Impact In Action: 2026 Grant Cycle II Recipients Announced
Grants
The Community Foundation recently completed 2026 Grant Cycle II, representing the biggest cycle in Foundation history! A total of $326,337 was awarded to 23 local nonprofits to support a variety of impactful projects. Additionally, for the first time ever, the Foundation awarded Operational Grants. This is made possible through Lilly Endowment Inc. GIFT IX funding and the Foundation’s donors who are passionate about making a difference in Huntington County.
Huntington County Humane Society, Inc. was awarded $11,569 to purchase reliable commercial dryers to better withstand the volume, frequency and sanitation demands of the shelter. The Humane Society cared for more than 1,700 animals in 2025, and every one of those animals depends on clean bedding.
Pictured (left to right) is Anne Betterly, David and Susan Brewer Family Community Fund Representative, Amber Rensberger, Community Foundation Program Manager, Jill Jamison, Humane Society Board Treasurer, and Alex Banks, Humane Society Operations Manager.
On average, their dedicated team of volunteers wash and dry over 100 blankets, 50 towels and washcloths, and bedding for each kennel, cage and cat room. Sustainable laundry not only provides comfort for the animals, but also prevents disease, reduces stress and supports successful recovery and adoption. The grant was generously sponsored by the David and Susan Brewer Family Community Fund.
McKenzie’s Hope received a $6,750 Operational Grant to support contract costs for a Forensic Interviewer. McKenzie’s Hope continues to see a growing need for forensic interviews for children who are suspected victims of abuse or witnesses to violence. Each forensic interview requires a specially trained professional who can provide a safe, child-focused environment while gathering information that helps support the child and the multidisciplinary team involved in the investigation.
With a contracted forensic interviewer, McKenzie’s Hope will be able to continue meeting the needs of children in the community while working toward long-term sustainability. This will help reduce delays, ensure quality interviews are completed according to best practices and allow children and families to receive the support they need during a difficult time. The grant will support their dedicated team’s goal of ensuring children and families have access to timely, trauma-informed services close to home. The grant was generously sponsored by the Harold & Pauline Bailey Memorial Community Fund and the Bowen Health Community Fund.
Discover Roanoke received $4,500 to support installation costs of a new gateway sign to welcome residents and visitors to Roanoke. As one of the primary gateways into town (Second St, Hwy 24 entrance), the sign will serve as a welcoming landmark while reinforcing Roanoke’s brand for both first-time visitors and returning guests.
Replacing the aged sign with a current, durable sign will restore a welcoming entrance while providing a long-lasting community asset that showcases Roanoke’s commitment to creating a vibrant and inviting downtown. The gateway sign will enhance the visitor experience, increase awareness of Downtown Roanoke as a destination and contribute to Huntington County’s overall tourism and economic development efforts. The grant was generously sponsored by First Federal Savings Bank Community Fund.
Huntington Outreach Prevention & Empowerment (HOPE) was awarded $925 to support Battle Buddies, a program focused on providing increased support to veterans and first responders. These adults represent an increased at-risk population for suicide. The program will aim to identify individuals to serve as points of contact within various organizations and provide them with valuable training and knowledge. Battle Buddies will provide peer-to-peer support for veterans and first responders, furthering efforts to create a sense of belonging and purpose. The grant included $334 from the Huntington Jaycees, Inc. Fund and $591 from the Gerald W. & G. Edward Yeoman Memorial Fund.
United With Love of Huntington County was awarded $15,000 to replace their aging walk-in cooler, a critical piece of infrastructure that supports food pantry operations and the ability to provide nutritious food to families experiencing food insecurity. The food pantry currently serves approximately 800 households each month, making it one of the largest food assistance providers in Huntington County. Access to fresh and nutritious food, including dairy products, eggs, fresh produce and other perishable items is essential to the health and well-being of the families and individuals being served.
A new, energy-efficient cooler will allow their dedicated team to safely store and distribute perishable foods, reduce the risk of future food loss, improve operational efficiency and ensure compliance with food safety standards. This project is about more than replacing equipment – it is about protecting access to nutritious food for hundreds of households throughout Huntington County for years to come. The grant was generously sponsored by the Dean & Anne Stonebraker Community Fund.
Markle Fish & Game Club Park received $24,000 to support updates to The Markle Pool House. Originally constructed in the mid-1950s, the Pool House has served generations of residents for more than 70 years. Each summer, the facility serves hundreds of children, families and visitors. While routine maintenance and repairs have helped keep the facility operational, many components of the building have exceeded their useful lifespan. Funding will help ensure the preservation of an important community asset while addressing critical safety and operational needs. The improvements will enhance safety, improve guest experience, support healthy lifestyles and family-oriented recreation, strengthen community pride and preserve a vital recreational asset for future generations. The grant was generously sponsored by the Donald & Nancy McDaniel Community Fund.
