By: Jud Fisher—
Muncie, IN—As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in East Central Indiana, Ball Brothers Foundation has awarded a $75,000 grant to the IU Health Foundation. The grant will support the needs of hospital employees in Delaware, Jay and Blackford Counties who are working around the clock to fight COVID-19.
More specifically, the funding will be used to provide team members in the East Central Indiana region with meals, including during night shifts when cafeterias and many restaurants are closed. Support will also ensure that the employee food bank at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital remains fully stocked, as demand has increased over the past weeks with employees’ families being impacted by school closures and job layoffs. Funding may also be used to support a variety of other needs, including support for those who contract COVID-19 or who must quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure.
When Ball Brothers Foundation was established in the 1920s, one of its first grants awarded was to support the construction of what is today IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital.
“For over 90 years, we have supported the hospital, medical education and healthcare. Today, we are honoring this legacy with a special grant to the IU Health Foundation,” shared Jud Fisher, president and chief operating officer of Ball Brothers Foundation. “Across the region, hospital employees are making great personal sacrifices to provide compassionate, life-saving care for patients around the clock. Our funding will help ensure that these vital services can be sustained and that hospital employees themselves are cared for.”
Ball Brothers Foundation is also continuing to provide Rapid Grant funding to other targeted healthcare organizations, emergency responders and public service providers. Examples of recent support include $5,000 grants awarded for:
• Delaware County Emergency Management Agency’s creation of a “Local Strategic Stockpile” of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic and future disasters
• The purchase of COVID-19 tests for Meridian Health Services
• N95 masks for staff at Open Door Health Services facilities
• Additional PPE for the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and the Muncie Police Department to ensure officers are protected against COVID-19 and can continue to carry out their duties of protecting public safety
• Infrared thermometer, stethoscopes and other supplies for Muncie Fire Department’s first responders
• Technology upgrades that will allow the City of Muncie to communicate information to citizens more efficiently via digital platforms
Ball Brothers Foundation has also extended additional funding to organizations providing food assistance to families across the city and beyond. As both Second Harvest Food Bank and Inside Out experience a tremendous increase in demand, the foundation awarded grants of $5,000 to each organization for the purchase of food and supplies, supplementing funding awarded by Ball Brothers Foundation last month. At the neighborhood level, grants of $5,000 awarded to Whitely Community Council and the Ross Community Center will allow for the purchase of food for their respective neighborhood food distributions.
“Through these grants, Ball Brothers Foundation is playing our part in addressing immediate, critical needs. At the same time, we are also preparing to support the community as we all begin to look toward the recovery and rebuilding that lies ahead,” Fisher said.
A full list of all COVID-19 grants awarded is available at: ballfdn.org/grants-database.
Ball Brothers Foundation will continue to prioritize funding for organizations that received an invitation to apply from the foundation. Other organizations can continue to submit “unsolicited” Rapid Grant proposals. These will be thoughtfully reviewed and given every consideration. There is no guarantee of funding for any request made to the foundation, and the foundation will not be able to fund all requests that are received during this challenging time. Ball Brothers Foundation will, however, continue to share information with other funders about unmet needs in the community.
“The past few weeks have been very hard for all of us. But I am also inspired by the ways that our community has risen to use the skills, talents and resources we have to collectively meet pressing needs,” stated Fisher. “This community’s legacy is one of resiliency, innovation and hard work. I have tremendous confidence in the people who call East Central Indiana home. We will carry on this remarkable legacy and build an even better future for the generations who come after us.”
About Ball Brothers Foundation
Established in 1926, Ball Brothers Foundation awards approximately $8 million annually in grants supporting arts and culture, education, the environment, health, human services, and public affairs. The Muncie-based private foundation gives priority to projects and programs that improve the quality of life in BBF’s home city, county, and state.
