Vincennes, IN, October 20, 2009 – Through its Building Health Communities grant program, The Home Depot® Foundation has awarded $2,450 to the YMCA of Vincennes.  The donation will be used to purchase native plants and materials for trails and a bridge for Project Camp Green.

“We needed trees, flowers, mulch and building supplies to help refurbish our grounds where we hold school-age childcare programs,” said Brenda Cummings, CEO of the YMCA.  “We were delighted to receive a gift card from The Home Depot Foundation – our children love playing outdoors, and this grant will help the children learn to take better care of our environment.”

The Home Depot Foundation’s Building Healthy Communities grant program supports the work that local nonprofit organizations, public schools and other community organizations are doing to improve the physical health of their neighborhoods. 

“We are delighted to support local volunteer projects aimed at creating healthier, more stable communities where families can thrive,” said Kelly Caffarelli, president, The Home Depot Foundation.  “The YMCA of Vincennes deserves enormous credit for the work it is doing, and we are glad to be part of their efforts.”   

About the YMCA of Vincennes

For over 100 years, the YMCA of Vincennes has served Knox County through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.  From recreation and fitness to day care for infants and older adults, our YMCA provides for those in need in our community.  Every year, volunteers at the YMCA of Vincennes raise over $100,000 to provide financial assistance for those who cannot afford to pay.  For more information, visit www.vincennesymca.org.

About The Home Depot Foundation

The Home Depot Foundation was created in 2002 to further the community building goals of The Home Depot. The Home Depot Foundation is dedicated to building affordable homes for working families that are healthy to live in and affordable to own. To make homes healthy and affordable, the Foundation encourages developers to incorporate responsible design and use durable and quality materials to ensure that homes are more energy and water efficient, have good indoor air quality, and provide a safe and healthy space to live. Since its formation, The Home Depot Foundation has granted $120 million to nonprofit organizations and supported the development of more than 65,000 affordable, healthy homes.  For more information, visit www.homedepotfoundation.org.

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Media Contacts:

YMCA of Vincennes

Judy Uhte

812-895-9622, Extension 15

Catherine Woodling, PR and Communications

The Home Depot Foundation

770.384.2304 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For inquiries about donations from The Home Depot Foundation:

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For immediate release: May 13, 2009

Posted by: [OCRA]

Contact: Anne Bell

Phone: (317) 232-0162

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Lt. Governor Skillman Awards More Than $11 Million in

Community Focus Funds

Recently, Lt. Governor Becky Skillman announced that 26 rural communities will receive Community Focus Fund (CFF) grants totaling $11,781,699.  The grants are funded by the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which is administered by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.  This is the ninth round of CFF grants the Lt. Governor has awarded since 2005. 

Grants are awarded through a competitive application process.  Applications providing eligible philanthropic matches receive extra points.  Thirty-one percent of the successfully funded projects had this match.

"These grants will provide Indiana communities with funding for needed infrastructure and improve the quality of life of many, many Hoosiers," said Lt. Governor Becky Skillman.  "In the past five years, I've seen the tremendous impact these grants have on our state.   I'm proud to award these 26 deserving rural communities with Community Focus Fund awards today."

OCRA provides technical assistance to community leaders during the 18-month implementation of their CFF projects.  Grantees include:

Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman will host a ceremony to honor the awardees at the Statehouse on July 13 at 2:00 p.m.

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The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs was created by legislation in 2005, making rural Indiana a major focus for the first time. For additional information on OCRA and its programs visit www.in.gov/ocra.

INDIANAPOLIS—The Indiana Humanities Council and the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana have awarded grants of up to $2,000 to 13 nonprofit organizations throughout Indiana. From Valparaiso to Madison, the grants will be used for a variety of projects, including K-12 learning experiences, tour brochures, and a traveling barn model. One grant winner is using GPS technology to create a geocaching adventure, a high-tech landmark treasure hunt.

The Indiana Humanities Council and Historic Landmarks Foundation have been partnering in this granting opportunity for 15 years, each providing $10,000 annually to the fund. This year, an additional individual donation of $5,000 to Historic Landmarks Foundation, matched by an equal amount from the Indiana Humanities Council, provided the largest pool of grant funds in the program’s history.

“We’re delighted to help non-profits spread the word about historic preservation through these grants—especially in difficult economic times such as these,” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of the Indiana Humanities Council. “Fostering an appreciation for history among community members and young children will lead to stronger, more vibrant communities.”

2009 Historic Preservation Education Grantees are:

• A Virtual Tour of the Historic Ambassador House and Heritage Gardens; The Historic Ambassador House and Heritage Gardens, Fishers
• Cemetery and Cemetery Landscape Conservation Conference; Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County, South Bend
• Geocaching Adventure on the Lincoln Highway; Indiana Lincoln Highway Association, South Bend
• If Walls Could Talk—Mystery at the Museum; Historical Society of Porter County, Valparaiso
• Madison Main Street Resource and Hotline Center; Madison Main Street Program, Madison
• Reducing Heating Costs in Residential Buildings Both Old and New; Muncie Historic Preservation and Rehabilitation Commission, Muncie
• Rensselaer Post Office Mural; Prairie Arts Council, Rensselaer
• Re-raising the Barn; Indiana State Fair Commission, Indianapolis
• Shapes of the Past; Shelbyville Middle School, Shelbyville
• The President’s Home: A Tour in Many Languages; President Benjamin Harrison Foundation, Inc., Indianapolis
• Tour de Vincennes; Knox County Public Library, Vincennes
• Wabash and Erie Canal Showcase of Historic Preservation; Carroll County Wabash and Erie Canal, Inc., Delphi
  Walkable, Rideable Whiting-Robertsdale; Whiting-Robertsdale Community Improvement Corp., Whiting

“The grant application is simple, and the match can be supplied entirely by volunteer time or in-kind contributions. We make it easy for communities large and small to celebrate landmarks and educate people about preservation,” said Marsh Davis, president of Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.

The Indiana Humanities Council provides two annual grant programs: Historic Preservation Education Grants, in partnership with Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, which supports educational projects related to historic structures; and Humanities Initiative Grants, given to nonprofit organizations to conduct public programs emphasizing the humanities. Humanities Initiative Grants are awarded three times each year. Winners from the second round will be announced in July; the third round application deadline is Aug. 1.

In the past five years the Indiana Humanities Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, has awarded 254 grants totaling more than $330,000 to nonprofit groups in 73 Indiana cities and towns.

In addition to Historic Preservation Education Grants, Historic Landmarks Foundation operates three grant programs aimed at helping Hoosiers preserve historic places: African American Landmark Fund grants; Indiana Preservation Grants, which allow nonprofit groups to commission professional feasibility, structural and restoration studies; and, in cooperation with the Central Indiana Community Foundation, Marion County Preservation Fund grants.

About the Indiana Humanities Council

The Indiana Humanities Council celebrates, encourages and facilitates the thinking that leads to innovation and action. As a convener, leader and partner, the Council supports the sharing of ideas, promotes the public humanities and engages Indiana’s community of minds to examine and improve the human condition. Learn more at www.indianahumanities.org.

About Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana

Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana saves and protects places of architectural and historical significance. From its ten Indiana offices, Historic Landmarks helps Hoosiers rescue endangered landmarks and revitalize historic areas, providing technical know-how, advocacy, and financial support to save the buildings that give communities visual identity and links to their distinctive heritage. Historic Landmarks Foundation is a private, not-for-profit organization. For more information, contact Historic Landmarks at 800.450.4534, or visit www.historiclandmarks.org.

Source: Indiana Humanities Council