Indiana humanities groups getting $830K in pandemic relief

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Nearly 80 humanities groups around Indiana are getting a boost with a share of more than $800,000 in federal pandemic relief funding.

The grants provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities will provide humanities-focused nonprofit groups in 45 Indiana communities with about $833,000.

Seventy-eight organizations have been awarded grants, which comes from pandemic stimulus funding approved earlier this year by Congress.

Indiana Humanities had invited nonprofits to apply for the grants, which will support programs and activities focused on subjects that include history, literature, archaeology, ethics and comparative religion.

Several nonprofits received funding in southern Indiana including:

Clark County Museum, Jeffersonville ($5,000 for operating)
Jackson County History Center, Brownstown ($5,000 for operating)
Jeffersonville Township Public Library, Jeffersonville ($3,713 for programming)
Lakota Language Consortium, Bloomington ($5,000 for operating)
Monroe County History Center, Bloomington ($10,000 for operating)
Monroe County History Center, Bloomington ($5,000 for programming)
Preservation Alliance, Scottsburg ($5,000 for operating)
Seymour Museum, Seymour ($2,500 for operating)
Vintage Fire Museum and Safety Education Center, Jeffersonville ($5,000 for operating)

Among the nonprofits getting funding is the Hesston Steam Museum in the northern Indiana city of LaPorte, which will receive $10,000, and the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Terre Haute, which is getting $20,000.

The CANDLES museum was founded by Eva Kor, a Holocaust survivor who championed forgiveness. She died in July 2019 at age 85 during an overseas trip to Poland for the museum.

“During the past 18 months, we have had limited engagement opportunities with our constituents, and this grant allows us to reengage with those we serve,” said Troy Fears, the museum's executive director.