The Greene County Foundation’s Executive Director Suzanne Jackson and Program Manager Katie Stout were all smiles Tuesday evening as they happily handed out $138,662 to 21 separate organizations in community support grants.

“Thank you, each of you,” Stout said. “Your deeds on behalf of your communities are commendable, and we are very happy to be able to help.”

Community support grants given are as follows:

• Bloomfield Choral Department-$6,810 for the Bloomfield Music Department partnership with Jacobs Virtual Academy

• Bloomfield Downtown Revitalization-$20,000 for a BDR pocket park in Bloomfield

• Bloomfield First Baptist Church-$6,600 for a generator for the church food pantry

• Bloomfield Eastern Greene County Library-$6,000 to refurbish the Community Room

• City of Jasonville-$10,000 for the Reservoir Park Playground

• Eastern Greene Soccer-$5,000 for a high school soccer scoreboard

• Grandview Cemetery Association-$10,000 for cemetery revitalization

• Greene County Ambulance Service-$7,220 for IV pumps for ambulances (not pictured)

• Greene County Literacy Coalition-$1,020 for office space

• Healthy Hearts WRV-$5,000 for the weekend food program

• Linton Civitan Club-$10,000 for Clothe-A-Child/Toys for Tots

• Linton-Stockton Band Boosters-$7,000 for Quality Instruments for Quality Students

• Linton-Stockton School Corporation Child Care Center-$3,351 for LSSC Employee Child Care Center program enhancements

• Middle Way House-$1,000 for marketing and supplies

• MSD of Shakamak-$3,000 for a Cleverboard for kindergarten classroom

• Pride in the Park-$6,500 for an ADA-accessible bench project

• Shakamak Drama Club-$4,886 for new theater headsets

• Soup on Saturday-$750 for paper goods

• Town of Lyons-$6,000 for park improvements (not pictured)

• United Way of South Central Indiana-$3,300 for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (not pictured)

• White River Valley School District-$15,225 for a Cafetorium sound system

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“Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership,” the release states.

“Justin’s application was an absolute standout for the committee. Not only does he excel in school activities, but his extensive involvement in the community truly sets him apart,” commended Katie Stout, program manager, highlighting his commitment on all fronts.

The release continued, “Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides for full tuition, required fees and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and required equipment for four years. The scholarship is for full-time undergraduate students leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars may also participate in the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects both current scholars and alumni with resources and opportunities to be active leaders on their campuses and in their communities. Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and Indiana Humanities.

In determining Greene County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholar nominees, consideration was given to GPA and class rank, school and volunteer activities and work history by the scholarship committee. After the field of applicants was narrowed down, nominees were submitted to ICI, the statewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, which approves the final selection of scholarship recipients.

‘This was another competitive application process. We have many students with bright futures in our county, and we hope that they will come back to Greene County after college and put their talents to use,’ said Stout.”

“Lilly Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1998-99 school year and has supported the program every year since with grants totaling in excess of $505 million. More than 5,200 Indiana students have received the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship since the program’s inception.

The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana, to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities and to encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state.

The Greene County Foundation exists for charitable individuals to leave a lasting legacy to the community they love. Through the establishment of endowments, donors can forever support the local causes important to them. The Greene County Foundation has had a charitable impact in every school, library, and community in Greene County. The Foundation annually awards over a quarter-million dollars in grants through fund payouts, competitive grants and student scholarships. For more information, visit greenecountyfoundation.org or call (812) 659-3142.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the

Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

Since 1997, Independent Colleges of Indiana has administered the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program statewide with funding provided by Lilly Endowment. Founded in 1948, ICI serves as the collective voice for the state’s 29 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI institutions employ over 22,000 Hoosiers and generate a total local economic impact of over $5 billion annually. Students at ICI colleges have Indiana’s highest four-year, on-time graduation rates, and ICI institutions produce 30 percent of Indiana’s bachelor’s degrees while enrolling 20 percent of its undergraduates.”

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Jackson has been with the foundation for 12 years, this year marking her first as executive director.

