At their fourth annual Camp Collaboration gathering on August 19, First Things First Porter County (FTF) awarded a total of $261,678 to seven community projects that will bolster prenatal – age three systems of care in Porter County. These Collaboration Challenge Grants are awarded to teams of partnering organizations who propose an initiative that will increase, improve or enhance programming and/or services for Porter County infants, toddlers and their families.
- Health 2 Home - $50,000 to United Way of NWI in partnership with Nurse-Family Partnership. Through home visiting and wraparound services, Health 2 Home Porter County provides pregnant and first-time parents the skills to raise children who are physically, socially, and emotionally healthy and ready to succeed.
- Market Mamas Porter County - $50,000 to Northwest Indiana Food Council in partnership with CoAction, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Purdue Extension. Market Mamas empowers Porter County moms participating in WIC eFMNP by increasing access to fresh, local food via monthly vouchers; providing nutrition education; and making connections with farmers and fellow moms at local farmers market meet-ups.
- Outdoor Experiences to Elevate the Well-Being of Young Families - $50,000 to Dunes Learning Center in partnership with Trojan Early Learning Center and Duneland Family YMCA. Using nature as a classroom, Dunes Learning Center will promote healthy beginnings for young families in Porter County. In addition, partners will instill healthy habits with “Nature Rx” programs based on research at the University of Michigan that demonstrates how, after just 10 minutes in nature, stress decreases and people report noticeable improvements in their focus, mood, and energy levels.
- Portage Boys and Girls Club’s Early Childhood Resource and Family Support Hub - $50,000 to Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana (BGCGNWI) in partnership with HealthLinc, CoAction, and Porter County Career and Technical Education. Adjacent to their newly renovated kitchen and café area, BGCGNWI will construct an intergenerational early childhood and family support hub at the Portage Boys & Girls Club, including a dedicated meeting/activity space that will serve families with infants and toddlers during the critical prenatal-to-age-three window and beyond.
- Peer Connections: Recovery Where It’s Needed Most - $47,500 to Three20 Recovery in partnership with Franciscan Health and Gabriel’s Horn Homeless Shelter. With this grant, a full-time maternal Peer Recovery Coach will support new and expecting mothers through one-on-one care, wellness groups, and outreach—improving maternal health and child development during the first 1,000 days of life.
- Books, Blocks and Balls - $14,178 to Porter County Public Library System in partnership with Westchester Library, Help Me Grow Porter County, and Kidworks LLC. Held at all Porter County library branches, these open play groups promote child development by offering a gathering space for expert-parent connections, literacy resources, and early childhood specialists.
- The Lullaby Project of Porter County - $10,000 for the Northwest Indiana Symphony Society and The Great Lakes Music Company to support expecting and new parents in creating personalized lullabies for their babies. The Lullaby Project is a program of Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute. Through guided songwriting and music therapy, families strengthen bonding, reduce stress, and celebrate their parenting journey. Participating families record original lullabies and share them in a community concert, highlighting music’s power to nurture early relational health
This year’s funding builds upon two prior years of Collaboration Challenge Grants, a total of $375,178 awarded to more than twenty projects. Read more about them at www.firstthingspc.org/blog/category/Collaboration+Challenge.
About First Things First Porter County
First Things First Porter County (FTF) is a collective impact organization striving to support families, healthy beginnings, and early relational health for every Porter County baby. A collaborative of community partners, FTF is the backbone organization bringing the community together around a common agenda, shared metrics, mutually reinforcing activities and continuous communication. Together with their partners, FTF helps to create a rich system of care, support, and services so that every Porter County baby born is prepared for a strong start in life. Learn more at www.firstthingspc.org
First Things First Porter County | 1401 Calumet Ave | Valparaiso, IN 46383