By John Rohlf, The Message assistant editor
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Evansville was one of 27 community organizations to receive a grant from the Welborn Baptist Foundation.
Welborn awarded $2.87 million in grant partnerships across 27 grants to community organizations participating in the Foundation’s 2025 Christ-Centered Communities grant cycle. Formally presented at a celebration luncheon June 17, the grants will support programs and initiatives through 2026 focused on place-based approaches, people-focused approaches and missional movement.
“These partners are the hands and feet of our community, and it is an honor to highlight their work in our region…” Christ-Centered Communities Program Officer Amy Hanson said in the press release.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Evansville was one of six organizations to be awarded the grant for the people-focused approach.
“We are extremely grateful for the support of the Welborn Baptist Foundation,” Denise Seibert Townsend, executive director of Catholic Charities said. “Through the Neighbor to Neighbor program, we accompany those served by supporting them through the challenges they face, giving them the tools they need to thrive and instilling hope and confidence. Neighbor to Neighbor strengthens families and helps our community flourish.”
Seibert Townsend said with the support from Welborn Baptist Foundation, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Evansville plans to continue its efforts to expand the organization’s Neighbor to Neighbor program. With this expansion, Catholic Charities will offer sessions in the day while maintaining the regular evening program schedule throughout the diocese, Seibert Townsend said. Participation in the program has steadily increased over the past two years, Seibert Townsend said.
She said their goal is to build upon the recent success in the coming years. The grant helps make that possible, she said.
“The program is a faith-based, life skills education program that helps families move away from financial dependence on social service agencies and move towards self-sufficiency,” Seibert Townsend said. “To assist with this expansion, Catholic Charities will continue to recruit and train volunteers to be facilitators who will help lead the Neighbor to Neighbor program with assistance from Catholic Charities’ staff members.”
Seibert Townsend said the Neighbor to Neighbor program provides participants knowledge, skills and confidence to transition from short-term relief to long-term flourishing and stability. Participants focus on goal setting in the areas of finance, faith, health and community. Upon successful completion of the program, participants earn stipends towards rent, utilities or other appropriate expenses that will move the person forward to help achieve their goals.
The goal of the program is to provide individuals and families the skills needed for longer-term success, moving beyond relief and helping individuals and families build healthy habits.
“Our experience with this program has demonstrated that when a participant begins to make progress in the areas of finances and education, faith and family, health and wellness and social, that individual reports increased confidence. Which in turn helps their overall stability,” Seibert Townsend said.