United Way of Central Indiana awards $25,000 grant to Beyond Homeless

United Way of Central Indiana is awarding a $25,000 grant to Beyond Homeless to help meet residents’ basic needs. 

The grant comes from United Way’s Basic Needs Fund, which supports the region’s most vulnerable neighbors, ensuring they have access to life’s essentials: safe and affordable housing, healthy food, transportation and health services.

This is the second year United Way has opened funding of this kind to nonprofits outside its accredited network, part of United Way’s ongoing work to reach more people in more communities across its seven-county service area.    

"With ongoing uncertainty regarding ongoing federal funding for homeless and housing services, United Way grant funding helps to fill the gaps across our programs and services, most especially our Homeless Prevention Program that provides rent and utility assistance to our neighbors at risk of eviction and homelessness,” said Lea Durbin, executive director of Beyond Homeless. “This funding support from United Way of Central Indiana will allow us to continue providing emergency shelter and prevention services with the trauma-informed care and compassion that our clients count on and that our community has come to trust."

United Way announced Wednesday that it is awarding a total of $1.16 million in grants to 28 nonprofits across the region, and the funding is expected to serve more than 59,000 people across Central Indiana. This round of grant funding was open to nonprofits in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan and Putnam counties not currently accredited with United Way.  

While the other nonprofits that received funding in this grant cycle are headquartered outside of Putnam County, many of them serve Hoosiers throughout the region, including Putnam County residents.    

“We’re committed to expanding our investments across Central Indiana,” said Shannon Jenkins, United Way’s vice president of impact. “These grants support essential basic needs such as transportation, housing, health services and food access while also funding family-focused programs that strengthen education and long-term economic mobility for children and their parents or caregivers. By investing beyond our accredited partner network, we can expand collaboration and increase impact across our seven-county service area.”

Putnam County has been part of United Way of Central Indiana since 2021. In the years since, United Way has invested nearly $400,000 in grants in Putnam County and partnered with 16 nonprofits and schools.