The K21 Foundation is committed to identifying and providing funding for health and wellness needs in Kosciusko County. We are excited about the future, but are also proud of the needs that have been met in the past.

Below are a few recent grants that we’d like to highlight for you which we are especially excited about.

AutoPulse Resuscitation Systems for EMS

When you think about most critical emergency moments of  healthcare, it’s easy to envision the important work and service that is carried out by the EMS organizations throughout the county. K21 Foundation provided a grant that would allow all ALS (Advanced Life Support) EMS vehicles in the county to carry the new AutoPulse System. In a cardiac arrest situation, this new technology provides critical, consistent chest compressions to a patient. The AutoPulse System provides three times better blood flow than a person doing manual compressions.
Every second and every improvement can lead to saving a life. Did you know that Kosciusko County has one of the highest cardiac save rates in the nation? We believe providing the grant of $141,000 to equip all 13 ALS vehicles in our county will only improve the success rate of our first responders! When seconds count, putting the right equipment in the right hands may make a big difference in one more life being saved.

Ivy Tech Warsaw Campus

The K21 Foundation has provided past grants to Ivy Tech that have allowed this educational institution to offer and grow great medical education opportunities here in Kosciusko County. We believe that educating and training medical professionals locally will have a direct impact on quality health care being provided in the county. According to Ivy Tech, 96 percent of the students stay in the community!

When Ivy Tech approached the Foundation on supporting a capital campaign to help provide a permanent campus in Warsaw, supporting that goal seemed like a natural progression of investing in medical education opportunities for our community. With a capital grant of $250,000, our hope is that Ivy Tech can be one of the vehicles that will accomplish this for Kosciusko County.

Serenity House Renovation

Many times people in our county need to be given the opportunity to seek a way toward health and recovery. The Serenity House is a men's addiction recovery house established to provide a path for men to begin rebuilding a healthy life for themselves and their families. This house opened in August of 2006 and quickly reached its capacity of 15 men. The program provides structure, goals, job placement, and support to help residents return to healthy, productive citizens of our county. They are required to pay rent and participate in being a responsible tenant and neighbor.

The single-family home purchased to house this facility had serious limitations in providing effective space for these men. Adequate restroom needs, meeting space, and a gathering space were essential to meet program goals. Shortly after moving in, the sewer system had some expensive repair needs. K21 Foundation's grant of $50,000 allowed Serenity House to provide the residential and program solutions needed to help these men continue along their road to recovery.