CONTACT: 

Julie Meares

Muncie/Delaware County Senior Center 

765-289-0844 

muncieseniorcenter@gmail.com 

Muncie/Delaware County Senior Center Receives $5,000 Grant from Glick Philanthropies to Help Community Members Meet Their Basic Needs  

Muncie, July 24, 2026 – The Muncie/Delaware County Senior Center received a $5,000 grant from the Glick Community Relief Fund, a grant program of Glick Philanthropies that supports local nonprofit organizations to increase community members’ access to basic needs. The grant was one of 92 totaling $704,700 to organizations supporting communities across nine states where Gene B. Glick Company properties are located. 

The Glick Community Relief Fund focuses on increasing healthy food access, expanding accessible transportation, connecting community members to utility assistance, and prioritizing mental health support. This grant was one of 60 directed to Indiana-based organizations. 

“Nearly half of U.S. households are unable to afford the cost of living due to growing prices, stagnant wages, and a shrinking social safety net,” said Ben Grande, Director of Philanthropy at Glick Philanthropies. “Through programs like the Glick Community Relief Fund, Glick

Philanthropies supports nonprofit organizations, like the Muncie/Delaware County Area Senior Citizens Council, Inc, that are connecting our most vulnerable community members to resources to help them meet their basic needs.”

The Muncie/Delaware County Senior Center has been supporting older adults for over 45 years and is currently serving over 400 unique individuals a month. With the additional support from Glick Philanthropies, the Muncie/Delaware County Senior Center will continue to provide free food and other groceries to address food insecurity that impacts one in five seniors 55+ in Delaware County.

“Consistent access to food is a basic necessity, and many of our 400 monthly patrons need a little extra help to stretch their grocery budget. This $5,000 grant from Glick Philanthropies allows us to provide opportunities for our senior patrons to add to their pantry,” said Julie Meares, Executive Director of the Muncie/Delaware County Senior Center. “It brings a smile to my face to hear patrons so full of joy when they see the daily offerings. A frozen pizza or fresh vegetables are often a luxury they don’t often get, and receiving a luxury like that can really make their day.”

2026 marks the 11th year that Glick Philanthropies has administered this property-nominated grant program. Through this initiative, more than $6 million has been awarded to over 320 nonprofit organizations across 13 states. This is the second year that the Muncie/Delaware County Senior Center has been a Glick Community Relief Fund grant recipient.

For more information about the Muncie/Delaware County Senior Center’s work, please visit https://www.muncieseniorcenter.com. For more information about Glick Philanthropies, visit glickphilanthropies.org. 

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About Muncie/Delaware County Senior Center

Visit www.muncieseniorcenter.com or email Julie Meares at muncieseniorcenter@gmail.com

 
For Immediate Release - May 28, 2026

Contact: Julie Meares, Executive Director

       765-289-0844, muncieseniorcenter@gmail.com 

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Muncie, Indiana — Muncie/Delaware County Senior Center’s Board of Directors (the Senior Center) is pleased to announce the sale of the former Forest Park Elementary School to DCRT, LLC. The sale delivers three key benefits. It strengthens the Senior Center, preserves its historic building, and brings new programming to Muncie.

The sale allows the Senior Center to sustainably grow its programming within the building — reducing capital costs (upkeep, repairs, utilities, insurance) and reducing demands on staff and volunteer time. This will allow the Center to focus more on serving the community with new activities and programming.

“The Senior Center is a much-needed resource in Muncie and Delaware County that reaches more than 400 older adults a month. The sale of the property and the transfer of building upkeep to DCRT, LLC, opens the door for the Senior Center to offer many more opportunities and programs to engage seniors aged 55 and older — combating boredom and isolation for an active and vibrant life. This is a tremendous gift for the Senior Center and for the community,” says Julie Meares, Executive Director of the Muncie/Delaware County Senior Center. 

It preserves the Forest Park Elementary School as a treasured community landmark for future generations. The School is aging, and maintenance, repair, and renovation costs have risen beyond the Senior Center’s capacity to properly steward the property. The oldest part of the building has needed significant renovation since before the Senior Center took ownership. This sale provides a solution without risking the building or the Center’s programming. DCRT will renovate the oldest part of the building, enhance the exterior — beautifying the neighborhood, and upgrade the landscaping to showcase the Veterans Memorial Garden and the grounds. 

It brings new programming to Muncie. An exciting addition to the newly renovated building will be on-site licensed counseling and behavioral health services tailored specifically for veterans, seniors, and their families, offered through a partnership with Freedom Behavioral Health Centers. This new collaboration complements Muncie’s mental health offerings with on-site, integrated, clinical behavioral health services.

Following an agreement to sell signed earlier this year, the Senior Center anticipates finalizing the sale this summer. The Senior Center and DCRT, LLC are working together to provide clear communication with all patrons, tenants, and community partners, and to ensure a smooth transition of ownership and uninterrupted service to the community during renovations.

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About

For more information about The Muncie Delaware County Senior Center, please visit www.muncieseniorcenter.com or email Julie Meares at muncieseniorcenter@gmail.com.

For more information about DCRT, LLC., please contact dcrts.info@gmail.com.

For more information about Freedom Behavioral Health Centers, please contact seanfreedom@gmail.com.

As a result of state and federal government funding cuts and policy changes, more community members will look to nonprofits, like ours, to help them meet their basic needs. That’s why our partners at Cambridge Square Muncie nominated the Muncie Delaware County Senior Center for a grant from Glick Philanthropies – a family of charitable initiatives dedicated to building community and creating opportunity – through the Glick Community Relief Fund. This program helps nonprofit organizations provide individuals, families, and communities with access to basic needs, such as food access, transportation, utility assistance, and mental health support.

We were selected to receive a $5,000 Glick Community Relief Fund grant. We will use this additional support to offer a welcoming location for weekday lunchtime meals for senior citizens who are 60 and above .

For more information about our work, please visit www.muncieseniorcenter.com. For more information about Glick Philanthropies, please visit glickphilanthropies.org.