BEDFORD — The Lawrence County Community Foundation (LCCF) has finalized the impact tracking for its highly successful Open Grant Cycle, highlighting a total distribution of $91,511.00 across twenty distinct area non-profit organizations.
The competitive funding round utilized a dual framework of Impact and Boost Grants to target an extensive spectrum of community needs. Capital injections were directly allocated to organizations tackling food insecurity, emergency housing, youth literacy, municipal safety, local recreation, and animal welfare.
“The good work generated by these grants can only occur through a combined community effort — the generosity of Community Foundation donors and the dedicated work of our non-profit partners.” — Hope Flores, CEO of the Community Foundation Partnership (CFP)
Early Childhood Literacy and Interactive Learning
A significant portion of the foundation’s educational funding targeted early childhood development and innovative career exploration tools.
Dolly Parton Imagination Library Expansion
LCCF provided a critical grant to the United Way of South Central Indiana to offset the operational costs of the county’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library chapter. The funding ensures that approximately 550 Lawrence County children—spanning from birth through age four—receive a high-quality, age-appropriate book mailed directly to their homes completely free of charge each month.
“Futuropolis” Sim City Project
In Mitchell, grant funding laid the structural foundation for “Futuropolis”—a highly interactive, simulated career exploration micro-city designed for elementary students. The mini-metropolis will eventually feature realistic storefronts, commercial signage, and interactive industry tools.
The initial phase focused heavily on design and construction, bridging local businesses with multi-disciplinary students from the COSMOS system (the Collaboration of Shoals, Mitchell, and Orleans Schools). Students specializing in construction trades, education pathways, and fine arts collaborated directly with Cement City Industries to build out the infrastructure.
| Grant Sector | Key Beneficiary | Local Community Impact Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Food Security | Hoosier Hills Food Bank | Feeds ~5,000 Bedford & Mitchell residents monthly via mobile pantries |
| Nutritional Aid | LIFE Food Pantry | Provided fresh produce, dairy, and meats to ~900 individuals |
| Public Safety | Local VFDs & Fire Territory | Replaced expired SCBA cylinders and structural safety gear |
Fortifying Regional Food Pantries
With local food systems facing ongoing supply chain and economic pressures, LCCF directed specific funds toward keeping food pantry shelves stocked with high-quality, perishable inventory:
- Hoosier Hills Food Bank: Received an Impact Grant dedicated exclusively to purchasing staple foods for their high-volume mobile pantry truck. The unit deploys to Bedford and Mitchell on a monthly rotation, directly supporting roughly 5,000 Lawrence County residents.
- LIFE Food Pantry: Utilized its funding allocation to bypass traditional canned goods and purchase high-dollar, perishable nutritional items—including fresh fruits, crisp vegetables, dairy products, and fresh meats. Volunteers noted that these essential dietary items are rarely included in standard public or church donation drives. The funding directly fed 900 individuals over a four-month period.
Lifesaving Upgrades for First Responders
Public safety grants were distributed to the Shawswick Township Volunteer Fire Department, the Indian Creek Volunteer Fire Department, and the Lawrence County Fire Territory. The funds were strictly utilized to purchase modern tactical gear to protect both rural properties and the physical safety of the firefighters themselves:
- SCBA Oxygen Cylinders: Teams purchased new Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus cylinders, providing compressed, breathable oxygen to safeguard firefighters working inside toxic or oxygen-deficient structural blazes.
- Tanker Truck Remediation: Mechanics repaired a vital heavy tanker truck, restoring the department’s capability to haul thousands of gallons of water into isolated rural zones lacking municipal fire hydrants.
- Structural Helmets: Replaced aging, out-of-spec headgear with new models meeting updated federal fire safety performance standards.
Triple Your Impact: $2-for-$1 Unrestricted Match Active
To ensure the long-term sustainability of these grants, LCCF has launched a major matching campaign. For a limited window, every $1 contributed by community donors to an LCCF unrestricted endowment fund will be matched with $2 in corporate capital, effectively tripling the financial footprint of the donation.
The match period will remain active until the designated matching pool is completely depleted or until the final campaign cutoff on June 30, 2028.
Residents interested in leveraging the match or exploring community grant options are encouraged to contact CFP CEO Hope Flores directly at 812-279-2215 or via email at LCCF@CFPartner.org.
