Blue River Community Harvest, a food pantry located in Carthage, began in 2007 as an idea sparked by Robin Goodpaster, at the Walnut Ridge Friends Meeting.  The Blue River Community Harvest quickly expanded its capacity and outgrew the space in the meetinghouse.  Expanded facility space on Carthage Pike increased available capacity, and the demand followed suit.  For nine years, Blue River Community Harvest served clients in Rush and southern Henry counties.

In 2016, Blue River Community Harvest closed its doors permanently.  Their substantial operation had outgrown their space, and a large and affordable location was unable to be found.  Their nine years of service to our community impacted the lives of both those giving and receiving.  Countless people and organizations contributed time, money, food, and supplies throughout their years of service, supporting their fellow neighbors facing difficult times.

Upon the closure of Blue River Community Harvest, board members Laura Albrecht (Chair), Jennifer Cochrane (Vice-Chair), Robert Cochrane (Treasurer), Abbie Wehr (Secretary), Robin Goodpaster (Executive Director), Roger Spence (at-large), Beth Spence (at-large), and Tim Wehr (at-large) considered their options for disbursing their remaining financial assets.  After some discussion, the board agreed to donate the remaining funds to the Rush County Community Foundation’s Helen and Jim Ewing Fund.  The Ewing Fund, established in 2014 by Jim Ewing in memory of his wife Helen, is a field-of-interest fund to provide grants to agencies that provide food for the needy and/or non-profit agencies serving Rush County elderly with essential needs and services.  Blue River Community Harvest saw the Fund as the perfect way to ensure that their organization’s mission continue forever, despite a cease in operations.

Alisa Winters, Executive Director of Rush County Community Foundation, stated, “The Foundation is immensely grateful to Blue River Community Harvest’s generosity.  Their mission-driven service will continue exponentially because of their contribution to the Ewing Fund.  Helen and Jim shared a passion for assisting those with basic needs, such as hunger, unmet.  Jim entrusted his estate with the purpose of making a profound impact on the hungry and elderly in our community, and the contribution from Blue River Community Harvest will help to ensure that nonprofit agencies such as theirs serving our community’s residents will have funding opportunities available – forever.”

If you would like more information about the Helen and Jim Ewing Fund, or any fund at the Rush County Community Foundation, contact us directly or visit our website at www.rushcountyfoundation.org.  Located at 117 North Main Street in Rushville, the Rush County Community Foundation, Inc., is a nonprofit public charity established to serve donors, award grants and scholarships, and provide leadership to enrich and enhance the quality of life in Rush County, Indiana, not only today, but for our future generations.