The Wabash Valley Community Foundation has issued a $50,000 grant to Reach Services to assist in the reopening of the Pathways Day Center, which provides services and programs for the homeless community.
In October 2023, Reach Services announced the agency would temporarily suspend its Pathways Day Center operation due to funding issues. This difficult decision came after funding gaps for services were exacerbated by a $200,000 pledge that did not come to fruition, forcing Reach Services to absorb the deficit amount directly.
“As with any nonprofit, funding is always an issue,” explained Travis Phillips, Director of Operations for Reach Services. “We know there are so many in the community that need the services…and we [have been] working diligently to get it re-opened as quickly as possible.”
“We [have] been paying out of pocket for all of the services that we cannot bill for,” added Sarah Chandler, Executive Director for Reach Services. “We did it as long as we could but, unfortunately, to continue [providing] the other services we currently offer, we had to…make this temporary cut.”
Upon hearing the Pathways Day Center would temporarily shutter its doors, representatives from the Wabash Valley Community Foundation contacted Reach Services to see what was needed to maintain operations.
“The Pathways Day Center provides crucial services to some of the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Beth Tevlin, President & CEO of the Wabash Valley Community Foundation. “We felt it imperative we move forward to reopen this important facility, especially with the weather already starting to get cold.”
The Pathways Day Center provides services and programs for homeless, low-income, disabled and at-risk families and individuals across the Wabash Valley. Services include a cooling and warming center, housing assistance, employment training, health and wellness facilities such as showers and laundry, mailbox accessibility, education opportunities, referral programs and technology access.
With the Pathways Day Center’s closure, many individuals and families in the community have been negatively impacted.
“The Community Foundation voted to award Reach Services with a $50,000 grant to be issued in $5,000 monthly installments,” said Lea Anne Crooks, Board Chair of the Wabash Valley Community Foundation. “However, we want to ensure this facility keeps its doors open – especially in the coming months. Should Reach Services require over $5,000 in any given month, the Community Foundation will increase that month’s payout, but the overall grant will not exceed $50,000. It is the goal of the Community Foundation to ensure flexibility and sustainability for the longevity of the Pathways Day Center.”
“This $50,000 is a one-time grant that was made possible thanks to the foresight and generosity of the Vigo County community,” explained Tevlin. “Because individuals and families contributed to unrestricted endowment funds, also known as Community Grant funds, funding was available for us to award this grant. In providing this grant to reopen the Pathways Day Center, Reach Services will be able to direct their focus into raising additional funding to maintain operations.”
Those interested in supporting Pathways Day Center can contact Reach Services at 812-232-6305 or mail contributions to 1400 Hulman Street, Terre Haute, IN 47802.
