Community Foundation Announces More than $200,000 in Senior Living Grants

The Community Foundation of St. Joseph County has announced more than $200,000 in Senior Living grants that will support the missions of five local nonprofits:

AHEPA 100 Inc.: $60,000
AHEPA 100 Inc. (AHEPA Senior Living – South Bend) is an affordable housing facility for under resourced seniors offering 49 individual units. The facilities are older buildings currently offering bathtubs in each unit. Funds will help support seniors by updating 25 bathrooms to have walk-in showers with safety rails to better facilitate residents with mobility challenges remaining at home while preventing falls that could be catastrophic.

Rebuilding Together St. Joseph County: $50,000
Funds will be used to help support Rebuilding Together’s expansion to repair 30-40 homes in 2026 and 2027, ensuring that low-income seniors can remain in the homes they love. Rebuilding Together plans to expand their impact beyond South Bend into Mishawaka and surrounding communities, reaching even more households in need of critical repairs. This expansion will strengthen housing stability county-wide while also living up to their name, rebuilding St. Joseph County together, not just South Bend.

Forever Learning Institute: $40,000
Funds will help support Forever Learning Institute’s “Forever Connected” project, a two-year computer literacy initiative targeting seniors in South Bend. Running from 2026-2027 at three locations (FLI Main Campus, The Beacon Community Resource Center, and Southfield Village), the program aims to help seniors confidently engage with technology. Key components include free computer classes, tech support, a computer lending library, and internet access assistance. Funds will assist with equipment purchases and to support a half-time program coordinator.

Center for Hospice Care: $30,000
Funds will help support the Kaleidoscope program, a home-based palliative care initiative designed to provide comprehensive medical and emotional support for seniors with serious chronic or advanced illnesses in St. Joseph County and surrounding regions. Launched in June 2024, the program has already served 358 unique patients, with 168 currently enrolled and an average patient age of 72, focusing on improving quality of life through pain management, symptom control, and coordinated care. Funds will assist with program expansion, adding a full-time licensed clinical social worker and a third nurse practitioner in 2026 to meet growing demand.

HealthLinc: $25,000
Funds will help support HealthLinc’s “Senior Food as Medicine” program to combat food insecurity for 50 seniors in St. Joseph County through a 5-month program from March to September 2026. The initiative will provide monthly food boxes, produce food vouchers, and cooking classes to improve health outcomes. Previous program results demonstrate significant health improvements, including weight loss, and 48% of chronically ill patients showing enhanced health conditions, aligning with the organization’s mission to create healthy communities.