Initially begun with a Lilly Endowment matching grant in 1997, the Greene County Foundation has expanded into its own donor-based philanthropic organization.

“Our mission is to inspire individuals to engage and strengthen Greene County,” said Jackson at Thursday’s meeting. “To do that, we build permanent endowment funds and connect donors to those charitable organizations and programs of their interests.”

The foundation aims to facilitate relationships between organizations working toward the same goal.

This year, $293,000 in grants and $104,000 in scholarships have already been incorporated back into the county.

Jackson touched on several benefits of the foundation, including long-term sustainability and community engagement.

When a fund is started through the foundation, as stated by Jackson, a 3.5% to 4% payout will go back into the organization each year for perpetuity. Growth is determined by donations and market investments.

Bloomfield-focused funds from the Greene County Foundation include the Bloomfield First Baptist Church, Scotland Cemetery, Shawnee Theater and multiple scholarships available for Bloomfield students.

The Greene County Foundation will be hosting two events during the month of October, including a financial seminar and a Women of Worth meeting.

Four guest speakers will be highlighted at the Estate, Final Expense and Financial Planning Seminar on Wednesday, October 5. Beginning at 11 a.m. at the Greene County Community Event Center, attendees will hear from Todd Walton of Welch and Cornett Funeral Homes, Cortney Givens of The Rowe Law Firm, Jathan Wright of Autumn Trace Senior Communities and Randall Brown of CFP and Edward Jones.

Those wishing to attend the seminar must RSVP by October 18 to 812-659-3142 or gcf@greenecountyfoundation.org.

The annual meeting for the Women of Worth (WOW) Giving Circle will be held on October 26 at 5 p.m. at the foundation office.

Members of the WOW group pay an annual amount of $120, with half of the contributions awarded immediately and the other half cycled back into an endowment. An average of $3,000 is granted each year by the group.

In the organization’s six years of existence, grants have been awarded to Middle Way House, Open Arms, Erin’s Purpose, Bless Bloomfield, Bloomfield Elementary School and many other charitable causes.

This event, according to Jackson, “gives them an opportunity to get to know organizations in their community or in the county, have a conversation with them and realize their needs, bring them to the foundation, and then the ladies, themselves, vote on how they want the money to be split up.”

An RSVP by October 20 is required for the WOW meeting.

In other business:

The Bloomfield Chamber Annual Dinner will take place on Nov. 9 at the Greene County Event Center. Donations from the community will now be accepted for the event’s silent auction.

As a result of the upcoming annual meeting, the next regular monthly meeting of the Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce will be held in January.

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In Greene County, the following organizations were awarded $28,142 in grant funding.

• Greene County Foundation – $4,000

• Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum – $11,264

• Shawnee Theatre of Greene County – $8,079

Carnegie Heritage and Arts Center of Greene County Inc. – $4,799

Arts Organization Support grants provide annual operating support for the ongoing artistic and administrative functions of eligible arts organizations. Arts Project Support grants provide funding to Indiana 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations and public entities for a specific arts project or arts activity(ies). Between both programs, 75 of Indiana’s 92 counties will receive funding.

“The projects and organizations selected to receive funding are strengthening our state,” said Chair of the Indiana Arts Commission Anne Penny Valentine. “The Commission is excited and honored to invest in Hoosier communities, supporting organizations that are doing exceptional creative work to make Indiana a great place to live, work, play, study and stay.”

“This funding will allow Shawnee to continue to provide quality, affordable programming in Greene and surrounding counties,” explained Shawnee Board President Jack R. Terrell. “We will use our grant money for salaries, royalties, utilities and other costs associated with theatre operations. Shawnee would like to thank Senator Eric Bassler, Representative Bruce Borders, Senator Mike Braun, Representative Larry Buschon and Senator Todd Young for their continuing support of the Arts in Indiana.”

“Art and creativity strengthen the fabric of Indiana’s communities. They promote connection and cohesion, foster the entrepreneurial spirit communities need to thrive and create the kinds of communities where people want to live,” said Indiana Arts Commission Executive Director Miah Michaelsen. “In every corner of our state, public funding for arts and creativity continually proves to be a high-return investment that improves the quality of life of Hoosiers and drives economic development within our state.”

