United Way awards $15,000 in new Partnership Grants

United Way of Putnam County 2017 Partnership Grants recipients include (from left) Elizabeth Butts, Putnam County Family Support Services; Karen Martoglio, Mental Health America of Putnam County; Chris Weeks, Wasser Brewery; Danita Timmons, TapHouse 24 and Fluttering Duck; Cari Cox, PCFSS; Judi Purvis, Transformers; Michelle Boller, Beyond Homeless; and Joe Buser, United Way. Not pictured are Bill Shuee of Shuee & Sons, Ruth Myers of Delta Theta Tau and Lori Miller of Transformers.

Courtesy photo

The United Way of Putnam County has announced the awarding of its 2017 Partnership Grants.

This year, two grants were made possible by the local United Way to partner agencies who worked in a collaborative effort to design and implement programs which would benefit the residents of Putnam County.

This year, the $10,000 grant was awarded to Transformers, who in partnership with Beyond Homeless, Delta Theta Tau, Shuee and Sons and Gobin United Methodist Church, has developed the innovative program, Move Ahead.

Move Ahead is a program designed to target adults in poverty without a living wage or safe/adequate housing. The program will assist in improving the housing situation and/or employment for under-resourced adults in Putnam County through education, case management, access to basic housing necessities through a voucher program, as well as financial incentives resulting from the completion of the Getting Ahead work group offered through Transformers.

Being awarded the $5,000 grant, is Putnam County Family Support Services. Partnering with Mental Health America of Putnam County, Tap 24 and Wasser Brewery, will bring the Raise the Bar Indiana program to Putnam County.

It is a training program for alcohol-serving establishment employees to recognize the signs of potential sexual violence and to safely and effectively intervene to prevent violence. Training includes preventing drug-facilitated sexual assault and sexual harassment, and exploring consent and perpetrator behavior.

Sexual violence is a significant problem, both because of the breadth of the problem and the serious nature of the consequences.

“We are so proud of all of our partner agencies who applied for these grants and thank each on for their tireless service to the residents of Putnam County,” Joe Buser, executive director of the United Way of Putnam County, said. “Both of these programs are positioned to have significant impact on the health of our community.

“The Partnership Grants have been designed to promote partnerships between local United Way agencies and to encourage a collaborative spirit as we continue to devote ourselves to effectively elucidating the complex responsibilities of service to our community,” Buser explained.

For more information on how to support the United Way of Putnam County, persons may contact Buser at 653-5638.