Wabash Valley Philanthropy Alliance

The past year has tested our flexibility and creativity, both personally and professionally. For nonprofits, it has meant pivoting away from previous fundraising tactics to developing new methods of reaching donors and communicating missions. Looking into the next year, our panelists will discuss lessons they have learned, challenges they are facing as well as predictions for the future of fundraising in the Wabash Valley.

WHO: Nonprofits Professionals, Board Members, Volunteers and Corporate Philanthropist

WHEN: Friday March 12 @ 8:30 a.m.

WHERE: Zoom, RSVP to mkoenig@uwwv.org

Questions? Message the WVPA on Facebook@wabashvalleyphilanthropyalliance

When the world shut down earlier this year in the beginning stages of the global pandemic, nonprofit organizations were impacted as they struggled to serve their constituents in new ways and with limited resources. Yet, these organizations remained true to their missions and worked tirelessly to serve others throughout the community, state and world.

In celebration of National Philanthropy Day, the founding members of the Wabash Valley Philanthropy Alliance (WVPA) would like to take this opportunity to shine a light on the important works of individuals and organizations making a difference during this challenging time. On Monday, Nov. 16, 2020, the WVPA will host a day of reflection and gratitude in honor of National Philanthropy Day.

“We want to use this day to say ‘thank you’ – thank you to our volunteers who give of their time and talent to make an impact; thank you to those who make charitable contributions to generate change; thank you to those who serve and work for nonprofit organizations to create new opportunities in our community,” said Rachel Mullinnix, executive director of Ivy Tech Foundation, Terre Haute, and founding member of the WVPA.
WVPA asks those who volunteer, financially support or work for a nonprofit organization, or those who benefit from charitable works, to take a moment and share a positive photo or story on social media using #WVPhilanthropy2020 or by tagging @wabashvalleyphilanthropyalliance on Facebook.

“Our community’s philanthropic organizations play a vital role in improving the quality of life for all of us,” said Margie Anshutz, president of the Hamilton Center Foundation Inc. “Whether their work supports social and recreational opportunities, health and human services, culture and the arts or education, our community could simply not thrive without them.”
According to the Association of Fundraising Professionals, National Philanthropy Day recognizes the contributions of philanthropy as well as the people active in it, in order to better enrich the world. After beginning as a grassroots effort in the early 1980s, National Philanthropy Day was first recognized widely in 1986 with the signing of a proclamation by President Ronald Reagan.

“Our local Wabash Valley Philanthropy Day celebrates the good works being done in our community by nonprofit organizations, individuals and local businesses,” said Beth Tevlin, executive director of the Wabash Valley Community Foundation, and founding member of the WVPA. “What this year has taught us is that our community is strong and resilient – even in the midst of a pandemic. Daily, I witness how our community is rallying to invest time and dollars in making a difference in the Wabash Valley. How fitting that we take a day to reflect and be grateful!”

Established in 2019, the WVPA is a regional membership association of nonprofit professionals, board members and volunteers who work alongside philanthropists seeking to make an impact by connecting the nonprofit sector through collaboration. Its mission is to create an environment of giving throughout the west central Indiana community.
“As the WVPA seeks to foster a culture of philanthropy in our community, it is not lost on us how fortunate we are to live and work in a community that understands the importance of giving,” said Karen Dyer, vice president for advancement and strategic initiatives for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and WVPA founding member. “Now, more than ever, the community needs those who are willing to make an investment in lifting others up so that, together, we might envision an even brighter future.”

Richard Payonk, executive director of the United Way of the Wabash Valley, agrees that being philanthropic shows the desire to better the community.
“Each of our local philanthropic organizations is working tirelessly to support their individual mission – from providing high-quality education, to delivering healthcare services, to breaking the cycle of generational poverty,” he said. “We encourage the community to seek out what they are passionate about and find their own way to get involved in our philanthropy community.”

Other members of the alliance include Chris Aimone, executive director of development and senior director of planned giving at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Joel Harbaugh, executive director of Union Health Foundation; Kenneth Menefee, executive director of planned and principal gifts at Indiana State University; and Jane Nichols, executive director of the Vigo County Education Foundation.

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Media contacts:
Rachel Mullinnix – rmullinnix@ivytech.edu, (812) 322-6873

Beth Tevlin – beth@wvcf.org, 812-232-2234

Karen Dyer – kdyer@smwc.edu, 812-251-6139

Money to be used for start-up costs related to new Opioid Treatment Programs – WIN Recovery

Hamilton Center Foundation, Inc. is pleased to announce the distribution of $600,000 to Hamilton Center Inc. for the start-up of two new opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in Knox and Hendricks counties,  both which are expected to open the first quarter of 2020.

In November of 2018, Hamilton Center secured two additional OTP licenses from the State of Indiana to expand the services of WIN Recovery, Hamilton Center’s certified OTP, to Knox and Hendricks counties. WIN Recovery, Vigo County opened May 2018.  WIN Recovery is the first certified OTP of its kind for both counties, and will offer medication assisted treatment, in the form of the medication methadone, coupled with behavioral health services including individual and group therapy and case management services.

