02.01.2008 - 

Amethyst House provides high quality, structured living environments, treatment, education and recovery services for individuals with substance and abuse issues. Amethyst House serves 70-80 men and 25-35 women each year, and upon discharge, nearly 80 percent maintain sobriety. For more information, contact Executive Director Tom Cox (336-3570, tomcox@bloomington.in.us) or visit www.amethysthouse.org.

The first two phases of Matchstick has generated $40,000 in contributions and matching monies for the Olcott Youth Scholarship Fund at the Bloomington Park and Recreation Foundation. As the endowment fund grows, the Park and Recreation Foundation can provide scholarships to an increasing number of local youth to participate in activities. For more information, please contact Director Mick Renneisen (349-3711, renneism@bloomington.in.gov). or visit www.bloomington.in.gov/parks.

Generous donor support has enabled the Boys & Girls Club to accommodate more than 200 youths on a daily basis. A partnership with Bloomington Parks and Recreation allows 330 boys and girls to participate in the club’s basketball program, and more than 60 girls participated in the volleyball program that the club co-sponsored with Hoosierland Volleyball and Indiana University. For more information, please contact Executive Director Jeff Baldwin (332-5311, jbaldwin@bgcbloomington.org) or Endowment Board Chair Lance Eberle (331-3230, lancee@first-insurancegroup.com). or visit www.bgcbloomington.org.

Endowment also provides a critical revenue stream in Community Kitchen’s operating budget. In addition to the 430 meals it serves daily, Community Kitchen administers its Backpack Buddies program, where backpacks of food items are sent home on Friday afternoons with qualified students at Fairview, Summit and Arlington Elementary Schools. For more information, contact Executive Director Vicki Pierce (332-0999, vpierce2@juno.com). or visit www.monroecommunitykitchen.com.

Ellettsville Main Street directs a variety of different programs geared towards revitalizing the community while also preserving its heritage. This includes purchasing holiday street decorations and antique-type street lights, planning and developing two gateway signs in the downtown area, and undertaking an historic photo preservation project and a National Register of Historic Places project. For more information, contact Jeana Kapczynski (876-9350, jkappy@bluemarble.net).

Nearly 21,000 people participate in Lotus programming annually. This includes the Lotus Blossom Educational Outreach Program, where performing artists from diverse cultural traditions travel to rural and underserved schools throughout the region to perform; the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival brings internationally-known musicians and artists to perform in Bloomington each September; the ArtsWeek concert and the summertime fundraising concert, Summer Night of Lotus. For more information, contact Development Director Deborah Klein (336-6599, dklein@bluemarble.net) or visit www.lotusfest.org.

Monroe County United Ministries’ (MCUM) objective is to provide subsidized childcare and emergency needs to working families and those in distress. Through September, 2007, MCUM had 166 children enrolled in its daycare program, had received nearly 2,200 requests for assistance, distributed enough food for more than 47,000 meals and provided rent/mortgage/utility service so that 77 families could avoid homelessness or utility shut-off. For more information, contact Development Director Rebecca Stanze (339-3429, mcumfund@bloomington.in.us) or visit www. bloomington.in.us/~mcum/

Pinnacle School is a comprehensive resource for South Central Indiana residents who encounter dyslexia and related learning differences. In addition to a full-time, specialized K-11 school serving children with dyslexia and related information processing differences, Pinnacle offers an after-school tutoring and homework assistance program, summer camps and diagnostic screening services. For more information, contact Executirve Director Denise Lessow (339-8141, dlessow@pinnacleschool.org) or visit www.pinnacleschool.org.

WFHB (Bloomington Community Radio) devotes a majority of its music programming to genres underrepresented by other stations in the area, such as Native American and Spanish-speaking. In addition, its news shows reflect diverse local, national and international viewpoints. In recognition of its contributions to the Monroe County community, WFHB recently received the 2007 Nancy Howard Diversity Award from the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. For more information, contact Carolyn VandeWiele (323-1200, president@wfhb.org) or visit www.wfhb.org.