Lilly Endowment Gives $100 Million To Human Service Groups

Fifteen human service agencies in Indiana will receive a total of 100 million dollars in grant money from Lilly Endowment, the group announced Friday.

Ten of the 15 organizations are neighborhood community centers in Indianapolis. Most aim to help families overcome poverty. They'll receive grants ranging from five to ten million dollars.

John Elliott is CEO of Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, one of three groups getting the largest sum of money. He says it will allow Gleaners to invest in everything from long term sustainability to their fleet of trucks.

"There are times when there's food available to us but we don't have the trucks or the people or the capacity to go out and get that food, so that we can in turn redistribute it to the hungry," Elliott says.

Elliott says the decision to spread funding between 15 groups represents an understanding from Lilly that fighting poverty requires collaboration. He says the approach is crucial since poverty is connected to so many different aspects of life.

Here is the full list of recipients:

Christamore House: $5 million
Concord Center: $5 million
Edna Martin Christian Center: $5 million
Flanner House: $5 million
Hawthorne Community Center: $5 million
Horizon House: $5 million
La Plaza: $5 million
Southeast Community Services: $5 million
Families First: $7.5 million
Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center: $7.5 million
Second Helpings: $7.5 million
Shepherd Community Center: $7.5 million
Gleaners: $10 million
Goodwill Industries of Central and Southern Indiana: $10 million
John H. Boner Community Center: $10 million