11 Marion groups receive equity grants for community impact

The Marion Community Foundation awarded $50,000 in Racial Equity & Justice grants to 11 programs.

The grants aim to address critical needs in education, community affirmation, healthcare and organizational development, according to a community announcement.

“The goal of Marion Community Foundation’s Racial Equity and Justice grants is to foster innovative programs to help people overcome challenges and continually build a better community,” Jody Demo-Hodgins, co-chair of the Racial Equity and Justice grants committee, said in the announcement. “Moving forward takes small, continuous steps and is essential for a community, like Marion, that values all people.”

The recipients are:

• Avanzar Juntos, a program of St. Mary Church’s Hispanic Ministry, received $5,200 to continue its annual Latino Health Fair. The fair aims to raise awareness of common health issues, provide health assessments and educate Spanish-speaking families in the Marion area.
• Grace Clinic Marion was awarded $5,000 to deliver quality medical care to underserved local populations through its Safety Net Free Clinic. The clinic aims to remove barriers to healthcare and provide culturally sensitive medical care and education.
• St. Mary Catholic Church Hispanic Ministry received $4,500 for its Confidence Builder Summer Camp, which provides academic reinforcement in math, reading and religion to underserved children.
• Logos Christian Ministries was granted $10,470 for its Bridging Gaps, Breaking Barriers program, a student-led, three-day leadership summit for African American male students in grades K-12.
• Marion Public Library received $2,840 for its Cultural Kaleidoscope program, which aims to serve the library’s increasingly diverse patron population, including training staff to improve their written and spoken Spanish to communicate with the growing Hispanic population.
• Marion Voices Folklife + Oral History was awarded $3,000 for its Marion Black Joy Summerfest 2025, an annual celebration of Marion County’s Black culture and heritage.
• Palace Cultural Arts Association received $1,215 for a Black History Celebration, which will feature a performance by the Toledo-based soul band Nikki D and the Sisters of Thunder on Jan. 24, 2026.
• Peace and Freedom Committee was granted $2,475 for its Marion Looks Like Me Book Event, a one-day event allowing Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) children to see themselves in storybooks and meet the authors.
• Tri-Rivers Career Center received $2,300 for its Exploration of Beauty and Color program, a day of instruction and learning between TRCC students and girls of color at Tri-Rivers’ nine associate middle schools.
• Black Heritage Council of Marion was awarded $5,000 for its Black Heritage Council Legacy project, which aims to restore and strengthen the legacy of the council in Marion.
• Peace and Freedom Committee received an additional $8,000 for its Celebrating and Affirming Marion’s Community of Color project, which aims to celebrate Marion’s community of color and preserve the Peace and Freedom Committee’s 18-year history.

The Racial Equity & Justice Grant Program is open to any charitable non-profit 501(c)(3) organization or equivalent, including educational, governmental and religious programs, looking to improve issues of equity and justice in Marion County. Funding for the program comes from Marion Community Foundation’s Health Care Fund and the Robert M. & Dorothy C. Wopat Community Fund. The application process is competitive and is held annually in February and March.

The grant committee consists of co-chairs Demo-Hodgins and Nicolle Willis, as well as members Dr. Deepi Bathini, Candace Floyd, Hon. Matt Frericks, Dana Martin, Jennifer Lawson, Evelyn Olivos Lisiecki, Jackie Peterson and Erin Slater. They review applications and make award recommendations to the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

This story was created by Jane Imbody, jimbody@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.