernon
The Foundation sincerely appreciates all of its donors and the valuable support they provide. All contributors are recognized in our Annual Report.
GIVE BY MAIL
GIVE ONLINE
Send your donation to P.O. Box 807, Muncie, IN 47308
Visit cfmdin.org to make your donation
YOU HOLD THE KEY
Over the last few years, doors in our community have closed. People have faced loss, struggled through illness, and missed milestones. At the same time, we have watched people work together, lift their neighbors, and seize opportunities. The Community Foundation works with our neighbors and friends to build a steady source of charitable assets for our community. With your support, we can respond as doors open or close in our community year after year. You hold the key to the future of the community! Your year-end gift to The Unrestricted Fund of the Community Foundation will open the door when opportunity knocks. Contributions can be made by mail, in person, or online at cfmdin.org/give.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Trent Dowling, Chair Magi Kirkpatrick Sikora, Vice Chair Casey Stanley, Secretary Ermalene Faulkner, Treasurer
ADVISORY BOARD John W. Anderson Jr. Judy Benken Chris Day Mark A. Ervin Jaime Faulkner Ronald K. Fauquher Olivia Fellows Molly Flodder
PAST CHAIRS Stefan S. Anderson Jack E. Buckles Wilbur R. Davis Mark A. Ervin Ronald K. Fauquher Suzanne Gresham Jeffrey R. Lang John D. Littler Carol E. Seals Steven M. Smith Charles V. Sursa David Sursa, deceased Marianne Vorhees
Derron Bishop Sara Shade Hamilton Dave Heeter Mia Johnson Carol E. Seals
Michael B. Galliher Keith Gary Linda Gregory Tom Heck Thomas J. Kinghorn Jeffrey R. Lang John D. Littler Chris Miller
Lathay Pegues Daniel Stallings Rob Tyler Marianne Vorhees Leland Wilhoite Kathy White
STAFF
Kelly K. Shrock, President Carly Acree - King, Program Officer Trina Bowling, Finance Officer JoAnna Darda, Administrative Assistant Marcy Minton, Senior Program Officer Kallie Sulanke, Community Engagement Officer Amy Tuttle, Communications Administrator
PROFESSIONAL COUNCIL Steven D. Murphy, Legal Counsel
