• New Community Impact Director, Jackie Martinez
• HEAL Markets kick off July 10
• Nurturing Hope: a closer look at Women's Care Center
• Expanding the reach of Double Up Indiana, a SNAP-matching program
• A special thank you to board members

Welcome to Jackie Martinez, who will join the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation as our Community Impact Director in July. She will work closely with community partners, overseeing the grantmaking program. Jackie holds an MS in Nonprofit Management from Grace College, a BS in Human Services from Purdue University, and extensive experience leading the Healthy Start Program at Healthier Moms & Babies for the past nine years. She also spent ten years with the Fort Wayne Police Department as a bilingual Victim Advocate/Case Worker. A native of Venezuela, she has been a US Citizen since 2010. She has a passion for serving vulnerable populations. Join us in welcoming Jackie!

Locally grown and affordable fruits and vegetables will be for sale starting July 10 at the three area HEAL Markets, which are located in food deserts, or neighborhoods with low access to fresh food and a significant number of low-income families. The markets are unique because they accept and double the WIC and Senior produce vouchers and SNAP benefits low-income residents receive. 

“Good nutrition is critical to leading a healthy life, and that’s why the St. Joe Foundation supports access to affordable and nutritious fruits and vegetables for vulnerable people in our community,” said Meg Distler, executive director of the Foundation. “The HEAL markets double the buying power for many...



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At the heart of our community lies a beacon of hope and parental empowerment—the Women's Care Center. Supported by the St. Joe Foundation since it opened in 2003, it offers free, confidential counseling, support, and education to expectant mothers, guiding them through one of life's most profound journeys. At the Women's Care Center, women receive compassionate care during one of the most critical times in their lives. Offering free pregnancy testing and ultrasounds to help determine viability and dates, the center ensures that every woman is equipped with the knowledge and support she needs to make informed decisions about her future. 

We are honored to share this inspiring client story that the Women’s Care Center shared with us. Its dedicated team, compassionate volunteers, and generous donors have all played a pivotal role in creating a nurturing environment where women, their partners, and their babies can thrive.

They say good things come in small packages. Never has that been more true than for...

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AJ HUGHES | Originally Posted on InputFortWayne.com

Even though Indiana is known for its significant agricultural output, close to a million Hoosiers deal with food insecurity, according to Feeding America. But it’s not about access to just any food, leaders addressing food insecurity want to make sure people can access affordable and nutritious food that promotes health and prevents disease. 

In 2020, leaders at the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation (SJCHF) helped launch Double Up Indiana, a program that allows people who use SNAP/EBT cards to double their buying power when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Participants receive a dollar’s worth of fruits and vegetables for every SNAP dollar they spend...

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The St. Joe Foundation is blessed with a wonderful volunteer board of directors. The members of the 2024-2025 Executive Committee, elected by the board in May, are:

• Board Chair: Joe Muhler
• Board Vice-Chair: Bill Ehinger
• Immediate Past Board Chair / Nominating & Development Committee Chair: Dave Johnson
• Treasurer / Finance Committee Chair / PHJC Investment Committee Representative: Kevin Noll
• Secretary: Lora Overton
• Community Initiatives Committee Chair: Rachel Blakeman
• Mission & Spirituality Committee Chair: Cindy Black
• Grants Committee Chair: Mary Hess
• At-Large Member: Maria Krach
• Executive Director / Ex-Officio Non-Voting Member: Meg Distler

Special thanks to those who retired from the board in May:

• John Gildea
• Nick Hursh
• Tom Kintanar
• Desiree Koger-Gustafson
• Alice Jordan

The full list of the 2024-2025 board of directors can be found on the Foundation’s website.