The Audrey Gilbert Ratner Fund was established to honor Audrey Ratner and her South Bend-Mishawaka roots. The fund provides resources to develop and preserve holistic affordable housing for women and their families. The Audrey Gilbert Ratner Fund also includes a Housing Retention and Social Service Reserve, which directly assists women residents who might be encountering a rough period in their employment or could benefit from targeted educational support.

Audrey was born in Mishawaka and her family emphasized the vital significance of supporting her broader community. When her mother moved Audrey and her sister Beverly from their Mishawaka home to a new Chicago one, Audrey recognized the importance of housing women and their families. For Audrey, a home has always been more than a roof and four walls. She has bettered countless lives through her deep commitment to ensuring women are housed in spaces where their families feel, safe, loved, and empowered. The Fund is guided by her belief that a woman’s home is a foundation to building and preserving resilient communities.

Purpose: To create safe, affordable, and holistic housing opportunities for women and their children in the South Bend community.