Mary Allison Trust gives schools flexibility in helping students

Sunday, November 2, 2014
Putnam County Elementary school administrators and Mary Allison Trust Partners met for lunch at the Area 30 Culinary School's Ivy Gallery recently. The group gathers annually to talk about how the fund enables schools to help students. Attending the 2014 lunch are (front, from left) trust partner JoAnn Linn, Jeanna Butler of Bainbridge Elementary; Lisa Harvey of Cloverdale Elementary, Megan Smith of Tzouanakis Intermediate, Corey Brackney of Central Elementary, board member Lucy Wieland, (middle) Rick Alexander and Susan Clark of Walmart Distribution, Kristi Loveless of Terre Haute Savings Bank, board member Mike Goss, honorary board member Jim Poor, Don Edwards of Wabash Capital, Brian Langdoc of Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church, board member Joe Ferguson, Brad Hayes of Fillmore Elementary, Debbie Steffy of Central Elementary, board member Carol Emery, board member Ginger Scott, (back) Scott Spencer and Dan McMurty of Roachdale Elementary and Rodney Simpson of Bainbridge Elementary.

Mary Allison's memorial to her daughter Molly, which began more than 125 years ago, continues to do good things for the students of Putnam County. Every year each of the eight Putnam County elementary schools receive a sum of $1,000 from the Mary Allison Children's Trust Fund.

Teachers and counselors at each school determine how the money is spent. It can be used for any purpose as long as it benefits the students of their school.

The fund provides financial assistance toward health care, education and welfare when all other resources have been exhausted.

Every year school administrators and trust fund members come together at a luncheon sponsored by Wabash Capital and Tri-County Bank & Trust Company, held in the Area 30 Ivy Gallery, to celebrate the success of the fund.

"It is in this room that the real stories of what the trust fund means are told by the people who get to see and live the experience," Mary Allison Trust Fund board member and treasurer Ginger Scott said. "It may seem like a small thing -- a pair of glasses, a filled prescription and the fees for a field trip -- but it is very large to a child and his or her parents."

Administrators from the schools often tell their own stories during the luncheon.

"This is such a helpful resource to the students. We were able to assist with back to school clothing, heating bills, medications and school supplies, just to name a few," said Megan Smith from Tzouanakis Intermediate School. "This takes the burden off of the children so they may be able to concentrate on their studies."

Fillmore Elementary Principal Brad Hayes told the group how much he appreciates the flexibility of the funds because of the variety of needs for the children. In the past he has used funds for things as simple as buying a pair of glasses and school supplies for students whose families couldn't provide them.

The fund doesn't just help individual children but entire families. In the past money has been used for heating bills, medications and even in providing clothing for a family whose home burned.

"We were able to assist with the cost of field trips that students would not have been able to attend with their classmates," reported Central Elementary Principal Debbie Steffy.

Roachdale Elementary Principal Scott Spencer summed up the effects of the fund by saying "how grateful the staff and students were to Mary Allison because we were able to fulfill a need for a family in crisis."

The Mary Allison Children's Trust came about from the sale of the Mary Allison Children's Home in mid-1980 to a non-profit organization.

The orphan home was originally created by Mary Allison following the deaths of her grandchild and daughter in 1887 and 1888. During this era, children who had no home were usually sent to work on the County Farm.

As a memorial to her daughter, Mary Allison created a corporation to manage "The Putnam County Orphans' Home," which opened with seven children living in it.

The institution was housed in several locations over time, eventually ending up in 1922 in the old Lockridge home on West Columbia Street in Greencastle. It soon became known as the Allison Home.

After decades of housing needy children, the home finally closed in 1992. Although the residence no longer houses children, the legacy of the Mary Allison's trust continues to this day through the current program of providing each elementary school with funds to help children in need.

Money is raised through contributions and an annual golf outing. Wabash Capital and Terre Haute Savings Bank are the financial overseers of the trust.

Fund partners include Duke Energy, Wabash Capital, Tri-County Bank & Trust Co., Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church, Pearl's Landscaping, Heritage Environmental, Walmart Distribution, York Automotive, JoAnn Linn and English Family Farms.

Contributions to the Mary Allison Children's Trust can be mailed to Treasurer Ginger Scott at P.O. Box 369 Greencastle, 46135.

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