Community Kitchen of Monroe County receives $200,000 Capital Project Grant from Indiana United Ways in partnership with United Wau of South Central Indiana
July 30, 2024, Bloomington, Ind. – Community Kitchen of Monroe County is excited to announce that it has received a $200,000 matching capital grant from Indiana United Ways with cooperation from United Way of South Central Indiana in support of a rebuild and expansion for its Community Kitchen Express location in the Crestmont neighborhood of Bloomington. This location is central to reaching some of the most vulnerable members of our community in Monroe County.
The infusion of funding has enabled Community Kitchen of Monroe County to complete fundraising and finalize its renovation activities. Demolition is complete, and construction of the new facility is in progress. Once completed, the new Community Kitchen Express building will provide regular access to nutritious meals for all families experiencing food insecurity. The rebuilt facility will improve both food service operations and client experience.
Funding for this project was made possible due to United Way of South Central Indiana’s membership in Indiana United Ways, the state membership association for 41 of the 43 United Ways serving Indiana counties.
“We recommended this project to the Indiana United Ways Statewide Capital Projects Committee because Community Kitchen is essential to providing easily accessible healthy, nutritious food to our fellow community members. The Express location is vital to the Crestmont area and nearby neighborhoods. United Way of South Central Indiana is thrilled we could leverage an investment of $200,000 for this new building. It will create more space for residents to be served, provide additional room for referral information, increase the visual appeal, and overall allow the amazing team at Community Kitchen to do what they do best – care for community members in a dignified manner. All of these elements help people move from poverty to possibility,” said Randy Rogers, President & CEO of United Way of South Central Indiana. “This grant from Indiana United Ways enabled the project team to close a critical gap in funding so that the project could move ahead in a timely manner.”
“The new, more functional, and welcoming Community Kitchen Express facility will improve residents’ access to food and services, which strengthens our community,” said Community Kitchen board president Kyla Cox Deckard. “This generous matching grant is an investment in Monroe County’s future and a symbol of Community Kitchen and United Way of South Central Indiana’s dedicated partnership to move families from poverty to possibility.”
Completion of the rebuild is anticipated in October 2024 and is being managed Springpoint Architects and Strauser Construction Company. Follow Community Kitchen of Monroe County’s social media for updates on the progress of the project.
During construction, Community Kitchen will be serving meals from the Crestmont Community Center, located at 1002 N Summit St. in Bloomington, IN, from 4-6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
About Community Kitchen of Monroe County
Community Kitchen is in its 42nd year of providing food for the hungry in Monroe County and working to eliminate hunger in Monroe County and surrounding areas through direct service, education and advocacy. Community Kitchen is the largest provider of free meals in Monroe County. For more information about Community Kitchen, visit monroecommunitykitchen.com or call 812-332-0999.
About United Way of South Central Indiana
United Way of South Central Indiana is a nonprofit organization that improves the lives and futures of all people in the community. We bring together expertise, funding, and volunteer support to positively impact the resilience of our community, and those who live within it. In partnership with others, we work to eliminate inequities experienced by low-income and diverse populations so that all people have a safe, healthy home environment, achieve their educational potential, and increase their financial stability. We commit to building bridges across cultural, racial, religious, and economic boundaries More information is available at www.unitedwaysci.org.
About Indiana United Ways
Indiana United Ways (IUW) is the state membership association for 41 of the 43 United Ways serving Indiana counties. It provides a wide range of advocacy, training, technical assistance, networking, and grant opportunities to ensure that local United Ways meet their community’s most pressing needs. Between 2024 and 2028, the Statewide Capital Projects Initiative at IUW will award $80 million in matching grants to select nonprofit organizations. Only nonprofits that directly provide essential health and human services may be eligible to apply. All applications must be submitted in collaboration with the local IUW member United Way serving the county in which a project is located. To learn more about the Statewide Capital Projects Initiative, go to iuw.org/capitalgrants.