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# Bloomington council awards $500K to social service agencies
- URL: https://bsquarebulletin.com/jack-hopkins-2/
- Published: 2026-06-13T08:47:47.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-13T08:47:47.000Z
- Description: At its meeting on Wednesday, Bloomington’s city council approved $499,995 in Jack Hopkins social service grants to 35 agencies. Councilmember Dave Rollo warned that inflation is eroding the fund’s value as demand grows.
- Author: Dave Askins
- Tags: Local Government, #no-inline-feature

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/20/6f/206f9007-c0a7-47d4-b87b-686c21961f22/content/images/2026/06/2026-jack-hopkins-overall-chart-Screenshot-2026-06-10-at-1.56.16---PM-1.png)

Chart by The B Square with data from the city of Bloomington. 

On Wednesday (June 10), Bloomington’s city council approved just under a half million dollars in funding to 35 different social service agencies, continuing the Jack Hopkins funding program’s 34-year tradition.

The exact amount of grant funding awarded was $499,995\. Since its inception, more than $6 million has been awarded to local nonprofits through the Jack Hopkins social services program.

According to the city council staff memo of the topic, 39 applications were received this year, asking for around $700,000 worth of funding.

The awards this year went to 35 organizations. The top 15 awards went to: Pathways, Inc. ($43,134); Hoosier Hills Food Bank, Inc. ($40,000); The Hendricks County Child Advocacy Center, Inc. d/b/a Susie’s Place Child Advocacy Centers ($37,196); Tandem Community Birth Center and Postpartum House, Inc. ($35,417); New Hope Family Shelter d/b/a New Hope for Families ($35,191); My Sister’s Closet of Monroe County ($30,000); Summit Hill Community Development Corporation ($24,980); Indiana Recovery Alliance ($18,862); Amethyst House, Inc. ($18,122); Exodus Refugee Immigration, Inc. ($18,000); Hotels for Hope Inc. ($18,000); Girls Inc. of Monroe County ($15,751); Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington ($14,027); Avalon Community Land Trust ($13,667); and Community Justice and Mediation Center ($12,998).

Residents serving on this year’s [committee](https://bloomington.in.gov/council/jack-hopkins) were Camryn Greer, Eddy Riou, and Katherine Ntiamoah. The councilmembers serving on the committee this year were: Courtney Daily, Isak Asare, Dave Rollo, and Andy Ruff.

As in past years, Planned Parenthood’s inclusion in the awards drew sharply divided commentary. Speaking from the public mic, Bloomington resident Carole Canfield urged the council to cut off funding, grounding her objections in religious terms and accusing the organization of misleading clients.

Joan Middendorf, speaking as a longtime local and parent, described Planned Parenthood as an organization that helps women with their sexual health, which means it is important for many women.

Some councilmembers used closing remarks to affirm their support for Planned Parenthood and for LGBTQ+ residents, explicitly including transgender community members, and tied their votes to that support.

Council member Dave Rollo supported the allocations, but warned that inflation is steadily eroding the real value of the $500,000 Jack Hopkins line even as demand for services grows. He urged the administration and council to prioritize at least keeping the fund level with inflation in future budgets.

The basic criteria for Jack Hopkins social services funding were first written down in a 1993 [letter](https://bloomdocs.org/wp-content/uploads/simple-file-list/1993-Letter-from-Jack-Hopkins.pdf ) by councilmember Jack Hopkins, after whom the fund was named. Hopkins was a professor at Indiana University’s public and environmental affairs. The [resolution](https://bloomdocs.org/wp-content/uploads/simple-file-list/Re-naming-of-Hopkins-fund-as-Jack-Hopkins-Res%5F02-16.pdf) that named the fund after Hopkins was [approved by the city council in 2002](https://bloomdocs.org/wp-content/uploads/simple-file-list/Former%5Fcity%5Fcouncil%5Fmember%5FSPEA%5Fprofessor%5FHopkins%5F%5FHerald-Times%5FBloomington%5FIN%5F%5F%5FMay%5F9%5F2002.pdf), the month after Hopkins died. 