Ronald McDonald House Charities received $2,000 to support its Care Mobile visits to Huntington County. The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is a fully equipped pediatric medical clinic on wheels that brings high-quality healthcare directly to children and families who face barriers to accessing preventive care. The Care Mobile addresses challenges identified through community surveys, including lack of insurance or inadequate coverage, transportation difficulties, the inability to take time off work and concerns about judgment or negative healthcare experiences. To overcome these barriers, the Care Mobile partners with trusted community organizations, schools, churches and neighborhood agencies to deliver care where families live, learn and gather.
By providing services at no cost to uninsured families and in convenient community locations, the Care Mobile helps ensure children receive the preventive care they need without the burden of travel or financial hardship. In 2025, the Care Mobile visited Huntington County 19 times, providing medical services to 181 children and more than $11,000 in care delivered to local families. Designed to function like a traditional pediatric medical office, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile includes two fully equipped exam rooms, a point-of-care laboratory and an intake area for patient registration. Services include well-child visits, hearing, vision and developmental screenings, immunizations, point-of-care diagnostic testing for illnesses such as strep throat and influenza and health education focused on child safety and wellness. The grant included $912 from the Huntington County Free Health Clinic Fund.
The Master’s Pantry received $25,000 to support building expansion efforts to allow more space for food, refrigeration and freezer storage. The Master’s Pantry plays an integral role in providing food and other necessities to individuals and families in need throughout the Markle area, distributing an average of 90-110 boxes of food each month. The pantry also provides cleaning products, paper products and health and beauty items. As the number of individuals served continues to grow, the need for expansion has become evident. Storage expansion will provide the space needed to purchase larger quantities and a wider variety of food from suppliers, allowing their dedicated team to secure better prices and ultimately help more individuals and families in need. The grant was generously sponsored by the Erik & Heather Larr Family Community Fund and the Paul Family Community Fund.
Place of Grace, Inc. was awarded $40,000 to support construction costs for its Family Housing Program, a five-unit housing complex that will provide safe, stable and affordable housing for women in recovery and their children. Construction of the project is currently underway, with completion anticipated in 2026. Since opening in 2017, Place of Grace has served more than 250 individuals through recovery housing and supportive services. Throughout that time, the need for family-centered housing has remained one of the most significant unmet needs facing participants as they work toward long-term recovery and independence.
The Family Housing Program is designed to create a pathway from recovery to long-term independence by combining housing with supportive services such as case management, peer support, life skills development, financial literacy, employment readiness, parenting support and connections to community resources. By providing a stable place for mothers and children to live together while continuing their recovery journey, the program will help reduce homelessness, support family reunification, improve recovery outcomes, increase economic self-sufficiency and break generational cycles of addiction and poverty. The grant was generously sponsored by the following funds: Howell-Ehler-Wiley Community Fund, Bippus State Bank Community Fund, Fred Bailey Community Fund.
Parkview Huntington Family YMCA received a $20,000 Operational Grant to support the YMCA School of the Arts, which has been in the process of expansion over the past two years. This expansion brings additional arts education opportunities to Huntington County while supporting local artists and advancing community arts performances. The program currently includes the School of Dance and School of Music where students have the option to participate in 11 different styles of dance or to receive instruction in stringed instruments, woodwind instruments and voice.
In 2025, the YMCA introduced a new arts program: The Broadway and Beyond Theatre Academy. In partnership with the Huntington Theatre Guild Act II, this program provides instruction in foundational theatre skills for students in grades 2-8. Starting this fall, the YMCA will also become home to programs of the Community Choirs of Huntington County. In partnership with the Community Choirs of Huntington County and Huntington University, this will include the Children’s Choir, Treble Tones and Copper Sound programs, which offer choir experiences starting in grade 3 for a variety of skill and experience levels. The grant included $2,000 from the Hiner Family Fund and was generously sponsored by the Donald & Lou Rayne Scheiber Community Fund.
The Youth Services Bureau received $10,000 to support its Huntington County Teen Court program, which has served as an effective early intervention program for youth in the community for nearly three decades. Over the past four years, the program has supported 95 youth who were referred for eligible first-time offenses while providing 45 youth volunteers with valuable leadership opportunities and firsthand exposure to the legal system. Teen Court receives referrals from Huntington County Probation, Huntington County Community Schools and the Department of Child Services. Youth who have committed a first-time, nonviolent offense may be referred to the program, where their case is heard by a jury of their peers. This restorative justice approach promotes accountability, personal growth and positive decision-making.