Funding for the Indiana Arts Commission and its programs is provided by the Indiana General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

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The event featured lively conversation and camaraderie, meat trays, fruit trays, cookies by Dave’s Deli and, most importantly to the organizations who applied, community support grant funding for a multitude of projects they have planned to better Greene County.

35 groups applied and 20 qualified, receiving a collective $126,220 as well as a yard sign declaring their organization as a Greene County Foundation 2023 grant recipient.

The following groups and organizations were recognized and awarded funding for the following projects:

• Bloomfield-Eastern Greene County Public Library – $15,000 to repair the facade of the library in downtown Bloomfield

• Eastern Greene Schools – $13,000 for playground renovation at the elementary school

• Glenburn Home – $9,200 to upgrade four of their beds to new electric beds

• The Greene County Cemetery Commission – $4,005 for equipment updates, fuel costs and new signs for some of the cemeteries

• The Greene County Literacy Coalition – $2,700 for the construction of eight new Little Free Libraries across the county with charter signs to register them as official

• Greene County Master Gardener Association – $3,477 for a new garden shed for the organization

• GROW Jasonville, Inc. – $14,291 to assist in the beautification and renovation of a downtown Jasonville building

• Healthy Hearts WRV (unable to attend) – $5,000 to purchase food for WRV’s weekend food program

• Linton-Stockton Chamber of Commerce – $1,770 to purchase a new, upgraded sound system and speakers for the Linton Freedom Festival and other events

• Linton Farmers Market, Inc. – $5,000 for the Market Bucks program

• Lyons Community Food Pantry – $5,000 to assist in the pantry’s food expenses at Catholic Charities

• Middle Way House, Inc. – $2,200 for rent at their Bloomfield location

• MSD of Shakamak – $13,000 for Dreamland playground renovations

• Open Arms Christian Ministries – $2,750 for therapeutic services for foster children

• Pace Community Action Agency/Headstart – $2,800 for their Healthy Minds, Healthy Body program

• Rebuilt Recovery and Discipleship – $6,687 to help cover participant fees

• Scotland Historical Society, Inc. – $3,000 for interior repair of the Scotland Barbershop

• Shawnee Theatre of Greene County, Inc. – $3,680 for dressing room and concession stand upgrade and repairs

• Tulip Trestle Community Restoration, Inc. – $1,200 for restroom facility services

• White River Valley School District – $5,960 for school security and safety at WRV Middle School

• White River Valley School District – $6,500 to upgrade the music department sound system at WRV Elementary.

For more information about the Greene County Foundation, visit www.greenecountyfoundation.org.

View article on Greene County Daily World website. (Subscription required.)

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Designated funds are created by donors or agencies to provide ongoing funding for the mission of the organizations they support, and each year, the Foundation disburses a percentage of these funds to the recipients. The principal remains invested, ensuring that these funds continue to support local organizations for years to come.

This year, the Foundation awarded almost $120,000 to 44 local organizations across the county. Program Manager Katie Stout said, “Today would not be possible without donors who believe in the mission of your organizations.”

The following organizations received designated grants:

