By John Rohlf, The Message assistant editor
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Evansville was recently awarded their second grant of the summer for their Neighbor to Neighbor program.
The United Way of Southwestern Indiana announced the distribution of $1.1 million in grant funding as part of its Social Stability and Growth Pathways to Potential initiative. They awarded grants to six non-profits, including Catholic Charities. The grant to Catholic Charities is for $94,000 and will go towards the Neighbor to Neighbor program.
Catholic Charities and the other local nonprofit organizations were selected to receive grant funding because they demonstrated the ability to help struggling, working families move from a state of constant crisis toward long term financial and social stability.
Denise Seibert Townsend, Catholic Charities executive director, said the grant from United Way will help Catholic Charities expand support offered through the Neighbor to Neighbor program. They will now be able to provide an additional eight months of individualized support to program graduates. With this additional programming, they expect graduates to have greater progress toward financial sta-bility and goal achievement.
“We are extremely grateful for the support of United Way of Southwestern Indiana,” Seibert Townsend said. “With their generous support, we can build upon the strength of the Neighbor to Neighbor pro-gram. Participants will now have the opportunity to receive individualized support for a longer period of time.”
This is the second grant this summer awarded to Catholic Charities for the Neighbor to Neighbor program. They also received grant funding from the Welborn Baptist Foundation for the Neighbor to Neighbor program.
Neighbor to Neighbor 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.
“We have seen the strong impact that the Neighbor to Neighbor program has on its participants,” Seibert Townsend said. “However, many past participants have voiced an inter-est for additional support. Now, we can provide an additional eight months of individualized follow up sessions to help participants.”
Seibert Townsend said the grant creates a formal pathway for Catholic Charities to pro-vide continued support for Neighbor to Neighbor program graduates. It encourages stability and independence while providing an ongoing support system for participants, she said.