CFSI Makes First Quality of Place Grant

Grant Will Support Origin Park’s Silver Creek Landing

NEW ALBANY, Ind. – The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, in partnership with River Heritage Conservancy, has announced its first major quality of place grant.

The $100,000 grant will allow River Heritage Conservancy to start their first project as part of the new Origin Park – the Silver Creek Blueway.

The Blackiston Mill Paddling Access area will allow paddlers to launch canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards into Silver Creek. Paddlers of all experience levels will soon be able to travel from Blackiston Mill Road all the way to the Ohio River, a beautiful 4.5 mile stretch that will eventually access Origin Park’s Quarry Pond.

Scott Martin, executive director with River Heritage Conservancy said, “The spectacular nature found in Southern Indiana defines our home community. We are so appreciative of the Community Foundation for investing in ways to make these special places more accessible and enjoyable for all.”

Linda Speed, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana said, “Origin Park will be an incredible asset to our community. This transformative project is taking an area of our community which has been inaccessible and allowing all of us to experience the outdoors in a new way. We’re excited to build upon the progress being made in our community by strategically investing our charitable capital in ways that will enhance our area and attract new opportunities to the region while bringing our communities together.”

In December, the Community Foundation announced that it would begin allocating half of its unrestricted grantmaking to support important quality of place initiatives in Clark and Floyd counties through its Pathways to Progress Grants.

The Foundation’s Pathways to Progress Grants are focused on serving people with the least access to safe, high-quality public places and amenities, typically those who have low incomes and/or who have transportation or mobility challenges or physical and/or mental differences.

Speed continued, “Origin Park is exactly the type of project we want to support through our Pathways to Progress grants. This new park will be open and free to people throughout our entire region and provides access to miles of beautiful walking paths and streams to paddle. We’ll all be able to get out and experience nature in a way that we haven’t been able to do before, regardless of where you live or what your income level is.”