• 4-H Clubs of Greene County received a payout from the Powers 4-H Fund
• Bloomfield First Baptist Church received a payout from the Bloomfield First Baptist Church Fund and the Bloomfield First Baptist Church Child Care Fund
• Bloomfield-Eastern Greene County Library received a payout from the Linton Elks Fund
• Carnegie Heritage & Arts Center of Greene County received a payout from the Carnegie Heritage and Arts Center Fund
• Clayton Family Cemetery received a payout from the Clayton Family Cemetery Fund
• Clothe-A- Child received a payout from the Jerry and Caroll Bays Fund
• Eastern Greene Schools received a payout from the Eastern Greene Legacy 50 Thunderbird Fund and the Emily Speer Memorial Fund
• Friends of Goosepond received a payout from the Friends of Goosepond Endowment Fund
• Generations received a payout from the Generations Fund
• German Memory Hill Cemetery received a payout from the German Memory Hill Cemetery Fund
• Greene County Historical Society received a payout from the Pioneer Families Memorial Fund
• Greene County Humane Society received a payout from the Greene County Humane Society Fund
• Greene County Literacy Coalition Inc. received a payout from the Greene County Literacy Fund
• Greene County Shrine Club received a payout from the Greene County Shrine Club Fund
• Greene County Soccer Association received a payout from the Greene County Soccer Association Endowment in memory of Norma Evans
• Greene County Voices for Kids received a payout from the Voices for Kids Fund
• Habitat for Humanity received a payout from the Habitat for Humanity Fund
• Indiana Forestry Educational Foundation received a payout from the IFEF Endowment Fund and IFEF Growth Fund
• Indiana Military Museum received a payout from the United States Submarine Veterans-Hoosier Base-SSN 697 Fund
• Jasonville Public Library received a payout from the Linton Elks Fund
• Jasonville Senior Citizens Center received a payout from the Smithville Senior Centers Endowment
• Linton Civitan received a payout from the Linton Civitan Fund
• Linton Public Library received a payout from the Linton Elks Fund
• Linton-Stockton High School Athletic Department received a payout from the Linton-Stockton High School Athletic Fund
• Linton-Stockton School Corporation received a payout from the Wayne Pope Teachers’ Fund
• Lyons Fire Department received a payout from the Lyons Fire Department Fund
• Middle Way House, Inc received a payout from the Middle Way House Fund
• MSD of Shakamak received a payout from the Linda Pope Hert Teachers’ Fund, Robert Bingham Endowment Fund, and Wilburn “Dutch” and Juanita Rowe Fund
• Open Arms Christian Ministries received a payout from the Open Arms Endowment Fund
• Owensburg Cemetery Association received a payout from the Morris Hudson Memorial Fund and Owensburg Cemetery Endowment Fund
• Phil Harris Charities received a payout from the Phil Harris Charities Fund
• Phil Harris Golf Course received a payout from the Tom Hilderbrand Memorial Fund
• Prairie Chapel Cemetery, Inc. received a payout from the Prairie Chapel Cemetery Endowment
• Prairie Chapel Church received a payout from the Prairie Chapel Church Fund
• Saron United Church of Christ received a payout from the Saron Church Paul Bauch Fund and Saron United Church of Christ Linton Fund
• Shawnee Theatre of Greene County, Inc. received a payout from the Shawnee Theatre Fund
• SON Ministries, Inc. received a payout from the Son Ministries Food Pantry Fund
• Town of Bloomfield received a payout from the Helen Hunter Town of Bloomfield Fund
• Town of Lyons received a payout from the Russel and Eva Powers Lyons Fund and the Steward Lyons-Washington Township Fund
• Wagler Education and Training Center received a payout from the High School Equivalency Fund
• Walnut Grove Church received a payout from the Walnut Grove Fellowship Building Fund
• White River Valley School District received a payout from the Dr and Mrs R W Powers Trip Fund and the Wilburn “Dutch” and Juanita Rowe Fund
• Worthington Jefferson Township Public Library received a payout from the Linton Elks Fund
• Worthington Senior Center received a payout from the Smithville Senior Centers Endowment

If you would like to contribute to these funds, you can make a gift online through PayPal at greenecountyfoundation.org or by mailing a check payable to the Greene County Foundation, 4513 W State Road 54, Bloomfield, IN 47424. Please put the fund name on the memo line. If you have questions, please contact the office at 812.659.3142 or gcf@greenecountyfoundation.org.

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The release states:

“The Greene County Foundation is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2023 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Greene County – Nathan Frady of Linton-Stockton High School. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character and leadership.

‘Nathan has a great head on his shoulders, and he impressed the scholarship committee during his interview. Not only is he ranked at the top of his class, but he is involved in many activities in and out of school,’ said Katie Stout, program manager.

Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides for full tuition, required fees and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and required equipment for four years. The scholarship is for undergraduate students studying on a full-time basis leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars may also participate in the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects both current scholars and alumni with resources and opportunities to be active leaders on their campuses and in their communities. Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and Indiana Humanities.

