Here’s a wonderful way to capture the special moments of your year and add a gratitude practice. Each January begin with an empty jar. Each week add a note with a good thing that happened. On New Year’s Eve, empty the jar and read about the amazing year you had.
So, in early 2025, we started writing down our blessings weekly. Check out this list – wow. We’re so grateful that we get to do community with YOU!
1: You met the GIFT VIII match! That’s $1,237,500 to support Rush County FOREVER.
2: The Love Community Center signs were installed.
3: We welcomed our 3 new board members – Julie Leisure, Jamey Pavey, and Jessica Vogel.
4: We held the first Rush County Rural Revitalization plan meeting and it went great!
5: The CIRCLe Fund application went live online for the first time, making a smoother, more efficient process.
6: Impact Update postcards arrived in mailboxes.
7: We celebrated 2 awesome years with Chris at the helm!
8: Students submitted nearly 1,000 applications for RCCF scholarships.
9: The Love Community Center passed final inspection.
10: Chris and Board Chair Laura Ash attended the Lilly Endowment Covening, where Chris was a panelist for Ex. Directors who have received large-scale grants from them.
11: We took a minute to reflect on 3/13/2020, the day 5 years earlier that we submitted the proposal that would be the $5M grant for the Love Center.
12: Announcements were made about public meetings to apply for free Owner Occupied Home Repair grants.
13: The Love Community Center Grand Opening was a smash!
14: The Rushville FFA took their Top 25 trip to Louisville, made possible by donors’ gifts to the We Believe in FFA Fund.
15: We finished out the alphabet in our ABCs of RCCF education campaign.
16: Thanks to you, we distributed $296,637 in annual designated grants to 64 local organizations.
17: We enjoyed celebrating the selfless contributions of our volunteer committee and board members.
18: Our board approved $254,000+ in scholarships to 66 local students. CIRCLe Fund announced their 2025 grant for the Love to Play Haven sensory playground at the LCC.
19: We were surprised by a visit from the 5th and 6th grade Student Lighthouse Leaders from RES spreading kindness.
20: Applications totaling $126,693 were submitted for Community Grants.
21: We celebrated 34 years and the generosity of our donors and the hard work of our students at this year’s Scholarship Celebration.
22: Katie Thoman joined our team for the summer as an intern.
23: We decided on the template for our new website. Coming in early 2026 to a screen near you.
24: The Greensburg Daily News and The Rushville Recorder both ran Katie’s story on the exciting progress of the GIFT VIII blight project. The first 4 properties have been secured.
25: The board approved $111,553 in unrestricted Community Grants, 70% of total amount of requests were awarded.
26: We hosted a wonderful dinner honoring our past board members and celebrating 34 years of “leafing” a positive difference on Rush County.
27: Rush County was awarded a $500,000 Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation (OOR) Grant to assist local homeowners.
28: We have the best supporters ever – YOU! ❤️
29: We had a blast handing out school supplies to kiddos at the Back to School Resource Fair.
30: Our donor engagement committee ‘s helped thank donors for their gifts to the Schroeder Fund with handwritten notes and succulents from Vogel’s Florist.
31: The Porch of Recovery hosted a pool party to celebrate those in recovery with a Community Grant.
32: We presented the Laughlin Family Trust Fund award to Ashrey Durand, recognizing her as an outstanding newly hired teacher.
33: We celebrated Katie’s last day as intern with lunch at Mezcal, followed by the Lilly Scholarship application presentation to RCHS students.
34: We attended the grand reopening of McDonalds. We received a donation and got to meet Grimace.
35: We helped sell 50/50 raffle tickets to support the Love Community Center at the concert at Riverside Park.
36: Nearly 600 kids have received more than 9,000 books through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
37: We celebrated Lisa’s 6th anniversary.
38: Applications totaling $134,515 were submitted for Community Grants.
39: RES students visited the Rush County Historical Society Museum made possible by their Community Grant.
40: We awarded $53,038 in Field of Interest Grants because of your generosity.
41: By achieving 100% participation in a giving challenge, our board earned an unrestricted $100,000 grant from Lilly Endowment.
42: Demolition began on the first round of blighted properties!
43: The board approved $70,327 in unrestricted Community Grants, 52% of total amount of requests were awarded.
44: We launched a $100,000 matching campaign for the Schroeder Fund to support the sustainability of the Love Center.
45: Chris hosted a regional meeting for community foundation directors at the Love Center.
46: 22 homeowners were approved for FREE home repair assistance and more spaces opened up.
47: RCHS students involved with the Holcad and Lions Live attended a national high school journalism convention in Nashville, TN with RCCF grants.
48: The RCHS Lions commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1976 team being runners up in the State finals. RCCF donors celebrated with the Hometown Throwdown.
49: Milroy Elementary held their monthly donuts with grown ups breakfast with support from their Rush County Education Grant.
50: We celebrated Angie’s 10th anniversary of service to RCCF and our community.
51: We held our annual holiday party for staff and board at Fish Moon, celebrated Dave Malson for his 6 years of service on the board, and presented the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship to Lilly Loveall of Knightstown High School… big week!
52: You met the Double Your Love for the LCC match, earning an extra $100,000 for the Schroeder Fund of the Love Community Center!
