FORT WAYNE, IND. — The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is investing nearly $650,000 in seven organizations working to provide a range of education, health and cultural services for at-risk children and their families.
While the grants are to individual organizations, together they are designed to address Knight Foundation’s locally recommended priorities to improve school readiness and to sustain and build diverse audiences for local arts and cultural programming.
The 2004 grantees are:
- Community Action of Northeast Indiana Inc., $120,000 (over 3 years)
- Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana, $120,000 (over 3 years)
- Vincent House, $120,000 (over 3 years)
- United Way of Allen County, $114,850
- Fort Wayne Urban League, $105,000 (over 3 years)
- Three Rivers Jenbe` Ensemble, $31,000
- Foundation for Art and Music in Elementary Education, $30,000 (over 3 years)
Over the next five years, Knight plans to invest $3 million in local partnerships in Fort Wayne to help the community work toward specific, measurable results in school readiness and arts participation.
“Getting children prepared to attend school is critical to Fort Wayne’s long-term success,” said Mary M. Jacobus, chair of Knight’s Fort Wayne Community Advisory Committee. “Economically disadvantaged families need better access to quality child care and parenting skills to support their children’s early development.”
Community Action of Northeast Indiana will use its grant money to provide preschool, therapeutic classroom services for 60 additional children, working to improve their self-sufficiency and competency. Community Harvest Food Bank will provide an average of 5,000 meals and snacks to low-income children each month at its seven Kids Café sites and also send 50 backpacks of food to the neediest children each week. As part of its Success by Six initiative, United Way of Allen County will develop a community initiative to help non-English-speaking children be prepared to learn when they enter school.
Vincent House, which provides services and shelter for homeless families, will use its grant to help 25-30 families move into stable housing in Vincent Village. “There is a direct correlation between homelessness and performance in school. Helping these families into homes means the chances are greater for their children’s academic success,” said Ann C. Hathaway, development director for Vincent House.
Knight’s grant to the Fort Wayne Urban League will support a capital campaign to build a new facility. The Three Rivers Jenbe′ Ensemble grant will enable 3,000 children, youth and adults to be exposed to African music and history through concerts and workshops conducted in schools and community centers in Fort Wayne’s southeast-side neighborhoods. And Knight’s grant to the Foundation for Art and Music in Elementary Education will provide tuition for 30 at-risk students to attend the organization’s summer arts camp.
“Arts participation is critical for children’s cognitive, social and emotional well-being. Community-based organizations play a great role in providing activities that can engage them,” said Vivian Celeste Neal, Knight’s program officer in Fort Wayne.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of Fort Wayne and 25 other U.S. communities.