In determining Greene County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholar nominees, consideration was given to GPA and class rank, school and volunteer activities and work history by the scholarship committee. After the field of applicants was narrowed down, nominees were submitted to ICI, the statewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, which approves the final selection of scholarship recipients.

‘This was another competitive application process. We have many students with bright futures in our county, and we hope that they will come back to Greene County after college and put their talents to use,’ said Stout.

Lilly Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1998-99 school year and has supported the program every year since with grants totaling in excess of $486 million. More than 5,000 Indiana students have received the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship since the program’s inception.

The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana, to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities and 3 to encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state.

The Greene County Foundation exists for charitable individuals to leave a lasting legacy to the community they love. Through the establishment of endowments, donors can forever support the local causes important to them. The Greene County Foundation has had a charitable impact in every school, library, and community in Greene County. The Foundation annually awards over a quarter-million dollars in grants through fund payouts, competitive grants and student scholarships. For more information, visit greenecountyfoundation.org or call (812) 659-3142.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

Since 1997, Independent Colleges of Indiana has administered the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program statewide with funding provided by Lilly Endowment. Founded in 1948, ICI serves as the collective voice for the state’s 29 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI institutions employ over 22,000 Hoosiers and generate a total local economic impact of over $5 billion annually. Students at ICI colleges have Indiana’s highest four-year, on-time graduation rates, and ICI institutions produce 30 percent of Indiana’s bachelor’s degrees while enrolling 20 percent of its undergraduates.

View article on Greene County Daily World website. (Subscription required.)

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Jackson says she would like to see GCF be known in every community for the impact it has made in those communities. She credits her mentor and former Executive Director Cam Trampke for teaching her community leadership and leading by example.

“Cam always brought me along, and it helped to make us a strong team and to build the foundation to where it is today,” said Jackson.

GCF also says with Suzanne as the new executive director, they are excited to see what the next 25 years bring to Greene County and the impact that the foundation can make.

View article on Greene County Daily World website. (Subscription required.)

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The gift was made possible through donations from the community, the UDWI REMC Community Grant and a grant from the Greene County Foundation.

Each AED, or automated external defibrillator, is compact, portable and lightweight and its use can make the difference between life or death for someone in an emergency situation.

According to the Mayo Clinic, AEDs are used to revive someone from sudden cardiac arrest. This usually occurs when a disruption in the heart’s electrical activity causes a dangerously fast heartbeat (ventricular tachycardia) or a fast and irregular heartbeat (ventricular fibrillation). Either of these irregular heart rhythms keeps the heart from pumping effectively and can cause it to stop.

When this happens, the brain and other vital organs don’t get the blood and oxygen they need. This requires treatment within minutes to prevent death. The sooner the heart’s rhythm is restored, the greater the chance there won’t be permanent damage to the brain and other organs. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after cardiac arrest can keep blood flowing to the heart and brain for a time, but often only defibrillation can restore the heart’s rhythm. Together, these treatments can improve the chances of survival.

The impetus that drove the donation project forward began with a 911 call from Sandborn late on a Thursday evening in May 2020.

On the evening of Thursday, May 28, 2020, 911 dispatch received a call for help from the Harris home in Sandborn when it was feared Elizabeth Rose Harris, 67, was having a heart attack.

The Greene County Sheriff’s Department (GCSD) was first on the scene, as they often are with 911 calls, and one of Harris’ daughters, Brenda, asked the deputy if he carried an AED.

“I’m sorry,” the deputy told her helplessly, “We don’t have any AEDs.” Together, the daughters and the deputy worked feverishly to revive Harris, keeping her heart pumping and using CPR for 45 minutes until EMTs arrived on the scene.

Harris was transported to Greene County General Hospital (GCGH) via ambulance where, sadly, she passed away, leaving behind her husband of 46 years, Ralph Harris; her mother, Ella Rose Bredeweg; a sister; a brother; two grandsons; and two daughters, Rebecca Harris and Brenda Reetz.

Reetz is the CEO of Greene County General Hospital, and upon her mother’s passing, was determined her death not be in vain, but rather act as a catalyst to save others’ lives.

