2001 Funded Projects
Copyright © Welborn Baptist Foundation, Inc., 2005
WELBORN BAPTIST FOUNDATION
DESCRIPTIONS OF GRANTS AWARDED 2001
 
GENERAL OPPORTUNITY
Goals: The majority of the available funds are directed to the specific targets; the Foundation did consider and award grants in areas outside of the target areas which provide a valuable service or which address important community needs.
 
GRANTS AWARDED: 6 Grants totaling $55,500
 
Aldersgate United Methodist Church
Family Preservation program
$8,000
A proposal to establish a Family Preservation program, targeting incarcerated mothers and their school-age children, with the following objectives: 1) to enhance maternal-child bonding; 2) to build life skills and increase self-esteem in both mothers and children; 3) to reduce children's trauma, stigmatization and stress of separation caused by maternal incarceration; and 4) to enhance opportunities for positive life experiences and outcomes for both populations.
 
Churches Embracing Offenders
Program support
$10,000
Churches Embracing Offenders is a faith-based non-profit agency dedicated to ministering to the spiritual, physical, emotional and social needs of non-violent offenders living in, and returning to, the community.
 
Community Marriage Builders
Seminar support
$5,000
A non-profit organization dedicated to educating and equipping the community for lifetime marriages. Funding will be used to help sponsor Project Marriage Maintenance - a marriage enrichment and enhancement seminar to be held in the Fall of 2002.
 
Evansville Catholic High School Board
“A Promise to Keep” sex abstinence program
$12,000
Funding for the Evansville Catholic High Schools' peer mentoring abstinence program, A PROMISE TO KEEP. The program establishes and reinforces the benefits of abstinence as they apply to healthy spiritual, emotional, social, psychological and physical development.

First Presbyterian Church of Evansville 
Little Lambs program
$8,000

Little Lambs project was developed to encourage young mothers to utilize the many programs and resources available in our community with the primary goal of reversing the statistically low levels of prenatal care young children's healthcare and very high infant mortality rate in Vanderburgh County.

Joshua Academy

$12,500
Funding will be used to establish a comprehensive music program at the Academy as an enhancement to the Joshua Academy curriculum. This program will introduce students to the world of music through instruction geared to prepare them for choral singing and playing instruments. The music program will include music history, cultural influences, voice, instruments and elements.

 
HEALTH MINISTRIES IN CONGREGATIONS
Goals:  Health ministries programs have grown from the recognition of the faith community's responsibility to care for the whole person, including the physical, mental and spiritual needs.  The components of a health ministry may include: health education, parish nursing, visitation, support groups and spiritual care.

Welborn Baptist Foundation supports efforts of churches to establish health ministries in our community.
 
GRANTS AWARDED:  11 Grants totaling $99,341
 
St. John the Apostle Catholic Church
Development of Nurses Guild
$24,000
With a successful exercise and nutrition program already established, St. John the Apostle Church seeks to incorporate the services of a pool of nurses.  With the assistance of the nurses, the existing program will promote health education and reach out to a broader radius of individuals within the community.
Salem United Church of Christ
Expansion of Health Ministry
$17,500
Salem's health ministry was established in 1993 and has become an important part of their church.  The grant will be used to provide more services and extend their health ministry to the elderly community in northern Vanderburgh County.   Their accessible facilities will aid them in providing training and workshops, health screenings, advocacy, counseling, and referral to community resources.  
St. Mary's Catholic Church
Expansion of Health Ministry
$12,480
St. Mary's Church health ministry was established in 1997 and has continually expanded its outreach to the poor in the downtown community of Evansville.  The grant will enable them to address more health issues such as depression, obesity in adults and children, and problems specific to the elderly, poor, and homeless.  
Corpus Christi Catholic Church
Implementation of Health Ministry
$10,000
As part of the parish mission of building community and touching others, Corpus Christi will form a congregation-based health ministry which will extend to other congregations and the surrounding community.  The program will focus first on addressing issues that have been identified through a congregational health needs assessment.
 
First United Methodist Church of Fort Branch
Expansion of Health Ministry Program
$9,000
The grant will allow First United Methodist Church to further develop its healing ministry within their congregation and also in the surrounding communities in southern Gibson County.  Because of their location and accessible facilities, they can fill a gap by  providing health information/resources, screening, prevention programs, parenting support and more for all age groups.
 
Christ Church United Church of Christ
Implementation of Health Ministry
$5,000
The grant will allow Christ Church UCC to fully implement the 'Called to Care' program, focusing on health education and prevention for the congregation and surrounding community.  
St. Anthony Catholic Church
Expansion of Health Ministry
$5,000

St. Anthony Church serves a very diverse congregation, where people have many physical and medical concerns.  The grant will enable them to expand their services to more people and train additional lay volunteers who will be essential to sustain the ongoing program.  
Holy Redeemer Catholic Church
Expansion of Health Ministry
$4,561
Holy Redeemer Church will initiate a Nurse Advocacy program as part of their established health ministry.  The primary focus will be to assist those individuals, such as elderly or families with special needs children, who require assistance to remain independent in their own homes.  The program will involve licensed nurses and serve the congregation and surrounding community.  
Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church
Implementation of Health Ministry
$4,500
The grant will make possible the implementation of a new health ministry.  The initial focus of the program will be on elderly, sick, and homebound persons, plus wellness and safety programs for school-age children.
 
