Bloomington Chapter

Bread for the Journey of Bloomington gave Patricia Coleman a $500 grant to expand the Green Dove's "Poets for Peace" project out into the Bloomington community. Green Dove is a website (see www.greendove.net/poetry.htm) with links that help like-minded groups and individuals find and support each other in peacemaking works and activities. "Poets for Peace" is a page on the Green Dove site where poets can share their peace-related works with others. Patricia's additional goal is to create more community events that include poetry readings, so that poets can share their visions for World Peace with audiences in ways that are inspiring for all.

Robin Tala is a gentle, energetic and enthusiastic member of Bloomington's social activist community. Although barely out of his teens, Robin's clear vision, hard work and dedication to justice have already resulted in many contributions to our local and global communities. Through his volunteer work, Robin has found that many young people want to make a difference in the world, but instead feel isolated and stuck working long hours at unsatisfying jobs. So Robin founded The Young Activist's Funding Network (YAFNet).

YAFNet exists to help dedicated young activists find appropriate part- and full-time employment instead of financially unfeasible volunteer work. YAFNet compiles their submissions into a publication and website, thus connecting the youth with communities and/or individuals that can help them realize their dreams.

Bread for the Journey of Bloomington was extremely impressed with Robin's clearly laid-out organizational plans, and was proud to extend a $525 grant to The Young Activist's Funding Network. This seed money allowed Robin to pay for booth space at the June 2004 Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in Long Beach, CA. The event will enable Robin to create a major support base for future funding.

Bread for the Journey of Bloomington granted $500 to Scott and Robin Dombrosky of the Pets for Kids Foundation. The grant was used to buy materials to build winter housing for farm animals at a therapeutic petting zoo. The zoo is being created so that children who may never get the chance to interact with farm animals can have that opportunity. They will also provide care and new homes for unwanted animals. The Pets for Kids Foundation, which was started last year, plans to have their zoo ready to go in the spring. School groups and day care centers are eagerly awaiting its completion.

Nutrition for Better Learning

Templeton Elementary School's six-week Summer Kinder Camp is designed to provide a "jump-start" opportunity for at-risk incoming kindergarteners, many of whom have not yet had a preschool experience. When these children arrive at the beginning of a school year, teachers typically spend the first six weeks or more teaching letter, number, and color recognition. They also concentrate on improving the children's social skills while helping them acclimate to the school environment, since they are often behind their peers in certain crucial developmental areas. Of these kindergarteners, 57% qualify for free or reduced lunches, which often means they come to school hungry. The Kinder Camp goal is to address the developmental and learning needs of these youngsters, as well as their nutritional and emotional needs.

Since this program is not supported through the usual funding sources provided to schools, Family Literacy Coordinator Gracia Valliant asked Bread for the Journey of Bloomington to help buy daily snacks for the children. Her goal is to provide a piece of fruit along with some other nutritional snack, in addition to lunch, for the participants of Kinder Camp. A $513 grant from Bread for the Journey of Bloomington allowed them to meet that goal. Gracia is pleased to be able to offer a positive, nurturing and nutritional learning environment for the Kinder Campers at Templeton Elementary.

Oncology Music Library

Bill Whitefeather knows from experience what studies by the American Cancer Society have empirically shown - that music heals. For several years, Bill has been playing his flute on Sundays for patients in Bloomington Hospital's oncology wing. He noticed that while every patient's room has a TV, not one of them has a CD player or radio. Bill wished to give patients the opportunity to absorb their favorite songs - from Roy Rogers to Hip Hop - so he began to create an extensive library of CDs by soliciting donations from record labels as well as from individuals. The only items missing were sturdy CD players for the patients' rooms. He also envisioned providing a shelf unit in the library/lounge so that family members - who often spend hours in the hospital - would have a place to retreat to and listen to music themselves. Bread for the Journey of Bloomington was pleased to give a $750 grant to Bill's music therapy program for the purchase of headphones, a main unit, and several portable CD players.

Frank Galiani believes that everyone should have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument. He is an active member of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra Instrument Recovery Program, which provides instruments at low or no cost to students who cannot afford to buy them, yet wish to be in a band or orchestra. The program's participants collect and restore donated instruments and provide free music lessons to these young people.

Bread for the Journey of Bloomington provided the program with a $1000 grant so they could begin an ensemble program for children in Ellettsville and Stinesville, Indiana. This grant is being used to purchase and repair used trumpets, woodwinds, and percussion instruments, and to pay the expenses of an Indiana University grad-student volunteer who is teaching the summer program. Because of these efforts, some long-neglected instruments will be rediscovered and put to good use, while the children in this rural area of Indiana will soon be making beautiful music to share with their community.

Mother Hubbard's Cupboard

Mother Hubbard's Cupboard Food Pantry (MHC) has served the Bloomington, IN community since 1998. Their mission is to provide healthy, wholesome food and to educate families and individuals about nutrition. The pantry is open to anyone in need. MHC's outreach is focused on pregnant and nursing women and children. They strive to provide services in ways that build community while maintaining and enhancing the dignity, self-respect and self-care of everyone involved. In 2001, MHC distributed an average of 572 bags of food each week to more than 230 households, redistributing a total of 237,000 lbs of food.

