Community Impact Report

Understanding Our Community

GIFT VII planning grants supported a comprehensive planning process. This allowed the Community Foundation Alliance to utilize these grant dollars to contract with Chmura to collect and compile data, and Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA) to lead the planning process.


For this process, the nine-county affiliates were grouped based on geographic proximity, as well as factors such as the overlap of industry and services, common time zones, and work travel patterns. Learn more about Region B which includes Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties.

Key Development Indicators

For each subregion, Chmura identified 46 meaningful development indicators, conforming to four primary categories.

Demographics

Economics

Human Capital

Quality of Place

Determining Top Priorities

TPMA reviewed all data collected by Chmura, analyzed additional data, and explored basic demographic trends for each county using information from the U.S. Census Bureau.


TPMA then identified five potential priority areas of need and opportunity for each subregion, to be further prioritized through a series of Community Forums that helped identify the county specific issues and opportunities

Access and Affordable Healthcare

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    Ethnic disparities in poverty, lack of health insurance coverage, and unemployment are primary socioeconomic determinants for poor health outcomes


    Access can be transportation, health coverage and can also include communication


    Warrick County has concerning cancer rates - specifically breast cancer and prostate cancer

Cycle of Poverty

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    Cycle of poverty that occurs in succesive generations

    • Financial Capital
    • Education
    • Connections

    In Vanderburgh housing also impacts the cycle of poverty

    • Support and expand first-time and low-income homebuyer programs
    • Preserve and improve existing housing

Family Self Sufficiency

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    Increase inancial stability for families by addressing

    1. The immediate crisis needs
    2. Provide long-term solutions through educational programs in financial literacy
    • Budgeting
    • Savings
    • Banking
    • Access to non-predatory financial assistance services

Mental Health & Substance Abuse

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    These two topics can be interconnected, but not always

    • Struggle to access care
    • Cost for treatment is a barrier
    • Shortage of Mental Health providers
    • Alcohol, opiod, and meth abuse or dependency
    • Drug addicts have unmet healthcare needs because mental health issues are not addressed
    • Mental Health Care providers are strained
    • Need for more addiction counselors
    • Good employment opportunities play a role in helping people with substance use disorders seek the help they need
    • There is also a need for Primary Care Physicians

Obesity

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    • Currently, there are programs to motivate residents to become more physically active
    • There are programs to educate residents about nutrition to help motivate change in nutritional behavior
    • Things to consider: food environment and access to exercise opportunities

Community Forums

Structure

The Community Leader Forums began the process of narrowing to a single topic area that would be addressed in the Lilly Endowment GIFT VII Implementation Grant proposal. Forum participants included local leaders of nonprofit organizations, municipal and elected officials, business and industry leaders, and active community philanthropists. Forums were conducted with an initial overview of the background research and an explanation of how the top five topics were chosen. In addition, participants added the following topics: 


  • Broadband
  • Child Abuse & Neglect
  • Connectivity/Transportation
  • Education
  • Housing
  • Prevention
  • Workforce Development


Participants prioritized topics and held active discussions about what they have observed about the specific topic. Upon completion, TPMA facilitated Regional Board Forums for each subregion to further narrow the topics. These forums followed a similar process to ensure consistency.

Forum Findings

Mental Health & Substance Abuse

Cycle of Poverty

During the forums, several areas of improvement were documented. With regards to Infrastructure, a few key concerns were discussed: housing availability and affordability, access to broadband, and availability of transportation. With regards to Increased Economic Opportunity, concerns highlighted were: difficulty attracting businesses, workforce development/attraction, and a lack of quality of place amenities.

Leading Change

Overview

Through an active stakeholder engagement process including data and document review, community leader forums, and issue-specific stakeholder meetings, the Gibson County Community Foundation selected the cycle of poverty as its top priority to address with GIFT VII Implementation Grant funds. In order to determine the specific project to implement, the Community Foundation convened a core group of community stakeholders, including Community Foundation Advisory Board members, who work or have an interest in this field to determine the best use of the grant funds. The group felt there was a lack of understanding in the community about the issue of poverty and that the negative perception of the causes of poverty presented a major challenge when attempting to support those in need of services. The group determined that nonprofits cannot effectively expand programs or work collaboratively until there is broader knowledge and awareness around the issue.

