• Double Up Indiana is now up and running in Fort Wayne!
  • LSN Plays Pivotal Role in Providing Access to Information About COVID-19 Vaccine
  • Our HEALing Kitchen promotes healthy eating
  • Safe Sleep Practices Implemented in Child Care Homes
Responding to food insecurity and nutrition needs
As part of Double Up Indiana, University of Saint Francis Nutrition Science students offer tastes of healthy recipes using fresh produce at the Johnnie Mae Farm.
Foundation Update:
Double Up Indiana is now up and running
in Fort Wayne!
What is Double Up Indiana? It’s a St. Joe Foundation program, supported by a matching grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, that helps low-income families get free fruits and vegetables.

Double Up Indiana helps families enrolled in SNAP (formerly food stamps) get a $1 for $1 match on all fresh fruits and vegetables they purchase at participating retail locations and farmers markets.

“The St. Joe Foundation has made access to healthy, high-nutrition foods for vulnerable residents a priority,” says Meg Distler, executive director of the St. Joe Foundation. “The half-million dollar, four-year grant from the USDA will allow us to implement Double Up Indiana and scale our work so we can reach many more families in Allen County.”
Supporting immigrants and refugees
Interpreters from LSN have provided services at multiple COVID vaccination registration sites, like St. Peter's Catholic Church with Community Harvest Food Bank pictured above.
Grantee Spotlight:
LSN plays pivotal role in providing access to information about COVID-19 vaccine
Local non-profit agency Language Services Network (LSN) continues to play a pivotal role in the fight against COVID-19, especially when it comes to reaching residents whose primary language is not English.

As part of efforts to help get more marginalized people in Fort Wayne vaccinated against COVID-19, the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation, in partnership with the Foellinger Foundation, has awarded LSN $5,000 in vaccination assistance funds. With its team of almost 70 contractors versed in 22 different languages for interpretation and 18 languages for translation, LSN has been able to help get non-English and limited-English speaking populations that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 better access to information about the virus, the available vaccines, and how to get vaccinated.

“With COVID and everything with the pandemic, we have been getting more requests to do interpretation for events and translation of a lot of information about the vaccines,” says Raquel Kline, LSN’s director.
Responding to food insecurity and nutrition needs
St. Joe and Parkview provided training for OHK class facilitators in June.
Foundation Update:
Our HEALing Kitchen promotes healthy eating
Our HEALing Kitchen is off to a great start this summer, with more than 400 participants set to learn about preparing and cooking healthy, affordable meals.

The St. Joseph Community Health Foundation and Parkview Health recently awarded 14 local non-profits grants to run approximately 30 classes, which cover topics such as: understanding the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables; how to clean, store, and prepare fresh produce; and proper knife skills.
Helping infants sleep safely in Allen County
Beyond safe sleep training, Myla Rogers delivers safe sleep products and materials.
Prenatal and Infant Care Partner Spotlight:
Safe sleep practices implemented in child care homes
Thanks to a collaborative effort to reduce Allen County’s infant mortality rate, area childcare providers are learning about the importance of safe sleep practices.

Myla Rogers, program coordinator for Early Childhood Alliance, is working with the IU School of Medicine and the St. Joe Foundation’s Prenatal & Infant Care Network to continue outreach to childcare providers, particularly in the 46803, 46805, 46806 and 46816 zip codes.

There are currently almost 1,000 children enrolled in childcare in centers and family homes in the 46806 zip code alone; that’s why it’s critical to ensure the providers and the children’s families have the information they need to help prevent infant deaths.
 A ministry sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ.