July 2025 Newsletter

  • Meg Distler plans to retire, search for new CEO begins
  • Fall grants: Letters of Intent Due August 29
  • Meet the organizations working to connect Northeast Indiana residents to local farmers
  • Empowering lives through education: The Literacy Alliance
  • HEAL-ing the community is Positively Fort Wayne
  • Important dates
 
 

- Walking quietly, humbly with trust in God towards the future -

 
 

Foundation spotlight

Meg Distler plans to retire, search for new CEO begins

The St. Joseph Community Health Foundation’s Executive Director, Meg Distler, has advised the Board of Directors that she will retire in December 2025. Distler has served as the ministry’s top executive since 1998, when it was reorganized with some of the proceeds of the sale of St. Joseph Medical Center.


Annually, the St. Joe Foundation collaborates with approximately 100 local nonprofits to ensure that quality resources and services are available to vulnerable individuals with limited financial means. This ministry focuses on...


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- Responding to community needs with grants -

 
 

Foundation fall grant cycle

Fall grants: Letters of Intent due August 29

Letter of Intent Due: August 29

Applications Due: September 15


Applicants seeking grants over $5,000 must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to briefly outline their ideas before applying. Foundation staff will review each LOI and provide feedback within two weeks. Approved applicants must submit their full grant applications by September 15, 2025. During the review process, we may contact you to clarify or request additional information.


Responding to changes in state and federal funding for services to vulnerable populations that will impact many in our community, in 2025 the St. Joe Foundation will give priority to...


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- Helping families in our community access nutritious food -

 
 

Grantee spotlight

Meet the organizations working to connect Northeast Indiana residents to local farmers

Lauren Caggiano | Tuesday, July 22, 2025 | Originally posted on InputFortWayne.com


Twice a week over the summer, HEAL Farm Markets pop up at the Johnnie Mae Farm and the Parkview Community Greenhouse and Learning Kitchen. These markets carry the typical sights, sounds, and smells of a typical farmers market, like colorful, fresh, nutritionally dense produce grown by local farmers. There’s more than meets the eye here, however.

 

Operating in the background is a coalition of four key organizations: Northeast Indiana Local Food Network, Purdue Extension, Plowshares Cooperative Food Hub, and the Burmese Farmers Group. These partners have...


Read the whole article on inputfortwayne.com

 
 

- "...I was a stranger and you welcomed me" - Matthew 25:35 -

 
 

Grantee spotlight

Empowering lives through education:

The Literacy Alliance

The Literacy Alliance believes that literacy changes lives, and their mission is to empower people and strengthen the community through education. By helping individuals attain an education, especially those who lack resources, they create pathways for growth and opportunity.


One inspiring example of this impact is Greyshel Cordero, a resilient young woman from Guatemala who embodies the spirit of hope and determination. Since her arrival six years ago, Greyshel has balanced two jobs—quality control at a local factory during the week and serving customers as a...


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- Helping all people in our community access nutritious food -

 
 

In the news

HEAL-ing the community is Positively Fort Wayne

WANE 15 recently covered the St. Joe Foundation and Parkview-sponsored "HEAL Markets" in their popular series "Positively Fort Wayne."


HEAL Markets are off to a great start for the 2025 summer season and will be open until the end of August. Come out and visit the HEAL Markets for nourishing local produce at a great value!

Johnnie Mae Farm

2518 Winter St. | 4-6PM

Open Mondays

July 7 - August 25

Parkview Health Greenhouse

1716 Beacon St. | 4-6PM

Open Thursdays

July 10 - August 28

Southside Market

3300 Warsaw St. | 8AM-1PM

Open Saturdays

July 12 - August 30

Watch the video coverage on WANE.com

 
 

- Important dates -

 

Our HEALing Kitchen Fall Grants Deadline: August 15


Reminder: The application deadline for Fall Our HEALing Kitchen grants is August 15, 2025! Host cooking and nutrition courses through Our HEALing Kitchen grants, using a curriculum developed by Parkview dietitians. This curriculum emphasizes locally grown food, the benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and other healthy daily habits. Grants range from $500 to $1,500. Apply at sjchf.org or email JMartinez@sjchf.org.


Learn more

PIC Luncheon save the date:

September 4


Connecting resources: A focus on the Division of Children Services and supportive programming for pregnant women and families


Join us for our upcoming Prenatal & Infant Care Network Luncheon, where the Division of Children Services (DCS) will present an overview of their comprehensive services, detailing the process that follows a substantiated case. Additionally, learn about the supportive programs available for pregnant women and vulnerable families from Healthier Moms and Babies and the Iris Family Support Center.


View previous luncheon materials

 
 
 
 
 

Continuing the legacy of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation is inspired by Gospel values and the spirit of Saint Katharina Kasper.

Contact | Prenatal & Infant | Nutrition & Food Insecurity | Immigrants & Refugees | Grants 

 
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