Westside Catholic Consolidated School
Implementation of Health Ministry
$3,800
In partnership with several congregations in the Howell neighborhood, the school will provide space for the development of an intergenerational health ministry.  Health education, screenings, and exercise will be some of the offerings, along with volunteer  opportunities for senior citizens to tutor school-age children.  
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
Expansion of Health Ministry
$3,500
St. John the Baptist Church will add an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), and training for their parish nurses, to their health ministry.  Having an AED on site will enhance their capabilities as a designated Red Cross Disaster Response Site.


LITERACY/LANGUAGE OR LEARNING PROGRAMS

GRANTS AWARDED: 8 Grants totaling $124,000.

Catholic Diocese of Evansville
Literacy Project for Hispanic Workers
$50,000
Approximately 3000 Hispanic workers live and work in Southwestern Indiana, many of whom speak little or no English.  This project, a collaborative partnership between the Catholic Diocese, the Metropolitan Evansville Chamber of Commerce, and other agencies was established to offer support, services, education, and programs for faith development  within the Hispanic community.  Meeting these needs will help Hispanic community members to become solid, contributing members in their new communities.
 
First Presbyterian Church of Carmi
'On A Positive Note' Program
$22,000
Research has shown that musical training strengthens cognitive functioning and enhances critical skill development. This program seeks to incorporate musical training  into an after-school program for children who have fallen behind their peers academically and socially. By learning to play an instrument and basic music theory, the children will strengthen their academic, developmental, and resiliency skills.

St. Vincent's Day Care Center
Adaptation of  Classrooms for Learning Center Program
$20,000
St. Vincent's Day Care seeks to implement a research-based learning center program for economically disadvantaged children.  The program will apply the latest early childhood development philosophies that stimulate learning and academically enhance the children.

Oakland City University

Adult Literacy Program
$10,000
The University is developing an innovative program which seeks to improve the literacy rates of adults with minimal reading skills, as they enter or continue in the work place.  It will equip teachers, Sunday School teachers, and future teachers with essential skills to identify and mentor these adults.  The program will serve mainly Gibson and Pike counties.  

32º Masonic Learning Centers for Children, Inc.

Tutoring Program for Dyslexic Children
$10,000

The Learning Center seeks to expand  their literacy program to reach more children with dyslexia and language processing disorders. They offer each child an individualized program, customized to that the child's abilities, which is based on one of the most research-based, effective methods known to help children with language processing difficulties.
 
Marian Day School
Special Education Resource Program
$6,000
Marian Day School is continuing the development of a spiritual and child-centered educational program designed to meet the needs of high school students with mild developmental disabilities.   By providing alternative faith-based school placement, the program seeks to improve students' sense of self-worth and renew their interest in learning.
 
Westside Catholic Consolidated School
Four Blocks Literacy Program
$4,000
WCCS will be implementing the Four Blocks literacy program, a model that provides framework for instruction in guided reading, writing, self-selected reading, and the development of phonics, spelling, and vocabulary skills.  The program recognizes that all children do not learn in the same way, and that instruction must accommodate the learning style of each individual child.
 
Evansville Area Community of Churches
Weekday Christian Education
$2,000
Weekday serves third and fourth graders in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation with a voluntary, child-centered program to teach children about God.  The children are actively encouraged to care for their mental, physical, and spiritual health, and are taught that they can turn to God instead of taking out anger on others or abusing substances.  
 
SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION
Alcohol abuse and illicit drug use are associated with child and spousal abuse; sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection; teen pregnancy; school failure; motor vehicle crashes; escalation of health care costs; low worker productivity; and homelessness. Alcohol abuse and illicit drug use also can result in substantial disruptions in family, work, and personal life.  
Goals: WBF wishes to support church and faith-based efforts to address substance abuse issues among youth and adults, including support of programs designed to steer youth away from illicit drug use in our community
 
GRANTS AWARDED:  4 Grants totaling $125,000
 
YMCA of Southwestern Indiana
Y-CAP and Diamonds
$50,000
Continued funding for the Y-CAP and Diamonds programs which are focus on healthy development of low-income youth who are most vulnerable to drugs and crime. The program emphasizes positive Christian values, self-esteem and healthy lifestyle choices.
 
Evansville Christian Life Center
Grace House Program
$35,000
Support for the Christian Life Center Grace House program which is designed to achieve restoration of the lives of young women whose choices with drugs, alcohol, and relationships have resulted in the collapse of their life potentials. The program is focused on Christian-based changes in lives that permanently change individual value systems.
 
St. Mary's Foundation
Planning grant

$35,000
Planning grant to allow St. Mary's Addiction Services to investigate three successful research-proven chemical dependency intervention and treatment programs.  The goal is to adopt the most successful program for local implementation in the tri-state.

Patchwork Central
"SMART Moves" program
$5,000
Funding to implement the research-based "SMART Moves" program in the "Arts and Smarts" curriculum of the Patchwork program for at-risk children. SMART Moves is a nationally renowned prevention program aimed at addressing alcohol, tobacco, other drug use, and premature sex.
 
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