The Knox county clinic will be located at 1433 Willow St, Vincennes IN while the Hendricks county location has not been finalized.

Hamilton Center staff have been working closely with health and hospital organizations, social service organizations and others to collaborate on services once opened.   

“Hamilton Center is committed to providing comprehensive substance abuse treatment to west central Indiana,” said Hamilton Center CEO Melvin L. Burks.  “The opioid epidemic in our communities can only be fought successfully if we attack the issue head on and together” he said. “I would like to thank our community partners in Knox and Hendricks counties for supporting the development of WIN Recovery and for their work to assist us in combatting the impact of substance use disorder.”

WIN Recovery will be overseen by DJ Rhodes, PhD. Dr. Rhodes comes to Hamilton Center with a variety of healthcare experience including hospice, home health, hospital administration as well as OTPs and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Before making the career shift to healthcare, Dr. Rhodes spent over 15 years in military intelligence, including serving as the Technical Director of Air Force Space Command and Missile Defense System Command overseeing two weapon portfolios. In addition, he works as an adjunct professor at various universities teaching healthcare administration, leadership and critical thinking courses.

The mission of Hamilton Center Foundation is to strengthen the community by providing consistent and lasting support to Hamilton Center, as it provides the highest quality behavioral healthcare and wellness services in Indiana. People are encouraged to give to the Foundation to ensure a strong mental health system is available in central and west central Indiana in perpetuity. To give, go to www.hamiltoncenterfoundation.org or call (812) 231-8416.   

“The Foundation is working to respond to community needs,” said Bob Rhodes, Hamilton Center Foundation’s Board Chair.  “Assisting Hamilton Center in opening these opioid treatment programs will certainly help many people in central and west central Indiana,” he added.

“Hamilton Center is grateful to have the support of the Foundation,” said Burks.  “The Foundation Board has a keen understanding of the priorities of Hamilton Center and the needs of the community,” he added.

On Thursday, Sept. 19, join Hamilton Center Foundation, Inc., for the fourth annual Be the Change event, where individuals will have the opportunity to learn about the chemicals in our brains that affect happiness and discover the power of connecting with one another – all while raising funds to help provide high-quality behavioral health care and wellness services in our community.

This year’s theme for Be the Change, “Getting Your Daily Dose & The Power of Community,” will feature Danielle Bryan, a Confidence Coach & Transformational Speaker based in Austin, Texas. Bryan is a Terre Haute native who has spent the past decade traveling around United States with a path rooted in the service of others and awakening the Inner Power of her clients.

Bryan’s passion for changing the way we view “Self Love” started at a young age when she saw much suffering in her family and felt her own negative self-talk affecting her daily life. Countless years of unworthiness and shame carried into her young adult life, and she could feel the need to create change.

Through her workshops and speaking engagements, Bryan strives to bring a sense of connection and love through the avenues of “Movement, Meditation & Motivation,” and her goal is to impact 17 million by changing the way people approach their mental and physical health. During Be the Change, she will share information about the four primary chemicals in our brains that affect happiness — dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins — and the power of connecting with one another.

Be the Change: Getting Your Daily Dose & The Power of Community will take place on Thursday, Sept. 19, at the Red Barn at Sycamore Farm, 5001 Poplar Street in Terre Haute. Registration and hors d’oeuvres will begin at 5 p.m., and the program will begin at 6 p.m. Tickets for the event are $50 per ticket or $400 for a table of eight. A $500 Corporate Sponsorship that includes a table of eight is also available.

All funds raised at the Be the Change event through ticket sales and donations will benefit the Hamilton Center Foundation, and all funds will be generously matched, dollar-for-dollar, by the Hux Family Charitable Trust. To make a reservation or donation, visit www.hamiltoncenterfoundation.org, or call 812-231-8416.

The mission of the Hamilton Center Foundation is to strengthen the community by providing consistent and lasting support to Hamilton Center, Inc. (HCI) as it provides the highest quality behavioral health care and wellness services in Indiana. The Foundation has made several grants to support Hamilton Center programs, most recently providing approximately $18,000 in mini grants to support a variety of HCI initiatives, including providing safety products and materials for families, supporting a community-wide suicide prevention campaign, offering summer activities for underserved youth, providing emergency funds to support basic needs, purchasing hiking equipment to support an outdoor recreation therapy group, providing funds to purchase play therapy equipment for young children, and supporting graduation celebrations for individuals who complete treatment for substance use disorders. The Foundation also recently awarded $25,000 to Hamilton Center’s mentoring program, which matches at-risk youth with HCI staff mentors who work to help the children develop positive relationships and behavior at school and at home. The program offers tutoring options and seeks to build confidence among the students.

To learn more about the Hamilton Center Foundation, visit www.hamiltoncenterfoundation.org, or contact Margie Anshutz at manshutz@hamiltoncenter.org or 812-231-8320.

