Grants support nonprofits that promote the health, well-being, independence, and dignity of African American seniors
Columbus, OH (February 1, 2023)—The Isabelle Ridgway Foundation, a Supporting Foundation of The Columbus Foundation, today announced five grants totaling $160,000 to support organizations serving aging African Americans in our community. These investments recognize each nonprofit’s efforts to improve the quality of life and systems that impact African American seniors, the core mission of the Isabelle Ridgway Foundation.
Since its inception in 2017, the Isabelle Ridgway Foundation has awarded $620,825 in grants to help aging African Americans in central Ohio thrive.
“Throughout her life, Isabelle Ridgway worked tirelessly to bring dignity and comfort to elderly, impoverished, and disenfranchised African Americans in our community,” said Mark Hatcher, Esq., Chairperson of the Isabelle Ridgway Foundation.
The Board of the Isabelle Ridgway Foundation is honored to continue her legacy by supporting organizations in our community that are improving the quality of life of aging African Americans through compassion, respect, and service.
Mark Hatcher, Esq., Chairperson of the Isabelle Ridgway Foundation
A grant of $60,000 was awarded to At Home by High to build organizational capacity and support operating expenses. An additional grant of up to $15,000 was awarded to the organization to provide a one-to-one fundraising match to support organizational capacity. Formed in 2017, At Home by High is a grassroots member-based organization that provides support, promotes connectedness, and enables independence for older adults through services like transportation, outdoor maintenance, and events including social gatherings and local outings.
A grant of $25,000 was awarded to Catholic Social Services to support marketing and recruitment efforts for the Foster Grandparent Program, which gives seniors an opportunity to combat isolation, contribute to the community by tutoring youth in the Columbus community, and receive a stipend for their work. The funds will focus on recruiting more senior participants from the Linden area. Catholic Social Services has been serving families and seniors in central and southern Ohio for 75 years.
A grant of $35,000 was awarded to Central Community House of Central Ohio Inc. to support the operating budget of Village Central, a program that helps adults ages 60 and older maintain independence and mitigate isolation as they age. Village Central provides transportation services, wellness programs, home repairs, social events, and more to local seniors. Located in Columbus’ North East side, Central Community House offers free comprehensive programming and community services to create a sense of belonging for all.
A grant of $25,000 was awarded to Mount Carmel College of Nursing to fund the Patricia B. Mullins Scholarship. The scholarship was established by the Isabelle Ridgway Care Center Board of Trustees. “The grant continues the tradition and spirit of Isabelle Ridgway to care for others by providing financial support to underrepresented nursing students who have a career interest in geriatric, acute and chronic care,” said Mullins, a founding member of the Board of Directors for the Isabelle Ridgway Foundation.
“Isabelle Ridgway has inspired and empowered countless members of our community to serve our elders so that they may age with dignity,” said Dr. Mark A. Lomax, II, Director of Arts & Generational Grantmaking at The Columbus Foundation. "The Isabelle Ridgway Foundation is carrying her legacy forward, ensuring that African American seniors in our community live out their golden years with a sense of stability, connection, and belonging."
PICTURED: Isabelle Ridgway. Photo courtesy of the Isabelle Ridgway Foundation.
Isabelle Ridgway founded the Old Folks Home of Franklin County in 1912 and worked diligently to meet the needs of the old, elderly, homeless, and poor. She died in 1955 at the age of 97, but her life’s work and witness continued through the Isabelle Ridgway Care Center until it was sold in 2015, and now through the Isabelle Ridgway Foundation.
“Isabelle Ridgway was a pioneer who recognized the need to provide a place where African American seniors in our community could live in comfort, companionship, and care,” said Mullins, former President and CEO of the Isabelle Ridgway Care Center. “From her humble beginnings to establishing a care center that grew into a cornerstone of the community, we are honored to carry on her memory and life's mission through the Isabelle Ridgway Foundation.”
About the Isabelle Ridgway Foundation
The Isabelle Ridgway Foundation was created in 2017 by the board of the Isabelle Ridgway Care Center to continue the mission of the center’s founder, Isabelle Ridgway. Ms. Ridgway believed in a world where we treat the aging as our elders. As a Supporting Foundation of The Columbus Foundation, the foundation forms coalitions, sponsors research, and supports grants to improve the quality of life and systems that impact aging African Americans in the Columbus area. Visit isabelleridgway.org to learn more.