Share the Dream Spotlight: James Hammond Endowment

This summer, 25 different charitable organizations, scholarships and endowments are participating in the Putnam County Community Foundation Share the Dream program. The fundraising program offers proportionally awarded grant prizes to participants who receive at least 10 donations of $25 or more between May 1 and Aug. 31. Each of the 25 organizations will be highlighted in this series.

The purpose of the James M. Hammond Endowment is to fund the ongoing mission of Care Net Pregnancy Center of Putnam County, which exists to help women and their families facing unplanned pregnancies and families needing assistance. Care Net offers all services free of charge to anyone.

Care Net is a multi-denomination Christian outreach of the local churches to those in need. Care Net is a volunteer-driven resource in our community and therefore is solely staffed by volunteers, except for the director and nurse manager/sonographer. Each volunteer gives three hours of time one day per week to help those in our community.

James M. Hammond played an instrumental role in the founding of the Crisis Pregnancy Center. Before serving as the president of the board of directors for the Crisis Center of Putnam County, Hammond served as an educator in Putnam and Hendricks counties for 40 years as a teacher, coach and administrator.

He passed just before Easter in 1994, two months before the center opened. After his death, the center established the James M. Hammond fund at the Putnam County Community Foundation to honor his legacy.

Care Net Pregnancy Center continues to meet the needs of our community. Anyone who would like to provide care and assistance to those in the community who find themselves facing an unplanned pregnancy and who want to help families who are struggling to make ends meet, should consider donating to the James M. Hammond Endowment.