Hamilton Center Foundation Inc. is pleased to announce the distribution of $14, 574 to 15 programs reaching a ten county area. The distribution was made during a reception and media event July 15, 2019. Hamilton Center staff and Foundation Board members were present. Programs funded included:
o Healthy Families (Vigo, Sullivan and Greene counties): $1,000 for safety products and educational materials for parents of infants
o Vigo County Child & Adolescent Services (including West Terre Haute): $1,000 for summer activities for children in services
o Vigo County Adult Services: $1000 for implementation of an evidenced based psychotherapy treatment for those who have experienced trauma
o Vigo County Addiction Services: $1000 for educational materials and supplies for a parenting group
o Vigo County Primary Care Services: $1000 for appointment fees for those without an ability to pay
o Hendricks County: $1458 for summer activities for under served youth
o Clay County: $750 for materials to support Matrix (substance use disorder) groups
o Greene County/Linton: $1000 support for critical basic needs
o Sullivan County: $1000 support for critical basic needs
o Parke & Vermillion county (and entire service area): $1000 for hiking/outdoor equipment to start a hiking group two times per month
o Putnam County: $750 for materials to support Matrix (substance use disorder) groups
o Greene County/Bloomfield: $812 for materials to begin a relapse prevention substance abuse group
o Owen County: $804 for play equipment for play therapy
o All counties/Central and West Central Indiana: $1000 to assist clients in paying the initial fees required to secure health insurance, $1000 for a community wide campaign/event focused at suicide prevention, and $1000 hiking/outdoor equipment to start a hiking groups
“We are grateful to the financial support the Foundation has given our organization,” said Melvin L. Burks, CEO of Hamilton Center. “ The money will enhance several of our services, “ he said.
“This is exactly the kind of funding that the Foundation is well positioned to distribute,” said Margie Anshutz, President of Hamilton Center Foundation and Chief Development Officer at Hamilton Center. “Hamilton Center has been successful in obtaining grants, but those grants can be very prescriptive in focus. Foundation funds can be allocated to areas of need identified by the organization,” she said.
“A relatively small amount of money can have great impact on these programs,” said Bob Rhodes, Foundation Chair. “The Foundation is grateful for the impact these services make in our community,” he said.
The mission of the Foundation is to strengthen the community by providing consistent and lasting support to Hamilton Center, as it provides the highest quality behavioral healthcare and wellness services in Indiana. People are encouraged to give to the Foundation to ensure a strong mental health system is available in central and west central Indiana in perpetuity. To give, go to www.hamiltoncenterfoundation.org or call (812) 231-8416.

Hamilton Center, Inc. is a regional behavioral health system in central and west central Indiana. The organization provides behavioral health, addiction and other support services to 13,000 consumers a year in a 10 county area. Hamilton Center employs 550 staff including physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, case managers among others.

It has been one year since we made the formal announcement about the formation of Hamilton Center Foundation Inc. and we have much to be proud.  Our community has embraced the initiative, and we are working to continue to educate and spread the word about how critical it is that we ensure a strong mental health/addiction service system in central and west central Indiana – forever.

A few highlights from the last fiscal year include:

• The development of a speaker’s bureau/video to educate the community and break down stigma issues
• Gifted first $50,000 to Hamilton Center to fund critical consumer needs
• Held our first fundraising event, Be the Change, hosted by Cindy Martin

In addition, we have secured a matching fund program through the end of the year. Donations made by December 31, 2016 will be matched by the Hux Family Charitable Trust.  We are grateful for the generosity and support of Cindy Hux Martin for this commitment.  There is no better time like the present to make a gift to the Foundation.

Mental health and addiction services are in greater demand than ever before.  Last year, Hamilton Center served over 12,000 children, adolescents, adults and families in central and west central Indiana.  Many of those served are our community’s most vulnerable citizens. Ensuring a strong mental health system is vital to the quality of life of those who live and work in this community.

As we embark on this holiday season, we ask for your serious consideration in making a gift to Hamilton Center Foundation now or through a planned gift. There is no better way of celebrating our blessings than providing help, hope and light to those in need. Please help us Light the Way.

Over 170 people attended an event called “Be the Change” hosted by Cindy Martin to benefit Hamilton Center Foundation Inc.

The event was held at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and celebrated Cindy’s journey healing from anxiety and depression. Highlighted were activities that played an important role in her recovery: yoga, crossfit, prayer and meditation. Participants could enjoy a fitness class lead by sisters Kelsey Terry and Molly Pabst, owners of Common Ground crossfit and yoga studio and Cindy’s daughters. Also featured was a docent lead tour of the Shrine of Mother Theodore Guerin and a short talk from Dr. Jennifer Hutchins, a clinical psychologist and Manager of Hamilton Center’s Vigo County Adult programs. She stated that 19 million people suffer from depression and that exercise and movement can play a role in recovery.

“Hamilton Center Foundation is so grateful for Cindy’s courage to speak out, vision of recovery for those suffering from mental illnesses and philanthropic example,” said Margie Anshutz, President of Hamilton Center Foundation. “We all need to work together to eradicate the stigma associated with mental health problems and encourage people to seek help when needed.” she said.

The Hux Family Charitable Trust will be matching money raised at this event as well as throughout the rest of 2016.