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
