Wishes come true in effort
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With the season of gift-giving ramping up, Heritage Fund-The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County will once again offer their Grant A Wish program, a chance for people to put dollars to philanthropic use in Bartholomew County.
Now in its third year, the Grant A Wish program offers Bartholomew County residents an easy way to see their donations at work by attaching a specific dollar amount to each wish.
For instance, $80 purchases a pair of pointe shoes for a scholarship student at Dancer’s Studio, while $55 will feed all of the animals at the Bartholomew County Humane Society for a day. Bigger-ticket wishes, which may be purchased by an individual or a business, include $170 for a double stroller for Community Center of Hope, and a gift of $550 would provide Turning Point Domestic Violence Services with new bedding for the entire shelter.
Nearly 40 local nonprofits have identified a total of 68 wishes, which start at $20. Donations will be accepted beginning Thursday, which is National Philanthropy Day.
Last year, the program raised more than $33,000 and granted 111 wishes. This year, the fundraising goal is $50,000.
The first $25,000 of donations of up to $500 each, made between Thursday and Dec. 15 will be matched thanks to funds provided by Elwood Staffing, MainSource Bank, and Marguerite Rust.
Last year, Columbus resident Lacretia Ulery made donations to the Grant A Wish program in honor of each her friends, rather than buying them a traditional gift. She said she did her best to match her friends’ interests with their wish.
“It was more fun than trying to figure out if they would like a particular scarf or something like that,” Ulery said.
“It let me tell them how I appreciate them as friends, and I also got to do something nice for the community,” Ulery said. “I will definitely be doing it again this year.”
Jim Trueblood, vice president of high horsepower engineering at Cummins Inc. used the Grant A Wish program as a stand-in for traditional gifts for his staff last year. Each of his employees selected the charity of their choice, and a total of more than $500 went to various agencies around the county.
Visit www.heritagefundbc.org or www.therepublic.com/grant for a list, or call 812-376-7772 for more information.
Grant A Wish Agencies
The following nonprofits have submitted wishes to the Heritage Fund for their Grant A Wish program. A complete list of these organizations’ needs can be viewed at TheRepublic.com/grant.
Bartholomew County Humane Society
Community Animal Rescue Effort
Utopia Wildlife Rehabilitators
Bartholomew County Historical Society
Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives
Columbus Park Foundation
Kidscommons
Columbus Area Arts Council
Columbus Indiana Philharmonic
Columbus Symphony Orchestra
Dancers Studio, Inc.
Bartholomew Consolidated School Foundation
Family School Partners
Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corporation
Gleaners Food Bank
Simmons One Room School House
Hospice of South Central Indiana
Planned Parenthood of Indiana
Pregnancy Care Center
Volunteers in Medicine
Advocates for Children
Aging and Community Services
Columbus Youth Camp
Community Center of Hope
Family Self Sufficiency
Family Services, Inc.
Foundation for Youth
Horizon House
Head Start
Legal Aid-District Eleven, Inc.
Lincoln Central Neighborhood Family Center
Mill Race Center
The Arc of Bartholomew County
Love Chapel
Sans Souci
Su Casa
Turning Point
United Way 2-1-1
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