Indianapolis – First Lady Karen Pence hosted the seventh reception for grant recipients of the Indiana First Lady’s Charitable Foundation at the Governor’s Residence on Tuesday, where she awarded $52,500 to 57 organizations and charities that serve Hoosier families and children across the state.
“When Mike was elected Governor, I was overwhelmed with requests from so many worthy organizations to get involved in their efforts,” said First Lady Karen Pence. “However, it quickly became clear that I couldn’t be at every event, nor could I champion every cause. That is why I, along with a team of dedicated board members, started the Indiana First Lady’s Charitable Foundation as a way to shine a light on the organizations across Indiana who lift up our communities and make our state strong.”
First Lady Karen Pence started the Indiana First Lady’s Charitable Foundation in August of 2013 as a way to recognize organizations and charities across the state. At the inaugural First Lady’s Luncheon held in April 2014, the Foundation awarded its first major grant of $100,000 to the Art Therapy Program at Riley Hospital for Children. The following year’s luncheon recipient, Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, received a grant of $65,000, which supports food banks and food pantries in all 92 counties. Last year, $100,000 was awarded to the Indiana Bicentennial Commission for an interactive “Treasures of the Statehouse” display at the Indiana State Library. Throughout the year, the Foundation will award smaller grants to organizations across the state.
“Whether helping a child develop a love for reading or supporting families in need or encouraging a child to go further in the arts, these organizations are the backbone and the heart of our communities,” said First Lady Karen Pence. “They represent the very best of what it means to be a Hoosier, and we thank them for their service.”
Tuesday’s reception was the seventh reception since her inaugural lunch in April 2014.
First Lady Karen Pence presented a check to each organization ranging from $500 to $1,000 in grant money from the Indiana First Lady’s Charitable Foundation. Representatives from each of the following organizations were on hand to receive their award and recognition:
| Applicant | Website | Counties Served |
| AFH Ministries, Inc. | www.afriendshouse.net | All of Indiana |
| Allen County Education Partnership DBA Project READS | www.abouteducation.org | Allen County |
| Anderson Symphony Orchestra Association, LLC | http://www.andersonsymphony.org | Madison, Hamilton, Marion, Delaware, Hancock |
| Artlink | www.artlinkfw.com | Allen County |
| Bolt for the Heart | www.boltfortheheart.com | All central Indiana and statewide if funds are used for the Indiana State Police |
| Buttermilk Mountain, Inc. | www.buttermilkmountain.org | Marion, Hancock, Hendricks, Hamilton, Boone, Greene, Sullivan and Monroe |
| Care For Kids Inc | https://www.facebook.com/CAREforKIDSINC/ | Jefferson, Clark, Floyd |
| Center for Leadership Development | http://www.cldinc.org | CLD participants reside in Marion county and the surrounding counties of Hamilton, Boone, Hendricks, Morgan, Johnson, Hancock, Madison, and Bartholomew. |
| Child And Parent Services Inc. | http://www.capselkhart.org/ | Elkhart County |
| Christ Child Society of Fort Wayne | http://christchildsocietyfw.org/ | Allen, DeKalb, Steuben |
| Corvilla | www.corvilla.org | St. Joseph County, Indiana |
| Crooked Creek Community Development Corporation | www.crookedcreekcdc.org | Marion |
| Dream Center Evansville | www.dreamcenterevansville.org | Vanderburgh County |
| FAITH CDC | http://www.faithgary.org/ | Lake County |
| FAME (Foundation for Art and Music in Education) | www.famearts.org | Adams, Allen, Kosciusko, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Whitley |
| Family Promise of Greater Indianapolis | www.familypromiseindyihn.org | Marion and surrounding adjacent counties |
| Fort Wayne Civic Theatre | www.fwcivic.org | Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Miami, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells, & Whitley |
| Fox Hill Dance Foundation, Inc. | http://www.foxhilldanceacademy.com/ | Marion |
| Freewheelin’ Community Bikes | www.freewheelinbikes.com | Marion County |
| Friends of Ward Township District No. 5 School, Randolph Co., Inc. | N/A | Randolph, Jay, Delaware, Wayne |
| Good Samaritan Food Pantry | bndhollerman@gmail.com | Jasper and a small part of Newton |
| Greenfield Central School Foundation | www.gcschoolfoundation.org | Hancock County |
| Grouseland Foundation, Inc. | www.grouselandfoundation.org | All Indiana counties, Midwest region and Nation. |
| Half Way Home, Inc. | N/A | Montgomery, Boone, Warren, Fountain, Putnam, Parke, Tippecanoe, Hendricks–and potentially all other counties |
| Happy Hollow Children’s Camp | www.happyhollowcamp.net | Marion, Hendricks, Johnson, Hancock, Shelby, Boone, Hamilton, and Morgan counties. |
| Hendricks County Arts Council | www.hendrickscountyarts.org | Hendricks County primarily but we market all over the State of Indiana. |
| Honor Flight of Southern Indiana | www.Honorflightsi.org | Vanderburgh, Warrick, Gibson, Posey, Knox, Martin, Lawrence, Perry, Spencer, Dubois, Orange, Daviess, Crawford, Pike |
| Hoosier Burn Camp, Inc. | www.hoosierburncamp.org | All Indiana counties |
| Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry | www.HoosiersFeedingtheHungry.org | Indiana State wide, but funding can be designated to be used in specific county by grantor. |
| Hope Healthcare Services | www.myhopehealth.org | Hendricks (primarily), Boone, Morgan, Putnam, Montgomery |
| Indiana Music Education Association Foundation | www.imeamusic.org | We serve all Indiana counties. |
| Indianapolis Public School No. 27 – Center for Inquiry Magnet | http://www.myips.org/cfi27 | Marion County |
| Jameson Camp | www.jamesoncamp.org | All counties in Indiana. |
| Joe’s Kids | www.joes-kids.org | 80% Kosciusko County and 20% surrounding counties |
| Lady’s n Charge | https://www.facebook.com/Ladys-N-Charge-173081719510692/info/?tab=page_info | Lake County |
| Lebanon High School in partnership with Camptown | www.camptown.net | Boone County |
| Little Red Door Cancer Agency | www.littlereddoor.org | Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion, Morgan and Shelby |
| Matthew 25 Clinic | www.matthew25online.org | Allen, Adams, Wells, Huntington, Wabash, Kosciusko, Whitley, Noble, LaGrange, Steuben and DeKalb, Williams, Defiance, Paulding and Van Wert. |
| McMillen Health | http://mcmillenhealth.org/ and http://brushdental.org/ | Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, Noble, Randolph, Wells, Whitley |
| Mental Health America of Greater Indianapolis, Inc. | www.mhaindy.net | Marion, Hendricks, Hancock, Hamilton, Morgan, Johnson, Shelby. |
| NeighborLink Fort Wayne Foundation | www.nlfw.org | Allen County |
| New Horizons Rehabilitation | nhrinc.org | Dearborn County and Ripley County |
| Noble, Inc. | www.mynoblelife.org | Marion, Hamilton, Boone, Hendricks, Hancock, Johnson |
| One Love Community Circle | http://onelovecommunitycircle.org/ | St. Joseph County, Elkart Country |
| Pathway to Recovery | www.PathwaytoRecovery.org | Marion County |
| Pink Ribbon Society | www.pinkribbonsociety.org | Lake, Porter, Jasper and Newton counties in Northwest Indiana |
| Project Leadership | www.projectleadership.org | Delaware and Grant |
| Purchased, Inc | www.purchased.org | Marion, Hamilton, Hancock, Shelby, Johnson, Morgan, Hendricks, Boone |
| Reins of Life, Inc. | www.reinsoflife.org | St. Joseph, La Porte, Porter |
| Reins To Recovery, Inc. | www.reinstorecovery.org | Bartholomew, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson, Decatur, Scott |
| Second Stories, Inc | http://www.oursecondstories.com/home.html | Jefferson, Switzerland, Scott and Ripley Counties |
| Summer Reading Camp 2016 | LOMIK.org | 90 at-risk students from all counties of Indiana may apply and are served at no cost to the students in a residential one-week reading intervention camp at any of 3 locations: Lutheran Hills in Brown County, Lake Luther in Steuben County and Lutherwald in LaGrange County. |
| Team First Book (serving Monroe County) | www.firstbook.org | Monroe County |
| The League of Terre Haute, Inc. | www.leagueofterrehaute.com | Vigo County, Indiana |
| The Power House Alliance, Inc | www.powerhouseyouthcenters.com | Allen County |
| Willson Family Literacy Preschool | http://www.cville.k12.in.us/domain/147 | Montgomery County |
| Wilson Elementary School | http://gcs.k12.in.us/ | Clark County |
The Indiana First Lady’s Charitable Foundation is a 501 (c)(3). The First Lady receives no compensation. Donations are tax deductible. Learn more about how to make a donation or request a grant on the Foundation’s website at: www.IndianaFirstLadysCharitableFoundation.org
