In November 2022, members of the Women of Impact (WOI) philanthropic giving group brought their passion to support local nonprofits together and voted The ARC of Greater Boone County as the 2022 fourth quarter grantee, with the funds being earmarked for programming supporting women and children.
This grant will support the Boone County WIC (Women, Infant, and Children) Program, which is one division of The ARC of Greater Boone County. The ARC works with the state WIC program to improve healthier eating and lifestyles for pregnant women and families with children under the age of 5 by providing: nutrition and health screening and assessment, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding promotion and support, referrals to other Indiana healthy, family and social services organizations, and for families who qualify, supplemental healthy foods designed to meet special nutrition needs. The Boone County WIC Program supports over 610 clients each month through these services and partners with many Boone County-serving nonprofits, including Witham Hospital, The Caring Center, Diaper Bank, and The Milk Bank.
The Boone County WIC Program currently employs the equivalent of 2.5 full-time staff who provide assessment, support, and group opportunities for the families who participate. The need continues to increase due to the rapid growth in the area.
We are extremely excited about this grant and are looking at several different ways it can be used to make the greatest impact, such as offering clinic outside of the normal work day and attending community events to reach those in need who might be slipping through the cracks.
The Women of Impact grant funds will be used to: provide more hours and services outside of the typical clinic hours, reach families who may not qualify for the income based-benefits, such as young mothers who may be living with other family members, complete additional outreach activities, and further educate people about the services. The staff of the WIC program is also researching possible opportunities to partner with local food drives and service days as a way to raise awareness about WIC services.
The community can support the WIC Program in several ways. The WIC Program accepts donations of baby and small children’s items, such as toys, clothing and shoes, diapers, and formula. Feel free to contact them directly on brands or details of things they can use. If you are seeking volunteer work, reach out to them directly or look on Connect Boone County. They periodically have service days as well as ongoing plans for volunteers to be involved in some of The ARC’s programming!
To learn more about The ARC of Greater Boone County/The WIC Program and how you can get involved, visit their website at https://thearcgbc.org/.
To become a member of Women of Impact Boone County and collaboratively support Boone County-serving nonprofits, click here or contact us today!
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF BOONE COUNTY
Since 1991, the Community Foundation of Boone County has granted over $28 million from its various funds to nonprofit organizations and programs working to solve critical challenges in Boone County. Through the generosity of donors, the Community Foundation currently holds over $30 million in net assets. In the past 30 years, we have worked with donors to create permanent funds for charitable giving. The establishment and growth of permanent endowment funds will strengthen Boone County for generations to come.