Healthcare Foundation of La Porte Invests over $6.5 million in the Community in 2021

Pictured above L to R:

1. The Social & Learning Institute Health & Wellness Program – $10,000 grant in 2021 supports activities such as yoga for students. Total HFL grant awards 2018 to 2021 to support the program total $40,000.

2 & 3.Fire Department Rescue Boat (2 photos) – City of La Porte Fire Department Rescue Boat. Matching grant to the City of La Porte. HFL funded 50% of the purchase of a new rescue boat that will significantly reduce response time of the Fire Department to incidents on and near the City’s waterways. The City funded the other 50%.

4. Citizens Concerned for the Homeless Food Rescue Initiative – HFL grants from 2019 to 2021 to address food insecurity in La Porte County through CCH’s Food Rescue Initiative total $72,000.

5. Clear Lake Check Presentation – Presentation of grant funds to the City of La Porte for Clear Lake Greenway Loop Project, a two-year matching grant to build walkable connectivity to downtown La Porte, the Chessie Trail, NewPorte Landing, and north La Porte areas.

Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) awarded $6,502,170 in grants in 2021, bringing HFL’s total

investment in the community to over $30 million since HFL’s founding in 2017.

Dedicated to empowering La Porte County residents to live healthy and well, HFL makes grants to advance

its strategic priorities of Healthy Children, Healthy Living, and Healthy Minds and responds to community

health and wellness needs outside of these priorities through Healthy La Porte grants. HFL supports efforts

to strengthen nonprofit organizations in La Porte County through Healthy Partners grants and grants AED

equipment to help community members survive cardiac arrest through the foundation’s When Seconds

Count – AED Initiative. Additionally, HFL makes grants to respond to emergencies that affect the health

and wellness of La Porte County residents, such as the case with HFL’s COVID-19 Emergency Grants, and

provides Health Career Scholarships.

Most grants support projects and programs addressing the foundation’s strategic priorities. Of the roughly

$6.5 million granted in the year, $5,727,062 were awarded through 54 Healthy Children, Healthy Living,

and Healthy Minds grants.

HFL awarded 25 Healthy Children grant awards totaling $980,008. In 2021, HFL continued its investment in

20 established community programs working to ensure all children are healthy, well, and safe and

supported five new projects and programs. New partners include the Boys & Girls Clubs of La Porte County

and Goodwill Industries of Michiana. The $102,317 grant to the Boys & Girls Clubs of La Porte County

supports new clubs in Westville and Kingsford Heights. The $40,000 grant to Goodwill Industries of

Michiana provides funding to hire a doula dedicated to La Porte County to support first-time, low-income

mothers who lack adequate birth partners. Doulas provide support to mothers in preparation of labor,

during labor and delivery, and up to six weeks postpartum.

Healthy Living grants totaled $3,904,049 and ranged from $2,350 to Purdue Extension – La Porte County

for the Kingsford Heights Community Gardens to $2,239,500 to the City of La Porte to support the Clear

Lake Greenway Loop Project. Of the 20 Healthy Living grants this year, five provide funding for trails. In

addition to the Clear Lake Greenway Loop, grants supporting trails include: $337,060 to the City of La

Porte to construct the second phase of the Chessie Trail and $25,000 to support the Stone Lake Trail

Expansion, $300,000 to La Porte County Parks Department to support the extension of the Lincoln Trail in

Westville, and $107,500 to Union Mills Conservation Club for the expansion of the walking path at Mill

Pond Park in Union Mills.

The seven Healthy Minds grants HFL awarded in 2021 totaled $513,575. Grants support mental health

programs and services, including the prevention and treatment of substance use disorder. The largest grant

is to Porter-Starke Services to support the La Porte Recovery Center.

Responding to community needs outside of its strategic priorities, HFL awarded 22 Healthy La Porte grants

totaling $329,430 to community partners. Many of Healthy La Porte grants support long-running programs

that make a difference in the lives of community members either directly through a health and wellness

program or through a program that improves factors that contribute to health and wellness. The $12,768

grant to READ La Porte County, for example, provides English language classes for community members

who first spoke a language other than English. English language classes help community members secure

jobs and get promotions, communicate with teachers to support their children’s education, and

communicate with healthcare providers. Results from the 2020 grant include one community member

pregnant with her first child who said she felt much more confident talking with her doctor in English and

asking questions about her health and her baby’s health.

HFL’s 2021 investment in the community includes $593,429 for the foundation’s county-wide Partners in

Prevention (PiP) initiative. This investment includes grants to support implementation of the third year of

the initiative in 11 schools and school districts, technical assistance to support partners in the

implementation process, and program evaluation to understand the effectiveness of the programs. PiP is

3-year grant initiative to help La Porte County schools identify, implement, and sustain proven substance

use prevention programs.

Other grant awards this year include $65,228 in Emergency, Capacity Building, and Responsive Grants

and $18,451 awarded through HFL’s When Seconds Count – AED Initiative.

In partnership with La Porte Hospital Auxiliary, HFL awarded 44 scholarships totaling $98,000 to students

who either reside or work in La Porte County. Scholarships are for the 2021-2022 academic year and

support students pursuing careers in health science occupations.

HFL is honored to partner with so many organizations dedicated to making a difference in the health and

wellness of La Porte County. Maria Fruth, President & CEO, commented, “In 2021, we awarded 99 grants

to 66 community partners committed to improving the health and wellness of the community. Together, we

are empowering La Porte County residents to live healthy and well.”

HFL is a nonprofit, independent, private foundation dedicated to empowering La Porte

County residents to live healthy and well. The foundation was initially funded in March 2016 from

the proceeds of the sale of IU Health La Porte Hospital. With a shared vision, the La Porte Hospital

Foundation and Healthcare Foundation of La Porte blended their financial and operational efforts

together in 2017.

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The mission of Healthcare Foundation of La Porte is empowering La Porte County residents to live healthy and

well to become one of Indiana’s top 10 healthiest communities by 2030. You can learn more about how we

support the community by visiting hflaporte.org or by calling 219.326.2471.