WWW.CFSJC.ORG • (574) 232-0041 • 205 W. JEFFERSON BLVD., SUITE 610 • SOUTH BEND, IN 46601

JUNE 2020 CONNECTING PEOPLE WHO CARE WITH CAUSES THAT MATTER

How We’re Responding to COVID-19 in Our CommunityWe’re working hard to support our local nonprofit organizations as they serve residents affected by COVID-19.

Our world—like yours—turned upside down in mid-March. In the weeks following that cataclysmic shift to our “new normal,” we’ve been responding in multiple ways, working with our nonprofit partners to identify areas of need in our community and using our resources to help shape solutions.

UNITED WAY’S COVID-19 FUND Early on, we decided to be one of the first major supporters of the United Way of St. Joseph County’s new COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, contributing a grant of $200,000. It was the right call. The United Way has extensive experience with disaster relief, and they’re doing a stellar job distributing much-needed funding into our community quickly. As of June

A volunteer labels boxes of food for delivery to seniors living in Karl King Riverbend Tower Apartments.

HIGHLIGHTSMEISSNER NAMED 2020 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNALeadership South Bend/Mishawaka has announced that Rose Meissner, president of the Community Foundation and a member of Leadership Class 20, has been named the organization’s 2020 Distinguished Alumna. Kristine Hilger, executive director of Leadership, says that Meissner exemplifies the organization’s values as a true “leader of positive change.” As 2020 Distinguished Alumna, Meissner joins an all-star list of previous recipients. Learn more about Leadership at www.leadershipsbmish.org.

KATELYN FIRESTEIN JOINS STAFF ON A FULL-TIME BASISAfter working with the Community Foundation as an intern since 2018, Katelyn Firestein has joined the staff full-time as our administrative assistant. This spring, she received her B.A. in Health Communication from Indiana University South Bend.

IMAGINATION LIBRARY CONTEST150 families submitted adorable photos of their children enjoying their free Imagination Library books for our photo contest. Some 200,000 beautiful books have been sent to St. Joseph County preschoolers since we launched the program in May 2018.

10, the United Way has distributed close to $650,000 to 38 different local nonprofits. We’re in regular communication with United Way’s staff, sharing information and supporting each other’s efforts.

EARLY FUND DISTRIBUTIONS, CONTINUED GRANT CYCLES Because we know that many of the more than eighty organizations that hold endowed funds with us are under intense financial stress, we moved up our schedule for distributing the annual disbursement checks that these organizations receive. Our financial staff worked overtime to get the checks cut and in the mail more than a month earlier than usual. We’ve also maintained our spring schedule for ArtsEverywhere

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We’re in regular communication with United Way’s staff, sharing information and supporting each other’s efforts.

Elliot loves his Imagination Library books.

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and Senior Living grants, adding a new category to the latter that considers projects that address the effects of COVID-19.

SUPPORT FOR SENIORS Our community’s seniors—especially those living in poverty—are very vulnerable right now. Not only do these seniors have worse outcomes if they contract COVID-19, they frequently struggle with food insecurity, too. As Marijo Martinec, executive director of the Food Bank of Northern Indiana, points out, “It’s hard enough for me to get to the grocery store and find what I need. It’s much harder for at-risk seniors.”

To respond to this need, we granted $90,000 to REAL Services to support a new partnership with the Food

Right now, the needs of our community can seem overwhelming. If you’re wondering about the best way to help, we suggest two options.

• Make a gift to the United Way of St. Joseph County’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund. This fund makes timely grants directly to local nonprofit agencies, enabling them to continue serving their clients. Learn more about the fund, its grants, and its recipients here: uwsjc.org/covid-19-response.

• Give directly to the local nonprofits you care about most. Through a direct, unrestricted gift, you give nonprofits the flexibility to respond to the most pressing needs within their organizations.

What Can I Do To Help My Community?

Bank. These two organizations worked together to distribute shelf-stable meals to seniors living in subsidized housing in our county. For those seniors, it’s been a lifeline.

Many other nonprofits have redoubled their efforts to address food insecurity across the community, including Cultivate Food Rescue. The organization received a $50,000 Special Project grant from the Community Foundation a year ago to help move into a new, larger facility, and the new space has allowed Cultivate to rescue, store, and distribute far more food.

HELPING IVY TECH STUDENTS We know this is a difficult time for college students. It’s especially hard for nontraditional students, many of whom were struggling to juggle jobs, families, mortgages, and tuition before the crisis began. Through the Coquillard Family Fund for Ivy Tech, we made a $50,000 grant to help provide immediate support to Ivy Tech students like these. It’s a perfect example of what George Coquillard would have wanted—a way to help Ivy

Our staff has been hosting regular Zoom check-ins with groups of executive directors of local nonprofits.

COVID-19 RESPONSE cont. from p. 1

Tech students stay on track to earn degrees that will result in meaningful, well-paid work right here in town.

