HANCOCK COUNTY – United Way of Central Indiana officials spent Monday morning networking with local nonprofits, sharing ways in which the organization can provide grants and other support for the Hancock County community.
Monday’s session – held at the Circle of Care center in Greenfield –was one of five stops the United Way is making throughout central Indiana to discuss collaboration and funding opportunities with human service-based nonprofits.
The outreach is being used to unveil the United Way’s five-year strategic plan called Partners in Purpose, which focuses on channeling resources to support Central Indiana families experiencing financial instability.
Fred Payne, executive director for the United Way of Central Indiana, said the sessions were designed for human service nonprofits not currently accredited with United Way, but whose missions align with agency’s work to alleviate poverty throughout the region.
The key areas requiring the most focus include basic needs, early care and learning, economic mobility, and safe and affordable housing, he said.
“It takes everyone in this room and a lot of other rooms to address all the needs of this community. You can never have too much of this type of work being done,” Payne said Monday, praising the work done by the nonprofit leaders in the room.
Lynda Kosh, executive director of Meals on Wheels of Hancock County, who also oversees the Circle of Care center, served as the liaison for the work session between local nonprofits and the United Way.
Kosh said she’s been impressed by the regional United Way’s efforts to become more engaged with nonprofits at the county level since Payne took over the executive director’s post two years ago.
“They’ve made themselves much more available in this new season, and have been super helpful,” she said.
Kosh said Payne has also been learning more about the local Circle of Care concept – in which multiple nonprofits share a collective work space – and could likely use the concept to help nonprofits do the same in other counties.
Jessica French, senior director of communications for the United Way of Central Indiana, said the outreach sessions like the one held Monday have been instrumental in learning about local efforts to support central Indiana communities.
“We’re looking for deeper partnerships with some of these organizations who are doing grassroots work we may not be aware of. We’re doing a lot of listening,” she said.
Tom Ferguson, a local volunteer for both the Hancock County Food Pantry and Love INC, said he attended this week’s session to learn more about how the United Way can help meet the needs of local residents.
“I just wanted to learn more of the opportunities the United Way of Central Indiana provides for us,” he said. “It’s clear that they offer a lot of opportunities.”
To learn more about the United Way of Central Indiana’s five-year strategic plan to support local communities, visit UWCI.org/partners-in-purpose.