Participants who successfully complete all court-imposed sanctions within 90 days and do not reoffend before turning 18 are eligible to avoid a juvenile record. Continued investment in Teen Court strengthens partnerships with local schools, probation and child welfare agencies while providing young adults with opportunities for accountability, rehabilitation, leadership development and a positive path forward. The grant was generously sponsored by the Dr. Ron & Judy Frischman Community Fund.
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne was awarded $20,000 to support its impactful Critical Repair Program which addresses the challenge of keeping homeowners in their homes by providing vital repairs to keep them safe, warm and dry. Repairs typically focus on health, safety and accessibility. The Critical Repair Program addresses Huntington’s community challenge of preserving safe, stable housing for homeowners who struggle to afford essential home repairs.
With many families living at or below the ALICE threshold, families face the difficult choice of either paying for necessities or home repairs. Repairs are often delayed, which can turn small problems into bigger, more expensive, issues for homeowners. By preventing housing deterioration, the program helps families avoid displacement, preserves affordable housing stock and enables seniors, veterans and individuals with disabilities to age safely in place.
Pathfinder Services received $2,753 to support its Independent Living Tech Center. Pathfinder Services supports individuals with disabilities in assisted independent living settings using enabling technology, including smart sensors, automation systems, remote support tools and assistive devices, to promote safety, independence and quality of life. Currently, these technologies are deployed directly into individuals’ homes without a dedicated space to test, validate or train staff beforehand, which can lead to inconsistent setups, longer troubleshooting cycles and undocumented processes. The Tech Center addresses this gap by creating a simulated home environment, located within the existing respite house, where technology can be configured, tested and demonstrated before it reaches someone’s home.
The Tech Center will also serve as a hands-on training space for direct support staff, increasing their confidence and competence with the tools they use every day. This initiative closely aligns with Pathfinder’s mission to strengthen communities by enabling people with disabilities or economic challenges to achieve autonomy, inclusion and stability. The grant included $1204 from the Dadd/Decker Fund and was generously sponsored by the Niederman Family Community Fund and the John & Midge Decker Community Fund.
The Roanoke Area Heritage Museum was awarded $4,940 to assist in necessary updates and preservation efforts. Funding will support the purchase of updated display case lighting and artifact storage materials. Improved lighting will allow the museum to continue to maintain an atmosphere that educates and assists visitors as they learn about the history and development of Roanoke. Obtaining the materials to store and maintain artifacts will allow the museum to preserve them for future display and honor donors’ contributions. The grant was generously sponsored by the John & Rachel Nelson Family Community Fund.
Huntington Area Trails Association (HARTA) received $25,000 to support efforts to extend Huntington’s Little River Trail from Jefferson to Frederick to West Park Drive. By using recently installed trail counters showing how regularly the trails are used, HARTA recorded an average of 225 individuals on the trails per day. With the trail systems representing a huge community asset, this provides an opportunity to expand the existing trail system as part of a collaboration between HARTA and the City of Huntington. The grant was generously sponsored by the Stephen & Alyce Zahn Community Fund.
Brightpoint was awarded $5,000 to support their Covering Kids and Families (CKF) of Brightpoint program which focuses on improving access to healthcare coverage for underserved individuals and families in local communities. With a special emphasis on serving high-need groups, including pregnant women, children and low-income families, CKF aims to reduce health disparities and improve long-term outcomes. In 2025, they assisted 725 individuals in Huntington County and aim to expand these efforts moving forward.
CKF of Brightpoint provides comprehensive support to help individuals navigate the complexities of healthcare programs, such as the Indiana Health Coverage Program, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Federally Facilitated Marketplace. Their team of licensed navigators and certified application counselors assist clients with understanding healthcare options, completing applications and providing one-on-one guidance. They actively engage with the community to raise awareness about available healthcare coverage by hosting informational sessions, attending community events and partnering with local organizations, schools and healthcare providers to identify and assist individuals in need.
Markle Cemetery received $10,000 to support the restoration of its oldest historic section, which contains headstones dating from the early 1800s to the early 1900s, including graves of Civil War veterans. Funding will support efforts to repair and stabilize broken and leaning headstones, clean markers to improve readability and aid in the reconstruction of records lost in a past fire and level the grounds to ensure safety for visitors and families. Preservation and beautification efforts allow the cemetery to continue honoring those who came before while ensuring future generations can continue to visit and appreciate this important part of Huntington County’s heritage.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington County received $15,000 to support facility and safety improvement efforts across all three club locations. The Warren Club will receive updated flooring, exterior signage and front entrance doors to improve safety, accessibility and security. The Andrews Club main entrance door will be replaced with a secure door equipped with a push bar, allowing the building to remain safely locked during operating hours while providing a code-compliant emergency exit. The Huntington Club will expand upon existing security camera systems by installing cameras in the kindergarten to 4th grade program rooms. To further enhance security, one-way mirror films will also be installed on the entrance doors at each location. This added layer of protection will improve privacy and visibility while helping safeguard members, staff and volunteers. The grant was generously sponsored by the Daugherty Family Community Fund.