When Frank Hall, MHC's Volunteer Coordinator and On-Site Supervisor, approached Bread for the Journey of Bloomington about a seed grant to begin a Nutrition Education Program, we knew this was a project that would touch both the heart and the belly of our community! The Nutrition Education Program will help to inform clients about nutritious food choices and empower them with respect to their own health and well-being. MHC's philosophy is to offer educational options while respecting freedom of choice, ultimately empowering individuals, which leads to long term benefits. Bread for the Journey of Bloomington was presented with a well-thought-through and organized three year plan of implementation for this new program. On June 3rd, we enthusiastically presented Mother Hubbard's Cupboard with a seed grant of $1465. Our grant, along with additional funding from the Monroe County Common Council, will provide the start up funds for the staff and volunteer trainings, equipment and supplies necessary to make this long envisioned dream into a reality.

Bread for the Journey of Bloomington is proud to offer its support for such a valuable community program, and to the wonderful volunteers, staff, and clients of Mother Hubbard's Cupboard.

Along with other members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Guy Loftman regularly visits the Juvenile Correctional Facility as part of the church's Youth Prison Ministry program. As an integral part of these visits, the guests strum on three or four guitars that they bring along with them. Guy soon noticed several of the young men taking turns on the guitars. Some could play quite well, while others showed a keen interest in learning. One said to Guy, "It would be great if we had a guitar here that we could play anytime." Guy agreed, then decided to contact Bread for the Journey of Bloomington. With a grant of $467.45, the Youth Prison Ministry members purchased a Yamaha FG dreadnought-style guitar, strap, hard-shell case, capo, picks, electronic tuner and a chord book at a discount from a local music shop, Smith-Holden Music. On February 3rd, 2002, the guitar was presented to a stunned yet elated group of young men at the Juvenile Correctional Facility. They felt heartened that their wishes had been heard and respected and, hopefully, are now learning how to make some beautiful music together!

Bread for the Journey of Bloomington, Indiana, was proud to provide a $500 seed grant to Terri Inskip for her "Gateway Home" project. The money helped her buy paints and supplies to repaint the railroad bridge on Adams Street, which is the entry point to her neighborhood. One day, after passing beneath the graffiti covered overpass, Terri's young son asked her if they lived in "the poor neighborhood?" Terri took it to heart to change her son's perception of their environment and rallied her neighbors to join her in improving their "low-income neighborhood." She wrote a statement of intention and began the arduous process of cleaning up her street. The committed neighbors let all the residents know that drugs were not going to be tolerated, and several people relocated to less diligently monitored areas.
Terri persisted through three years of red tape as she worked with the railroad in realizing her vision. They upgraded the overpass and granted Teri approval to repaint the bridge. Local artist, Angie Robertson, created a beautiful design, and the neighborhood held a painting party with food and live jazz. A musical score from Hoagy Carmichael's "Star Dust Memories" now graces the gateway in honor of the famous Bloomington songwriter. The decorated bridge now brings pride and beauty to the neighborhood and Terri's enthusiasm, commitment and determination continue to be a great inspiration to the city of Bloomington.

Art & Poetry in the Jail

Judi Romaine believes that all people are a gift and have something to share. She believes that art and poetry are ways for us to look deep within ourselves and to see the extraordinary aspects of life that join us as human beings; aspects that develop within us understanding, compassion and inspiration. In faithfulness to her conviction, she collaborated with an artist, a poet and the Prison Ministries Program to found the "Art & Poetry in the Jail" project. With the assistance of a mentoring program, this project offers an opportunity for self-statement to incarcerated individuals in the Juvenile Correctional Facility. Through the implementation of art supplies, and creative inspiration, the youth now have a healthy avenue for self expression. Judi has worked diligently and continues to strive toward extending her project to the Monroe County Jail and to other jails in South Central Indiana. She eventually would like to produce an exhibit, web site and a book documenting the project. In August 2001, Bread for the Journey of Bloomington, Indiana was happy to support Judi's vision with a seed grant in the amount of $350.

The Latino Ministries Emergency Fund was born of the need to assist the growing Latino population of Bloomington, Indiana. Gracia Valliant, Director of the Latino Ministries Program at the First United Methodist Church was receiving numerous calls requesting emergency assistance. An $800 grant from Bread for the Journey of Bloomington enabled the church to create the Latino Ministries Emergency Fund in order to provide immediate assistance for individual and family needs. Once it was established, members of the congregation began to donate to the fund as well - a testament to the contagious nature of generosity!
The financial assistance now available empowers families in many ways. In the first month, it sent a young boy to summer camp in hopes that he would make friends and improve his English speaking skills, which in turn will help him in school. It paid for two weeks of daycare for a child so his mother could work, and it also helped to reduce another woman's medical bills. It gave a loan to a family toward the deposit on a house, which the family is working to repay to enable the fund to assist other families in the future. Thanks to the support of Bread for the Journey of Bloomington and all the other generous community members, the Latino Ministries Emergency Fund continues to provide positive opportunities for individuals and families to help them grow strong.

Jamie Sweany
jaimesweany@yahoo.com
PO Box 8033
Bloomington, IN 47407

812-339-5091

The board of Bread for the Journey, Bloomington, Indiana