REGULAR CHECK-INS Sometimes, it’s important to listen. Our staff has been hosting regular Zoom check-ins with groups of executive directors of local nonprofits, providing a forum for us all to share experiences and articulate needs. Across our community, nonprofit staff who provide direct services to those impacted by COVID-19 are under tremendous stress. Coming together to acknowledge and honor their work is valuable to all of us.

You can learn more about what we’re doing to help during the current pandemic at cfsjc.org or on our Facebook page. Together, we’ll get through this crisis.

Cultivate Food Rescue’s new home, partially supported by a $50,000 Community Foundation grant

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Returning to Unity GardensA former Laidig Scholar grows her summer internship into a full-time position.

When Kayla Jackson arrived for her first day as an intern at Unity Gardens in 2016, Executive Director Sara Stewart asked if she’d ever done any gardening.

Kayla, a Laidig Community Service Scholar who was starting her first year at Ball State University, said that yes, she’d done some basic gardening with her grandmother, and had enjoyed it.

“That’s great!” said Sara, enthusiastically. “How do you feel about getting in the dirt right now?”

Kayla was willing, and so Sara set her to work weeding the hops. It was a very hot day, and the ground at the LaSalle Square garden was dry and dusty.

“I remember thinking, ‘This is the dirtiest I’ve ever been!’,” Kayla says, laughing. “But I loved it. Sara was afraid I’d never come back, but here I am four years later!”

In fact, Kayla just joined Unity Gardens in a brand-new staff position. In this communications role, Kayla will focus on telling the organization’s stories through social media, blogs, newsletters, photography and video. It’s a great fit with her Ball State degree in journalism and telecommunications—

Kayla Jackson and Sara Stewart at the LaSalle Square Unity Gardens

and her personality.

“I’m a really social person,” Kayla says, “and I love being able to meet people from all over our community in the gardens or the Farmers Market booth, and tell them about the different plants. It excites me just talking about it!”

“Kayla’s one of our best salespeople,” Sara says, proudly.

As part of their scholarships, Laidig Community Service Scholars serve paid summer internships with local nonprofits that build valuable “real world” job skills for the students. It’s a program that has great value for the organizations that host the interns, too.

“My job is making sure they have what they need for a productive, meaningful experience,” says Sara. Her success is reflected in Unity Garden’s retention rate—every one of Unity Garden’s Laidig interns has returned for subsequent summers.

“These kids are the segue to our future,” Sara says, with appreciation. “They’re the ones who are going to keep Unity Gardens going.”

You can help support local students by contributing to the Foundation’s scholarship funds. Learn more online at cfsjc.org/scholarships.

Clockwise from left: Laidig Scholars Rebecca Mattson, Lorei Munoz, Carmen Nunez, and Leo Zheng; Charles Martin Scholar Amaani Lee

Congratulations to Our 2020 Laidig and Charles Martin ScholarsThis year’s scholars are Rebecca Mattson, Penn High School, who will attend Butler University; Lorei Munoz, Washington High School, who will attend Ivy Tech; Carmen Nunez, St. Joseph High School, who will attend Holy Cross College, and Leo Zheng, Riley High School, who will attend Xavier University. Amaani Lee, Washington High School, is the recipient of the 2020 Charles Martin “Touch a Life” scholarship. She’ll attend the University of Notre Dame. All will receive up to $5,000 in tuition scholarship and a chance to give back to their community through a $2,500 summer internship.

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We’re adjusting to the “new normal,” but still plan to offer at least one concert with the South Bend Symphony in August.

This summer, we’ve had to re-imagine many of our favorite events, from graduations to holiday cookouts. The annual Community Foundation Performing Arts Series at the Chris Wilson Pavilion in Potawatomi Park is no exception. We’d hoped to host our usual six-event series, but several of our arts organization partners are unable to participate this year. Instead, we’re putting our energy into one representative event with the South Bend Symphony, planned for Saturday,

Changes to the Performing Arts Series

The Broadway Theatre League has decided to move its Anita F. Boorda Memorial Scholarship for the Performing Arts to the Community Foundation. Boorda, BTL’s executive director from 1982 to 2001, was a charismatic champion of the arts with a deep commitment to bringing touring Broadway shows to our community. Named to honor her memory, the scholarship is available to high school graduates pursing a degree in performing arts, music, theater, dance or production. The Community Foundation will begin administering the scholarship process in 2021.

Boorda Scholarship

August 29, at 7 pm. We’ve partnered with WVPE 88.1 FM, our local public radio station, to simulcast the concert. That way, if you’re not comfortable attending the event in person, you can still be part of the audience.

Due to social-distancing safety measures, our community play-along will look a little different this year, too. Members of a local string quartet—Penn High School students who won the Fischoff National Chamber Music Association’s 2020 Geoffrey Prize—will represent our usual group of 60-some musicians.

Thank you for your patience as we work through what’s possible and what isn’t in this unusual year. We hope to see you in August at the Chris Wilson Pavilion!

Community Foundation Performing Arts Series, 2019

Anita Boorda