Strengthening Key Areas of Family Life
Strong families are built on more than just one source of support. They’re shaped by access to opportunity, healthy relationships, and dependable care. Through our Community-Based grants, Foellinger Foundation supports nonprofit organizations across Allen County that strengthen key areas of family life. Our Family Development grantees, one of three focus areas within our community-based grantmaking, help adults build the skills, stability, and confidence needed to support their families and move from dependence to independence.
Three of our current Family Development grantees—Blue Jacket, Matthew 25 Health and Care, and YWCA Northeast Indiana—reflect some of the paths families take toward long-term stability.
Meaningful Work: Blue Jacket
Blue Jacket provides job training and employment opportunities for individuals with barriers to employment, such as those reentering society after incarceration. The organization’s signature offering is its Blue Jacket Academy, a multiweek program that combines soft-skills training, interview preparation, and professional development. Graduates receive continued support through job placement services and employer partnerships.
The nonprofit does more than job placement; Blue Jacket builds a strong path to a career and offers graduates lifelong support. “The journey begins with pre-employment training in the Academy, into job coaching and development through potential transitional employment in-house, to sustained community employment in a field matching the client’s skill set,” stated Tony Hudson, CEO of Blue Jacket. “The strength of Blue Jacket is not just that we accept every person who discloses a barrier—never turning anyone away at our door—but that we commit to supporting them for life. If they need a skill upgrade or a new position, we will always work with our graduates.”
The skills learned at the Academy—conflict resolution, goal setting, and accountability—help to improve family life. “When a client realizes they are worthy, their posture changes. They lead their families with pride rather than shame,” continued Tony. “Learning to navigate workplace hierarchies often improves how parents communicate with their children and partners, replacing reactive behavior with proactive problem-solving. Children living in an environment of predictability and structure move on from a survival mode to enhanced consistency in housing, nutrition, and healthcare.”
Improved Health: Matthew 25 Health and Care
Matthew 25 is a healthcare center offering free medical, dental, vision, and mental health services to low-income, uninsured adults in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio. Through access to reliable healthcare, Matthew 25 helps adults maintain the stability they need to care for themselves and support their families.
“When people can manage chronic conditions, access preventive care, and receive treatment early, they are able to work consistently, maintain financial stability, and meet their families’ basic needs,” said Lauren Tosland, Director of Marketing and Communications at Matthew 25. “Reliable healthcare also reduces stress and uncertainty, allowing adults to be more emotionally present and engaged with their children. For many families, consistent care is what enables them to thrive rather than simply get by.”
Without regular healthcare, many adults face barriers that affect every area of family life. Chronic conditions can limit daily functioning when left untreated. Mental health challenges can also make it difficult to manage work and family responsibilities.
“When adults are physically and emotionally well, their families benefit from greater stability, stronger relationships, and a more positive and supportive home environment,” Lauren shared. By ensuring that individuals have access to the care they need, Matthew 25 helps lay the foundation for healthier families and long-term well-being.
Healthy Relationships: YWCA Northeast Indiana
Healthy relationships are a cornerstone of family stability. For survivors of domestic violence, however, the path to a stable family life often begins with finding safety and freedom from abuse. Through its domestic violence advocacy and support services, YWCA Northeast Indiana helps individuals and families move from crisis and dependence toward safety, confidence, and long-term independence.
“In domestic violence situations, the power and control cycle creates a ‘trap’ by using isolation, gaslighting, and financial sabotage to make a survivor feel entirely dependent on their abuser for survival and identity. Even when survivors have surface-level independence—like employment—abusers will manipulate systems,” shared Paula Hughes-Schuh, CEO of YWCA Northeast Indiana. “By reconnecting survivors to a community and teaching them to trust their own judgment again, these services transform a state of forced dependence into one of self-sufficient freedom.”
When a survivor gains stability, the benefits extend throughout the family. “When a parent gains access to advocacy services, they have the opportunity to secure housing, financial tools, and emotional support,” explained Paula. Families can move from an environment defined by fear to one grounded in safety and healthy boundaries. Children, in turn, can heal, focus on school, and experience a sense of normalcy that helps them to thrive.
By helping survivors move from fear and dependence toward safety and self-sufficiency, YWCA Northeast Indiana strengthens families and helps create healthier, more stable futures.
Thank you to Blue Jacket, Matthew 25 Health and Care, and YWCA of Northeast Indiana—and all our Family Development grantees—for the work you do to help champion opportunity for Allen County families.