Reetz felt determined to turn her family’s tragedy into something positive, and her close associate and GCGH Foundation Director Stacy Burris agreed.

Harris’ obituary requests, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to Harris’ church, Saron United Church of Christ or to the GCGH Foundation through the funeral home.

The Harris family had decided to purchase an AED to donate to the Sheriff’s Department in Elizabeth’s memory.

Enough donations were gathered from the funeral to purchase one AED device, but Burris, along with GCGH Foundation Outreach Coordinator Grace Cross, wasn’t about to stop there.

The duo, with the consent of the GCGH Foundation Board of Directors, applied for grant funding through the UDWI REMC program and the Greene County Foundation and were awarded grants from both.

Burris said the REMC grant purchased one more AED, and the Foundation was delighted when the Greene County Foundation awarded them enough to purchase seven more, meeting their goal to outfit every deputy’s car in the sheriff’s fleet.

Cross said, after consulting with Greene County EMTs as to which brand was best, they decided on the PhysioControl Lifepak CR 2 AED, an easy-to-use device that allows for CPR compressions to be performed during heart rhythm analysis. The device is rated 4.5 of 5 stars on americanaed.com and training in its use will be provided to every sheriff’s deputy.

“We appreciate this very much,” said Greene County Sheriff Mike Hasler. “Our deputies are often close by and are the first to arrive to an emergency call. We have saved numerous lives by carrying Narcan (a drug that reverses the effects of opioids, stopping overdoses) and this will be another way we can make a difference.”

Burris, Cross and the GCGH Foundation have no intention of stopping with the gift they were able to provide the GCSD.

“We’re definitely happy this came together,” Burris said, “And we’re not stopping with this donation. AEDs can save lives everywhere and any place where people gather should be equipped with one.”

For this reason, the foundation created the Greene County AED Project and will continue to seek grant funding and other donations to provide AEDs to organizations who want them.

“I want to urge people, especially people who are trained in CPR, to find out where in the county AEDs are located,” Reetz said. “Schools have them, and they have trained staff to use them. Ask your church if they have one, ask at the store where you shop for groceries.”

In an ideal world, AEDs would be available everywhere people are, and with awareness raised, they can be.

Equipping every county sheriff is a great start and the GCGH Foundation has made great strides in increasing awareness of the need for AEDs.

Perhaps best of all, every one of the donated devices is inscribed with “GCGH Foundation, in memory of Elizabeth Harris”, creating a legacy in which Harris, by virtue of her passing, will potentially save lives every day.

For more information, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit the foundation at www.greenecountyhospital.com/foundation/, call 812-699-4438 or visit their page on social media.

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Program Manager Katie Stout is very excited to celebrate the past 25 years of accomplishments with donors and community members.

“Without our donors, none of our work would be possible,” she said. “I am very grateful to live in a community with such generous and giving people.”

Community members of all ages are invited to stop by to learn more about the Foundation’s history and how local donors have left a lasting legacy for the communities and organizations they love. New and existing donors will also have the opportunity to take a hot-air balloon ride on-site at the fairgrounds, courtesy of SkyVista Ballooning, weather permitting and first-come, first-served.

The Foundation will match up to $25,000 in donations to its Community Support Fund for 25 days between July 7 and August 1. Donations must be allocated to the Greene County Community Support Fund or one of the 26 other named funds that support the Foundation’s Community Support Grants. These unrestricted funds allow the Foundation to award over $100,000 to grant applicants each spring. Donations of up to $1,000 will be matched per individual or household. If you would like to contribute to the Community Support Fund, you can make a gift through PayPal at greenecountyfoundation.org.

The Greene County Foundation exists for charitable individuals to leave a lasting legacy to the community they love. Through the establishment of endowments, donors can support the local causes that are important to them for generations to come. The Greene County Foundation has had a charitable impact in every school, library and community in Greene County and annually awards over a quarter million dollars in grants through fund payouts, competitive grants and student scholarships. For more information, visit greenecountyfoundation.org or call (812) 659-3142.

View article on Greene County Daily World website. (Subscription required.)

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