The Quayle Vice Presidential Learning Center was awarded $18,000 to support facility improvements that will enhance safety, accessibility, appearance and overall visitor experience. Serving Huntington for over 30 years, The Center welcomes thousands of visitors annually, including students, educators, families, community members and guests from across the country.
Funding will support efforts to remove invasive plants and overgrown shrubs, reseal the parking lot, replace deteriorating concreate at the main entrance steps, install durable tile flooring, replace the front and side entrance doors with ADA-compliant doors, treat the lawn and improve the downspout drainage system. Together, these improvements will help preserve the Center’s facilities, improve the visitor experience and ensure the property continues to serve as an educational and cultural resource for Huntington and Northeast Indiana. The grant was generously sponsored by the following funds: Joseph & Deborah Wiley Community Fund, Hiner Family Community Fund, James & Nancy Breiner Community Fund.
The Friends of the Huntington City-Township Public Library was awarded $2,500 to support the addition of a Literacy Center geared toward ages 0-5 in the library’s Children’s Department. With an ever-increasing number of families seeking hands-on resources to help improve their children’s reading skills, the Literacy Center will aim to further enrich and encourage early literacy. The Literacy Center will collaborate with local educators and organizations, such as Sprout by 5, and will provide another outstanding educational experience in our community. This unique feature will enhance an already valuable public space and will be accessible and available at no cost. The Literacy Center will promote storytelling, culture and the development of all learning rooted in reading. The grant was generously sponsored by the following funds: Fred & Becky Scheiber Community Fund, Ann & Paul Siegfried Community Fund, James & Regina Ditzler Community Fund, Matt & Karissa Ditzler Family Community Fund.
Seminary United Methodist Church was awarded $15,000 to expand their 24-hour food pantry, Gary’s Groceries. Local student, Adalynn Swaidner, organized Gary’s Groceries for her Silver Award through the Girl Scouts and is taking on this expansion project for her Gold Award. Funding will support the installation of a new insulated food pantry building to increase storage capacity by 75–100%, further improving organization, accessibility and the ability to serve more individuals and families. The larger building will allow for increased inventory, a dedicated donation drop-off area and adequate refrigeration. The necessary expansion will ensure dedicated volunteers can continue providing food to community members in need for years to come. The grant included $946 from the Roanoke Brethren Church Fund and was generously sponsored by the Steve & Vicky Eisenhut Community Fund.
Historic Warren Main Street received a $25,000 Operational Grant to support efforts focused on building organizational sustainability. For the past fifteen years, the organization has operated as a 100% volunteer-led nonprofit dedicated to the revitalization of downtown Warren, Indiana. Through committed community volunteers, the organization has transformed ideas into lasting community assets, including downtown beautification projects, public art installations, community events, grant funded improvements, historic preservation initiatives, business support and tourism promotion.
As the organization has grown, so have the responsibilities required to sustain it. The grant will support the addition of Historic Warren Main Street’s first staff member, strengthening its long-term sustainability. A dedicated employee will provide the consistent leadership and administrative support necessary to coordinate daily operations, expand fundraising efforts, pursue additional grants, strengthen partnerships, steward volunteers and ensure programs continue to grow. This will help the organization transition from a successful volunteer-led nonprofit to a sustainable community organization capable of serving Warren for years to come. The grant was generously sponsored by the Herb & Corinne Scheiber Memorial Community Fund.
New Life Ministries received a $23,400 Operational Grant from the Fred Bailey Charitable Fund to support the addition of a Meal Ministry Coordinator. The need for an added position became evident following the devastating loss of their beloved Meal Ministry Director, Bob Burnsworth, who generously served in a volunteer capacity. Since opening, the Meal Ministry has grown significantly, serving thousands of meals annually to the community – 38,210 meals were served in 2025!
The ministry relies on hundreds of volunteers and strong leadership to prepare and serve meals while providing a welcoming environment and showing compassion to community members daily. The grant will help offset costs of this unexpected staffing change, allowing New Life Ministries to maintain Meal Ministry operations. This ensures their dedicated team can focus on providing meals, community and hope to individuals who rely on the Meal Ministry.
The Community Foundation is eager to witness how these impactful projects will benefit the community of Huntington County. For more information on Community Foundation grants, visit our Grants Page.
