Lilly Endowment grant to support nonprofit initiative
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Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana has received a $2.8 million grant from Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. to provide care to young children who have a family member coping with substance use disorder.
The grant will support the nonprofit’s “Enriching Early Childhood Education: A Fresh Start” initiative, the organization said. The three-year plan aims to enrich educational and developmental services for infants and toddlers at the nonprofit’s Fresh Start Recovery Centers in Indianapolis, Winchester, Evansville, and Columbus.
“We are deeply grateful to Lilly Endowment for its generous support of our work,” President and CEO John R. von Arx III said in a news release. “This funding will make a lasting impact on children and families across Indiana, helping to create healthier, stronger futures for all.”
The recovery center’s provide family-focused residential treatment to mothers and expectant mothers with substance use disorder. The program allows mothers and children to stay together during treatment, an approach that increases long-term recovery, the news release said.
Research indicates that children living with family members who have a substance use disorder are at an increased risk of having emotional, cognitive, behavioral and social problems, the federal Department of Health & Human Services says.
And data from the most recent Indiana Maternal Mortality Review Committee’s annual report shows substance use disorder and overdose continues to be a leading cause of maternal death in the state.
In addition to providing support to mothers struggling with addiction, Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana provides housing and assistance to veterans, individuals returning from prison and families in need. The nonprofit is a regional branch of Virginia-based Volunteers of America, one of the nation’s largest and oldest human services organizations.