News & Events

Miami County Community Foundation Awards Grants

The Miami County Community Foundation honored local charities and donors as they awarded over $13,600 to nine worthy organizations on Thursday December 8th at the First Christian Church Fire House Ministry in Peru.

The grants are part of the Community Foundation’s Unrestricted Funds which allow the community foundation to assess the greatest needs of the community and assist the community's individual programs. The funds that make it possible for these grants to be awarded are the: Bob Clary Unrestricted Endowment Fund, Donald W. Ferrara Unrestricted Fund, Jane and Bob Haskett Fund, Miami County General Unrestricted Fund, Miami County Services Committee Unrestricted Endowment Fund and the John Nixon Unrestricted Fund.

Since 1997 the Community Foundation has awarded over 1.4 million dollars to local organizations and projects that help Miami County provide the services and enhancements that make it a great place to live and work.

The Community Foundation received 20 grant applications with requests of over $122,000 for worthy projects within Miami County. The Community Foundation relies on a committee comprised of Miami County residents and Community Foundation board members to determine  the greatest needs based upon the applications received. The committee reviewed all the applications and narrowed the selection down to the final nine organizations. See article from more:

Miami County Community Services Council Presents Annual Agency Awards
By Jonathan Kleyer, jkleyer@perutribune.com

Kim Martino, BOOKS coordinator; Debi Wallick, Community Services Council president; Aliceann Allman and Mary Brooks, Beta Sigma Phi dental clinic; Jay Kendall, Veterans Service Officer.

Four community members and programs received awards Wednesday recognizing their service.

The Miami County Community Service Council awarded the Beta Sigma Phi dental clinic the agency of the year, Jay Kendall of the Miami County Veteran Service Office the employee of the year, Kim Martino as the volunteer of the year for her work on the Books Offer Our Kids Success program and Mike Kuepper the Meritorious Service Award for his work on the Nickel Plate Trail.

The council has hosted the awards banquet for 20 years.

“The reason is to highlight volunteers and agencies for what they’ve done,” said Debi Wallick, executive director of the United Way of Miami County.

The awards are ways to let people know of all the things being done behind the scenes to help the community, Wallick said.

Kuepper was unable to attend the banquet because he was in Florida for a conference. Wallick called him from the banquet to notify him of the award and put him on speaker for congratulations.

He was selected for the award because of the “endless” hours he spent partnering with volunteers and agencies to build the Nickel Plate Trail, she said.

Mary Brooks and Aliceann Allman accepted the agency of the year award as members of the Beta Sigma Phi dental clinic committee.

“We are very honored,” Brooks said. “We feel the dental clinic is a very worthwhile program for the community.”

The sorority’s dental clinic is run as an all-volunteer service project, with members covering minor expenses so “every dime goes to helping,” she said. The clinic pays for the services of county dentists to help local adults and children who have low incomes or are uninsured.

Kendall said being named employee of the year was surprising and humbling. As veteran’s service officer, Kendall’s job focuses on helping veterans receive benefits.

One of the best developments in helping veterans in the area is the ability to connect them with the county’s VA clinic, he said.

“It’s very humbling to help people out, and I enjoy my job a lot,” Kendall said.

Martino was also surprised to receive an award.

The BOOKS program is in its fifth year, providing kindergartners in county schools with a free book each month. Martino works as a coordinator for the program and said she hopes to continue partnering with organizations and encouraging donations to keep the program thriving.

“It is humbling because there are so many great things going on in Miami County. ... (BOOKS) is something I’m very passionate about, helping students get something to read,” Martino said.

Weekend Meal Deals Program Begins
By Matt Hutton, mhutton@perutribune.com

Volunteers hard at work

Weekend Meals Deals, which has been in the planning stages for months with an initial target launch date of Oct. 1, had set its ultimate goal for the 2011-12 school year at reaching every South Peru student who qualified for the free or reduced lunch program. Peru Community Schools Assistant Superintendent Dave Thompson said this would have been about 150 to 160 students and, at $5 per student per weekend, it would cost about $17,000. Currently, the Weekend Meals Deals committee has $3,000.

“A lot of communities are doing backpack programs to provide a bridge from Friday through the weekend,” Thompson said. Because the committee did not have enough funding to reach all the students in need, they decided to start with the Head Start students and, if more money is donated or becomes available, they can add subgroups as the year progresses.

“We feel very fortunate to be invited to be part of this,” said Julie Worland, Head Start director for Howard, Miami and Tipton counties. “The economy is pretty tough right now and this will really help our families.”
The backpacks, which have all been donated to the program, were packed with 5.5 pound of food by about 13 volunteers at Independent Christian Fellowship Church Thursday morning. “It was so exciting when we pulled up to see so many faces,” Wallick said.

Among the items that will be sent home tonight with students were canned fruit and vegetables, a can of beef stew, one box mashed potatoes, one big box or four small boxes of cereals, shelf stabled milk that requires no refrigeration until opened and two pudding cups.

“There is a hierarchy of basic needs (starting with) food, shelter and health care … and you can’t go up the ladder, which includes education, thinking or learning, if you take out the most important plank. You will not be able to learn at your highest potential,” Thompson said. “Our goals are to supplement families’ food during the weekend when we don’t have anything going on at the school.”

The committee members said they hoped people would donate. Sponsorships are available for $500, which would get a business or individual’s name printed on Weekend Meal Deal flyers, but even a little at a time like $5, $10 or $20 per week, will help them expand the program.

“It’s the right thing to do and it’s the right time to do it. We know the need is dramatic in Peru -- as a district 60 percent of students (are eligible for free/reduced) and if each family that can help does, that’d be great, that’d be super,” Thompson said.

Worland said she was grateful to the Miami County program, because many of the families in head start are in need. One of the appealing parts about starting with Head Start, she added, was that they focus on all aspects fo the student. “Head Start not only educates but takes care of medical and social needs and offers parent workshops for parent involvement in education. It’s all comprehensive, that’s what’s really cool about it,” she said.

Wallick, Thompson and Worland stressed that without community support and partnerships – including the United Way, Miami County Community Foundation, Helping Hands, Purdue Extension, Peru Community Schools and Independent Christian Fellowship Church – the program could not have gotten off the ground.

“We’re just so thankful and appreciative to live in a community that values supporting kids,” Thompson said.
There is no cost for eligible families to participate in the program. For more information, contact Wallick, 765-473-4240.

If you would like to make a donation to support the Weekend Meal Deal in Miami County, click the Make A Donation link to the left of the article. Please be sure to enter Weekend Meal Deal in the Fund Designation box.