The Eskenazi Health Foundation announced today that the Future Promises program has received a grant totaling $125,000 from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. The funds will allow Future Promises to expand its program to Arsenal Technical High School and Eskenazi Health.

Future Promises is run through the Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County and is a program of the Young Families of Indiana Network. It aims to improve the life course of pregnant and parenting teens through school-based health education and comprehensive case management services. The program is led by its founder, Dr. Wanda Spann Roddy, RN.

“The support we are receiving from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust is allowing us to expand the services of Future Promises to meet the needs of expectant and parenting teens in Marion County,” said Gregory Porter, vice president of external affairs at Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County. “By combining the efforts of both the health community and educational community, we can best help give young people a gateway to lifetime health and success.”

Specifically, the funds will be used to re-establish the program at Arsenal Technical High School for the 2015-2016 school year. It is expected to serve between 25 to 30 students with numbers increasing the following year. In addition, plans call for the continuation of the Future Promises Career and College Exploration Project. This project will offer two recent high school graduates a 240-hour paid internship at the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital. The internship provides support, direction and opportunity for participants to explore professional career options that could lead to economic self-sufficiency.  

The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust was established in 1997 and seeks to help people in need, especially women, children and families; to protect animals and nature; and to enrich community life in the metropolitan areas of Indianapolis and Phoenix. Nina Mason Pulliam (1906 - 1997) was a journalist, business leader and humanitarian. Since the trust began its grant making in 1998, it has awarded more than $120 million to 463 nonprofit organizations in Indiana.

“Nina Mason had a keen awareness of challenges that face our community and would take great pride in the outstanding work being done by organizations like Future Promises,” said Carol Schilling, trustee chairman of the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. “Through her trust, we continue to build on her legacy, which clearly reflects her heart for philanthropy.”            
The Eskenazi Health Foundation is raising philanthropic support for Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County, including Eskenazi Health. To learn more about the Eskenazi Health Foundation, please visit EskenaziHealthFoundation.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Todd Harper
Phone: 317.880.4785
Pager: 317.310.5972
Email: todd.harper@eskenazihealth.edu