Implementation Grant Recipient


Oakland City Columbia Township Public Library

Salvation Army-Princeton Corps

Collaborating Organizations


Columbia Township Trustee

Community Action Program of Evansville & Vanderburgh County

East Gibson School District

North Gibson School Corporation

Oakland City Columbia Township Public Library

Patoka Township Trustee

Salvation Army-Princeton Corps

South Gibson School Corporation

Tulip Tree Family Healthcare

Activity Update

  • March 2023

    During the previous six-month reporting period, the Oakland City Columbia Township Public Library held a Community Talk as part of the One Book One Community project, where local non-profit organizations shared their work to improve the quality of life in Gibson County.


    The Pathway of Hope Program has needed help attracting participants, and the Salvation Army of Princeton is considering opening it up to households without children.


    The Bridges Out of Poverty initiative is growing, with a recent workshop and community discussion to move it forward. Future events will involve the community in alleviating poverty in Gibson County.

  • September 2022

    Over the last six months, Gibson County Community Foundation staff, along with a small community group interested in the Bridges initiative, invited local non-profit organizations as well as community and religious leaders to attend a “Bridges Breakfast.” During the program, attended by 20 individuals, a consultant from aha! Process, Inc. explained the Bridges Out of Poverty Initiative and answered questions from attendees. Community Foundation staff are currently working with aha! Process, Inc. to bring “Bridges to Sustainable Communities” to Gibson County.


    The Salvation Army purchased ten Busy Family Bill Organizer books to be utilized by Pathway to Hope Program participants. The organization also distributed over 200 flyers to families through its food pantry. Its grocery giveaway program worked with Community Foundation staff to develop a press release to share with the local newspaper and social media. The program was also offered to people seeking Salvation Army assistance. The organization is currently seeking program participants and welcomes families to register for the program or to ask for help with reviewing bills and/or goal setting.


    The One Book One Community project was implemented in 2021 at Gibson County public libraries with the distribution of the books Charity Detox and 13 Ways to Kill Your Community.  Participants in the One Book One Community project book discussions were encouraged to read the book and attend a discussion group. The librarian of each library, along with a Community Foundation staff member, led the open discussion with the participants. When the participants were asked about their biggest takeaway from the book/discussion, the majority answered that the book “helped them realize new ways to volunteer and revive their small communities.” Currently, Community Foundation staff are working with the Oakland City Columbia Township Public Library librarian to organize a speaker panel for late 2022. The panel will consist of four speakers from local non-profit organizations who will speak about the cycle of poverty and points captured during the discussion groups.

  • March 2022

    Community Foundation staff is currently working with the Gibson County public libraries on the second One Book One Community project. The decision was made upon the recommendation of the Oakland City Columbia Township Public Library director, and Community Foundation staff agreed, to distribute the book, “13 Ways to Kill Your Community,” by Doug Griffiths.


    The Salvation Army- Princeton Corps has coordinated with the Community Foundation to finalize the agreements and necessary steps to begin the Pathway of Hope Program. They have started handing out flyers to interested clients through their food pantry.


    The remaining workshops are currently being reviewed and discussed by Community Foundation staff with guidance from Aha! Process.  An informational Bridges Out of Poverty session is planned for April 2022 with hopes of bringing a renewed interest to the program.

  • September 2021

    During the month of July 2021, the Community Foundation welcomed Dr. Ruby Payne, author and founder of aha! Process, to Gibson County to kick off the GIFT VII Implementation Grant initiative.  During the evening convocation, Dr. Payne spoke on the topic of poverty and awareness to community and business leaders, educators, and non-profit representatives.


    The following day, a group of Gibson County educators attended Dr. Payne’s Emotional Poverty workshop. This workshop addressed the group on effective interaction with students who are living in poverty.  


    In August 2021, the Community Foundation welcomed Treasure McKenzie, aha! Process Consultant/Trainer, for the Bridges Out of Poverty initiative workshop. The workshop was attended by community leaders and educators, and clearly engaged the attendees and provided them with tools to take back to their businesses, organizations, or personal lives to address the issue of poverty.  


    Since the workshop, a community group has met and began discussion on how to implement a Bridges Out of Poverty program (or similar initiative) in Gibson County. The One Book, One Community project kicked off late Fall 2021.  All four Gibson County Public Libraries, distributed the book Toxic Charity, by Robert D. Lupton and held discussion groups.  These groups provided community members a chance to discuss and further understand the role they can play in alleviating poverty and how to be effective in those practices.  The second One Book, One Community project is set for Spring 2022. 

  • March 2021

    Although the COVID-19 pandemic had stalled our initiatives due to gathering and travel restrictions, the Community Foundation will begin implementation during summer 2021 with a kick-off presentation by Dr. Ruby Payne on July 27, 2021, and her Emotional Poverty presentations to school districts on July 28, 2021. Other initiatives and programs will be implemented in August 2021 and ensuing months.