Community Foundation of White County Awards $258,682 Through Community Cares

Across White County, local leaders are dreaming bigger, identifying needs, and creating solutions that strengthen the places we call home. Through the 2026 Community Cares Grant Cycle, your Community Foundation of White County awarded $258,682 to six projects supporting recreation, accessibility, emergency response, historic preservation, and community gathering spaces.

Community Cares Grants are designed to respond to the evolving needs and opportunities throughout White County. Supported by unrestricted charitable funds, these grants allow the Foundation to invest in projects that improve quality of life, build stronger communities, and create lasting impact for generations to come.

This year’s recipients include:

Honey Creek Township – Community Park Development | $85,000

For generations, Reynolds residents have shared a vision for a safe, welcoming outdoor space where families can gather, children can play, and neighbors can connect. A new community park project is bringing that vision to life.

The multi-phase project will create an ADA-compliant playground, walking and biking paths, pickleball courts, and a pavilion designed for recreation and community gatherings. Currently, Reynolds’ existing park equipment no longer meets modern safety and accessibility standards, leaving families without a nearby inclusive recreation option.

With land secured, local funding committed, volunteer support in place, and a dedicated Park Board guiding the effort, this project reflects the power of community collaboration and a shared investment in the future of Reynolds.

Remington Wolcott Community Development Corporation – Family Health Clinic Accessibility Improvements | $9,000

Access to healthcare begins before a patient ever reaches the exam room. For many patients at the Family Health Clinic of Wolcott, especially seniors and individuals using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility supports, the clinic’s heavy manual entrance doors have created an unnecessary barrier.

This grant will fund an automatic, wheelchair-accessible entrance system, allowing patients to safely and independently access healthcare services. Clinic staff estimate that approximately 35–40% of patients are seniors or individuals with mobility limitations, making this improvement an important step toward ensuring every resident can receive care with dignity and ease.

Town of Brookston – Wood Street Park Restroom Facility | $50,000

As Brookston continues investing in outdoor spaces, Wood Street Park has become a growing destination for families and community members. Recent improvements, including new pavilions, recreation areas, and nearby walking paths, have increased park usage — but one essential need remained: access to restrooms and drinking water.

Community Cares funding will support the construction of a restroom facility, making the park more accessible and welcoming for residents and visitors. This investment builds upon Brookston’s continued efforts to create spaces where families can gather, play, and enjoy their community.

Town of Wolcott – EMS Lucas Device | $19,000

In emergency situations, every second matters. This grant will support the purchase of a Lucas Device for Wolcott EMS, providing responders with lifesaving equipment during cardiac emergencies.

With Interstate 65 located within Wolcott’s response area and EMS responding to cardiac-related calls regularly, this equipment strengthens emergency response capabilities for residents and travelers alike. The device provides consistent chest compressions during cardiac events, supporting responders when immediate care is needed most.

White County Historical Society – Electrical Infrastructure Upgrade | $33,682

Preserving history requires protecting the spaces where those stories live. The White County Historical Society Museum, housed in a Carnegie Library constructed in 1907, safeguards artifacts, documents, photographs, and stories representing generations of White County history.

However, outdated electrical systems have limited the museum’s ability to modernize and properly preserve collections. This project will replace aging electrical infrastructure, improve safety, and prepare the building for future climate-control improvements necessary to protect one-of-a-kind historical artifacts.

By investing in the building today, the Historical Society is ensuring White County’s stories remain accessible for future generations.

Town of Chalmers – American Legion Renovation for Community Center | $62,000

Community spaces are where relationships grow, ideas begin, and neighbors come together. In Chalmers, the former American Legion building holds the potential to become a renewed gathering place for residents and organizations throughout the area.

Grant funding will support renovations to transform the building into a safe, accessible community center with meeting space, ADA improvements, kitchen updates, and necessary structural repairs. Currently, Chalmers has limited access to gathering spaces of this size, and local groups have expressed a need for a place to host meetings, events, and activities.

This project will preserve an existing community asset while creating new opportunities for connection.

Made Possible Through Unrestricted Giving

Community Cares Grants are possible because generations of donors believed in the power of flexible, community-focused giving.

Unlike gifts designated for one specific purpose, unrestricted funds allow the Community Foundation to respond as needs change and opportunities emerge. Today, those gifts are building parks, improving accessibility, supporting emergency responders, preserving history, and creating spaces where communities can gather.

Every unrestricted gift — no matter the size — becomes part of a permanent resource dedicated to strengthening White County today and for generations to come.

These grants were made possible through the generosity of donors who established and supported the following unrestricted funds:

Kathy Sue Altman Endowment

Wayne C. Anderson Memorial Endowment Fund

Annie Horton Fund

Annis Family Endowment

Oscar and Hattie Baer

BLF Opportunity Fund

Bossaer Family Endowment

Jeff and Cindy Wiese Campbell Family Endowment

Community Cares Fund

Larry and Nancy Crabb Family Endowment

Dave and Becky Crosby Family Endowment

Keith and Dorothy Culp Endowment

John and Nancy Demerly Fund

Tom and Marge Diener Family Endowment

Art and Sarah Dragoo

John and Patricia Engler Family Endowment

Erdmann Family Fund

Dean and Judy Fleck Family Endowment

Governing Council Endowment

Hubert and Marcy Howard Endowment

Jim and Gloria Humphreys Family Endowment

Charles R. and Elizabeth J. Goss Fund

Skinner Family Farms Endowment

Kristin Hall-Whitacre Endowment Fund

Carl and Margaret Hall Memorial Endowment

James J and Phyllis Marie Hallar Family Endowment

Dave & Linda Kilmer Family Endowment

Larry and Linda Yerk Kilmer Family Endowment

Elmer "Mike" and Ruth Klink Memorial Fund

Larry and Pamela Leman Endowment

Bill, Mary, and Steve McKinley Family Fund

Dave and Tami Parrish Family Endowment

Paul and Charlotte Neininger Community Fund

Howard and Lucile Saylor Endowment

Ruth & Dempster Martin Family Endowment

Steve and Kathy Meadors Family Fund

Shari and Brad Moore Family Endowment

Mike and Marty Scheurich Family Endowment

Becky Wrede Shook Memorial Endowment

Colleen Shook Memorial Fund

Dave and Debbie Shook Family Endowment

Dave and Debbie Shook Youth Philanthropy Council Endowment

Steve & Tracey Simmerman Family Endowment

Robert J. Smith Fund

Bob and Suzanne Smock Endowment

Phil and Susie Vogel Family Endowment

Ross and Madelene Westfall Family Endowment

Charles R. and Margaret H. Wineland Endowment

Twin Lakes Class of '71 Memorial Endowment

Katie and Charlie Wolf Endowment Fund

Louanne Watson Condreay Endowment

Charles & Mary Watson Memorial Fund

Youth Philanthropy Council Endowment