The complete list of funding awards for 2026, approved by the city council at its Wednesday meeting, in order of amount, was:

Organization

Purpose

Grant

Pathways, Inc.

Operational funding for core programs in the face of federal funding cuts

$43,134

Hoosier Hills Food Bank, Inc.

Purchase food that will supplement privately donated food.

$40,000

The Hendricks County Child Advocacy Center, Inc. d/b/a Susie’s Place Child Advocacy Centers

Operational expenses, including salaries.

$37,196

Tandem Community Birth Center and Postpartum House, Inc.

Essential program costs, including staff, rent, utilities, software licensing and diapers.

$35,417

New Hope Family Shelter DBA New Hope for Families

Support access to Early Learning Center.

$35,191

My Sister’s Closet of Monroe County

New facility renovations.

$30,000

Summit Hill Community Development Corporation

Purchase a service vehicle used to operate a grocery shuttle for residents of Bloomington Housing Authority RAD housing.

$24,980

Indiana Recovery Alliance

Hiring a full-time outreach worker.

$18,862

Amethyst House, Inc.

Replace damaged flooring, purchase six computers, and remove two trees.

$18,122

Exodus Refugee Immigration, Inc.

Support Emergency Assistance Program, which provides direct financial assistance for basic needs and health care management services to refugees.

$18,000

Hotels for Hope Inc.

Emergency shelter expenses and case management salary.

$18,000

Girls Inc. of Monroe County

Personnel expenses, program costs and participant scholarships.

$15,751

Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington

Require electronic key access for the Lincoln Street Club’s lobby elevator.

$14,027

Avalon Community Land Trust

Support permanent, public-facing food and community infrastructure.

$13,667

Community Justice and Mediation Center

Support Eviction Prevention Project.

$12,998

Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard

Replacement of awning, as well as operational supply and upkeep support.

$12,731

Pantry 279, Inc.

Support Children’s Summer Food Program and the cost of food deliveries.

$11,039

Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County

Replacement of Makita tools, a trailer and two ladder racks for trucks.

$10,900

Monroe County Humane Association

Essential pet care services for low-income families.

$9,476

Sobremesa Foundation, Inc.

Growing fresh produce and delivering it to three Monroe County food pantries.

$9,000

New Leaf New Life

Provide essential employment tools to individuals transitioning from incarceration or substance use treatment.

$8,929

Ivy Tech Community College - Bloomington

Support Hive and Harvest food pantry.

$7,777

Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawai‘i, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky

Low-to-no cost sexual and reproductive health services for patients who are uninsured or underinsured, or living at or below 150% of the federal poverty level.

$7,500

Beacon, Inc.

Purchase two refrigerator/freezer combos, two bunk bed sets and 10 mattresses.

$7,087

Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana

Expansion of site-based mentoring for Bloomington youth.

$7,000

Wheeler Mission

Purchase a high-capacity commercial dryer.

$6,114

Community Kitchen of Monroe County, Inc.

Purchase AEDs, new tires for a vehicle, and a pallet floor jack with scale.

$5,903

Monroe County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

Training technology and office update, including conference table and chairs, TV, wall mount, dry erase boards and markers, two laptops, and two docking stations.

$5,326

Cancer Support Community South Central Indiana

Provide immediate, short-term financial relief to cancer patients actively undergoing treatment.

$3,650

Stone Belt Arc, Inc.

Facilitate Job-a-Palooza for people of all ages/disabilities during Disability Employment Awareness Month.

$3,197

New Leaf-New Life Inc. with Courage to Change Sober Living

Support New Leaf mentees who are also Courage to Change residents when they first move into a CTC residence.

$2,365

Developmental Services, Inc.

Support a year-long cooking and nutrition education program.

$2,049

Courage to Change Sober Living

Courage to Challenge program, men’s and women’s residencies.

$1,604

People and Animal Learning Services

Support Valiant Strides, an Equine-Assisted Learning program for veterans and first responders.

$1,581

Kesem at Indiana University

Fully fund Monroe County children to attend Camp Kesem free of charge.

$1,423

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