Grace Care Center named as Center for Working Families site
HAMILTON COUNTY – Grace Care Center has been named as the newest Center for Working Families site, making it the first Hamilton County organization to offer the initiative, Grace Care Center and United Way of Central Indiana announced Monday.
Center for Working Families sites utilize one-on-one coaching to guide people on a personalized path toward financial stability, removing barriers, connecting them with resources and helping them land better jobs, earn higher wages and move up the economic ladder.
Since 2015, United Way of Central Indiana has been the lead funder and administrator of the Center for Working Families network, often called CWF, in the region. The programming model was developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and has a proven track record of success validated by local and national evaluators.
Grace Care Center is one of 14 sites in Central Indiana: There are 11 in Marion County and one each in Hamilton, Hendricks and Morgan counties. United Way’s long-term goal is to establish a Center for Working Families site in each of the seven counties in its service area, including Boone, Hancock and Putnam counties.
The need in Hamilton County is great: In 2023, one in four households in the county couldn't afford a basic household budget, according to United Way data. That’s more than 35,000 households that are in poverty or considered ALICE, meaning they earn above the Federal Poverty Level but not enough to afford the basics of housing, child care, food, transportation, health care and technology.
“This partnership allows The Grace Care Center to multiply our efforts in moving beyond meeting urgent needs and help families build lasting stability,” said Marcus Casteel, pastor of community engagement at Grace Church. “We are thrilled to partner with United Way to be the first Center for Working Families site in Hamilton County. Together, we will connect people not only to food and housing resources, but to the coaching, tools, and opportunities they need to increase income, reduce debt, and plan for the future.”
United Way has awarded Grace Care Center a $150,000 grant to support its Center for Working Families work in its first year.
Located on the campus Grace Church in Noblesville, Grace Care Center provides essential services, basic needs resources and economic mobility programming to about 10,000 Hamilton County and northern Marion County residents annually.
Grace Care Center has partnered with United Way in several ways in recent years: The organization won the People’s Choice Award at United Way’s Propel pitch competition in 2024. And Grace Care Center received a $25,000 Basic Needs Fund grant in early 2025, the first time United Way opened the fund to nonprofits outside its accredited partner network.
With an established coaching and referral program already in place, Grace Care Center was a natural fit for the Center for Working Families. The grant and partnership will allow Grace Care Center to build infrastructure and programming, increase coaching services, collect and manage data, connect with other Center for Working Families sites – and serve more people.
“United Way is proud to partner and collaborate with Grace Care Center in expanding financial stability resources and programming in Hamilton County,” said Shannon Jenkins, United Way’s vice president of impact. “They are a trusted and reliable direct service provider for hundreds of Central Indiana households, and they are well-positioned to implement the proven Center for Working Families model. Together, we can help more individuals and families reach their full potential.”
To learn more about Grace Care Center, visit gracecarecenter.us.
Learn more about the Center for Working Families at uwci.org/center-for-working-families.