Central indiana senior Fund supports 38 projects addressing wellness needs
Central Indiana Senior Fund, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation, awarded $773,708 on Oct. 15 to 38 projects or organizations working to alleviate stress and barriers of this growing population. By 2030, 20 percent of Hoosiers will be over the age of 60—double the population in 2010 according to the US Census Bureau. Yet this growing population faces tremendous barriers. As life expectancy increases, so does the number of aging adults that cannot meet basic needs, including access to nutritious food or transportation.
A committee of 10 advisors reviewed each grant request to determine which projects best align with one or more of the fund’s interest areas, which are based on research indicating the biggest areas of need for aging seniors in Central Indiana. They include:
- Basic needs – food, transportation and shelter
- Health and wellness – illness prevention and overall wellness
- Living environment of choice – affordable housing, home care and safety
- Life-affirming opportunity – programs that utilize talents and increase social interactions among seniors in Central Indiana.
“Central Indiana Senior Fund is passionate about funding projects and programs that allow our aging neighbors to live full, active lives,” says Patricia Prosser, chair of Senior Fund.
“This is a conversation that needs to take a higher priority in Central Indiana. We cannot sit by and watch our at-risk seniors struggle to find nutritious food, pay the bills or find transportation.”
In an effort to increase conversations about the importance of supporting aging adults, Senior Fund also awarded a competitive $20,000 prize in May to The Choreography of Dreams, a performance that explores the dreams and realities of older adults through dance, poetry and videos. The performance takes place Sunday, Nov. 8 as part of the Spirit and Place Festival.
The Central Indiana Senior Fund was created in 2003 upon the decision to close The Indianapolis Retirement Home, a retirement home for low-income elderly persons. The funds from both the sale of the home and its land, in addition to the retirement home’s endowment, all contributed to the creation the Indianapolis Retirement Home Fund at Central Indiana Community Foundation, now known as Central Indiana Senior Fund. Since its creation, Central Indiana Senior Fund has awarded $7 million to organizations and projects serving the senior population.
For more information about Central Indiana Senior Fund, or how to apply for 2016 funding, visit here.
Central Indiana Senior Fund Projects & AWARDS
Organization |
Purpose/Project |
Amount |
| Boone County Senior Services | Transportation support | $25,000 |
| Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre | SneakView on Tour (theatre performances and education at retirement facilities) | $10,000 |
| Cancer Support Community – Central Indiana, Inc | Cancer Support Community Central Indiana Senior Services | $25,000 |
| Christamore House | Christamore House Senior Program | $25,000 |
| CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions | CICOA Way2Go Senior Medical Transportation Assistance program support | $25,000 |
| CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions | Operating Support | $40,000 |
| Classical Music Indy | Senior Engagement Concert Series | $25,000 |
| Concord Neighborhood Center | Eat, Drink and Be Merry: Improving Access to Nutritious Meals on the Near Southside | $15,000 |
| Connect2Help | Helping Central Indiana seniors work towards self-sufficiency by connecting them with services. | $26,408 |
| Dance Kaleidoscope | Lifelong Dance (accessible performances and education for low-income seniors) | $10,000 |
| Dental Lifeline Network Indiana | Indiana Donated Dental Services (DDS) Program | $6,000 |
| Edna Martin Christian Center | Senior Wellness Network 2.0 | $25,000 |
| Eskenazi Health Foundation | Eskenazi Health Senior Support Services for the Senior Care and EMBRACE Programs | $23,500 |
| Families First Indiana, Inc. | Families First Vistas Program for Older Adults | $25,000 |
| Forest Manor Multi-Service Center | FMMSC Health and Wellness Senior Program | $15,000 |
| Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Inc. | Senior Hunger Initiative | $25,000 |
| Hendricks County Senior Services, Inc. | Expanding In-Home Care | $20,000 |
| Heritage Place of Indianapolis, Inc. | Addressing older adult poverty, obesity and social isolation | $20,000 |
| Horizon House | Senior neighbor services | $25,000 |
| Indianapolis Parks Foundation | Seniors on the Move | $10,000 |
| Indianapolis Symphonic Choir | Timeless In Song (performances for low-income seniors) | $10,750 |
| John H. Boner Community Center | Seniors on the Go | $25,000 |
| Joy’s House | General operating and guest scholarship support for joy’s house at UIndy | $20,000 |
| Little Red Door Cancer Agency | Rides of Hope | $25,000 |
| Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana | Step Up Frozen Food Program for Seniors | $15,000 |
| Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County | Sponsor-A-Senior | $21,000 |
| Meals on Wheels of Hancock County | Closing the Hunger Gap | $17,250 |
| Mid-North Shepherd’s Center | Seniors Helping Seniors | $4,000 |
| NeighborLink Indianapolis Foundation | Home Repair and Modifications program | $20,000 |
| PrimeLife Enrichment, Inc. | Senior Wellness & Fitness | $20,000 |
| Second Helpings, Inc. | Meals and volunteer opportunities for seniors | $25,000 |
| Servants At Work (SAWS) | 2016/2017 Senior Fund Ramp Project | $20,000 |
| Shelby Senior Services | Engaging Boomers in Volunteerism in Shelby County program | $25,000 |
| The Shepherd’s Center of Hamilton County | Hamilton County Senior Emergency Assistance Fund | $20,000 |
| The Social of Greenwood | Addressing Hunger in All of Its Forms program | $20,000 |
| Trinity Free Clinic | Healthy Seniors program | $14,800 |
| United Way | Winter Assistance | $25,000 |
| YMCA of Greater Indianapolis | Ransburg YMCA Active Older Adults Program | $25,000 |
TOTAL |
$773,708 |
ABOUT CENTRAL INDIANA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) is a $720 million public foundation transforming the lives of central Indiana residents in three ways: consulting donors, family foundations and their professional advisors on charitable giving; awarding grants to effective not-for-profit organizations; and providing leadership to seize opportunities and address community needs. CICF was established in 1997 as a partnership between The Indianapolis Foundation, serving Marion County since 1916, and Legacy Fund, serving Hamilton County since 1991. For more information about CICF, visit cicf.org, or contact Tamara Winfrey-Harris at tamarawh@cicf.org.
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