• St. Joe invests more than $600,000 in spring grants to local organizations that care for vulnerable populations
• 2024 Raymond Rosenberger - Minette Baum Award presented to Mindy Waldron
• Job opening for Community Impact Director
• Meg Distler University of Saint Francis honorary degree recipient
• Indiana Food Vision Survey
• Fellowship program helps students learn about improving public health in underserved communities

The St. Joseph Community Health Foundation is investing an additional $612,565 in local nonprofits and grassroots organizations working with low-income and vulnerable residents.

The Board of Directors recently approved the latest round of grants, bringing the total number of grants awarded since January 1, 2024, to 53. 

Since the St. Joe Foundation was established in 1998, it has awarded more than $28 million through more than 1,900 grants to 287 organizations.

The St. Joe Foundation is sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. It invests in programming and operations that improve the health and well-being of vulnerable residents in four impact areas: Refugees & Immigrants, Food Insecurity & Nutrition, Prenatal & Infant Care, and Access to Health & Wellness.

"The high demand for nutritious food continues as residents make hard choices about stretching their paychecks to cover rent, utilities, childcare, prescriptions, and other essentials. Additionally, the need for culturally centered and affordable mental health services for vulnerable residents continues to grow," says Meg Distler, St. Joe Foundation executive director. "Our staff, grants committee, and Board of Directors are grateful to be able to support our nonprofit partners as they work to address these and other critical issues."

The majority of grants awarded since January 2024 are part of the spring grant cycle, which just concluded. Those grants and investments total $531,000. Another $81,565 was awarded to nonprofits and churches that will offer the Our HEALing Kitchen cooking and nutrition classes and HEAL Markets, as well as several smaller "mini-grants" to grassroots organizations.

Spring 2024 grants and community investments include...

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Mindy Waldron, administrator for the Allen County Department of Health, has been named the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Raymond Rosenberger–Minette Baum award.

The St. Joseph Community Health Foundation Board of Directors recently nominated Waldron for her diligent and faithful service to improve the health of vulnerable populations.

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• Do you have a passion for serving the vulnerable?
• We are seeking a passionate and experienced non-profit professional to serve as our program officer.
• Do you want to lead our grantmaking and build relationships with community and faith-based organizations serving Allen County, Indiana's most vulnerable populations?

You will...

https://bit.ly/CommunityImpactDirector

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Two University of Saint Francis students recently wrapped up a Public Health Fellowship funded in part by the St. Joe Foundation.

Kennedy Trabel, a sophomore, completed her fellowship working with the Fort Wayne Community Schools Cooking in the Classroom program. The program introduced all FWCS seventh grade students to nutrition education and provided hands-on cooking instruction. Trabel assisted with ordering food for recipes, organizing cooking equipment and supplies, reviewing evaluations and volunteering in the classrooms.

For Trabel, the experience provided...



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