Reins of Life Awarded Community Fund Grant from Porter County Community Foundation

The Porter County Community Foundation awarded a Community Fund grant to Reins of Life, a therapeutic horseback riding center, in Michigan City. This nonprofit organization serves clients of all ages with physical, emotional, mental and social disabilities, many of whom travel from Porter County to participate in their programs.

Reins of Life

The funding allowed them to insulate the ceiling in the main arena, install insulated light covers and eliminate a gap between the walls and the ceiling.  These improvements will increase the energy efficiency and comfort level in the riding arena, allowing the Reins of Life team to expand opportunities for equine assisted therapeutic riding sessions.   

Porter County Community Foundation Hosts Annual Meeting and Celebration of Achievement

On Wednesday evening, the Porter County Community Foundation hosted its Annual Meeting and Celebration of Achievement at the Porter County Expo Center with over 175 guests in attendance. This event is a special way to celebrate and thank the individuals, community partners, and nonprofits who work so hard each and every day to better our community.

Annual Meeting 2017

In 2016, the Foundation awarded over $2.1 million in grants and scholarships supporting the great work being done by nonprofit agencies and to help kids continue their education. “We are fortunate to live in Porter County – a community that is committed to organizations and the causes they care about at the deepest level possible. The nonprofits here work tirelessly to help make our community a better place,” said Bill Higbie, President and CEO of the Porter County Community Foundation. “We are honored to get to work with these organizations in various areas – whether it be starting an endowment fund that will benefit the organization well into the future, or by providing meeting space at the Center for Community Philanthropy.”

The remarkable work of nonprofit organizations and individuals was recognized at the Annual Meeting on May 31st, with the 2017 Celebration of Achievement awards. The awards were presented to the following recipients: Dorota Janik, Executive Director at Reins of Life, for Outstanding Nonprofit Staff Member; the Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County for Outstanding Nonprofit Agency; Portage Township Live Entertainment Association for Outstanding Nonprofit Agency; Margaret Williford, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, for Outstanding Volunteer; and Timothy Rice, Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County, for Outstanding Volunteer.

Each winner receives an engraved award recognizing their accomplishment as well as a $1,000 contribution to the organization’s endowment fund with the Foundation, or in the case of individual winners, to an organization’s endowment fund of their choice in their name. 

In addition to the Outstanding Achievement Awards, the Foundation recognized its newest Echo Society members – those who make an endowed lifetime gift or leave assets to the Foundation through a beneficiary designation, a will, or an estate plan – and announced a new program called Promise Porter County.

The new Promise Porter County program makes educational savings a reality by helping families start a CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings account through their school, seeding the account with an initial investment from a local sponsor, and engaging the community to match deposits that the students, families, and champions all contribute to the account. “Promise Porter County is an example of what happens when people care about their community and are willing to commit their energy and resources to making things better,” said Higbie. “It’s not just about setting up an account to save for college; it’s about changing the mindset of families and equipping them with a potentially different vision of themselves.” Promise Porter County will launch this fall at the first grade level in all seven Porter County school corporations.

 “At the Porter County Community Foundation, we gather generosity, grow it through investment, and give it away, all for the good of our community,” said Higbie. “Great things happen when people come together, and together we can commit to honor Porter County’s legacy of generosity in a powerful way.”

Porter County Community Foundation Awards 27 Scholarships at Annual Banquet

As one chapter comes to a close, a new one is just beginning for the 27 talented high school seniors recognized at the Porter County Community Foundation’s Annual Scholarship Banquet. Since 1998, the Foundation has presented 332 scholarships to Porter County students.

Lilly Endowment Community Scholars

Three Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships were awarded this year to Robert Kreloff of Valparaiso High School, Elizabeth Palmer of Kouts High School and Sam Soucie of Washington Township High School. This scholarship pays full tuition and fees to any college or university in the state of Indiana, as well as $900 each year for books. In total, the Foundation has awarded 79 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships since inception, totaling over $4 million. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships are the result of a statewide initiative by Lilly Endowment Inc. to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana, support Indiana’s community foundations in their mission to enhance quality of life, and encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community scholars to engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state.    

PCCF Scholars

The Porter County Community Foundation awarded Keiggan Lange of Boone Grove High School, Sonny Hammonds of Chesterton High School, and Jordan Powell of Andrean High School, each a $4,000 scholarship.

NIPSCO Scholars

NIPSCO partnered with the Foundation to provide $1,000 scholarships to Emily Lazarek of Marquette Catholic High School, Kadie Spoor of Wheeler High School, Nicole Pomeroy of Michigan City High School, Marybeth Scheibel of Valparaiso High School, Anastasia Miller of Chesterton High School, Andrew Briggs of Hebron High School, Sofia Serrano of Portage High School, Samantha Haywood of Portage High School and Caitlin Clute of Morgan Township High School.

PCCTEC Scholars

Each year, the Porter County Community Foundation awards $1,000 scholarships to students who attend the Porter County Career and Technical Center. The recipients for this year are Emmalee Deardurff, Alexis Farnum, Brieana Kraus, Amber Rardin, Alexus Reyes, Kyle Stowers, Abigail Street, Jordyn Windsor and Kyle Wolfe.

Bricker Scholar
Harlan A. Siegsmund Scholar

Three special scholarships were created as a legacy for the person or family whose name they carry and will last into perpetuity. The Harlan A. Siegesmund Liberty Township Alumni Scholarship was awarded to Lindsey Burgess of Chesterton High School.  This scholarship was established by the Liberty Township High School Class of 1958 to honor their long-time principal Mr. Siegesmund. The Tom and Georgia Bricker Scholarship was awarded to Abigail Street of Valparaiso High School. This scholarship was created by Georgia, a school teacher, to honor her late husband Tom. Lastly, the Shawn Moyer Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Kyla Roney of Kouts High School. Shawn Moyer was a 1999 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar who passed away during his sophomore year at Taylor University. Lilly Endowment and the Foundation endowed the remaining balance of Shawn’s scholarship to create this award for graduates of Kouts High School.

Annual Women’s Fund Grants Awarded at Impact Porter County Membership Dinner

Over $50,000 in grants was awarded on Wednesday evening by Impact Porter County - a women’s giving circle associated with the Porter County Community Foundation.  The giving circle presented the 2017 grants on May 17th at their annual membership dinner at Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton.

Women's Fund Membership Dinner

Impact Porter County members aim to make a positive and lasting influence in the community by awarding grants to Porter County nonprofits whose mission is to improve the quality of life for women and children.  Two high-impact grants of $25,000 each were awarded to Hannah’s Hope and the Portage Township YMCA.   The other finalists, Dunebrook Inc., Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary and Porter County PACT, were each awarded a $2,000 grant.

Hannah’s Hope is an organization that assists families who have children with special needs. Often times, special therapy and equipment is essential to meet a child’s physical, emotional and social needs but with the overwhelming amount of expenses families of children with special needs have, they are not always attainable.  Hannah’s Hope provides up to $500 per child per year to help these families purchase the necessary tools to help their child. The funds from this grant will continue their mission to “Help Hannah Help Others” throughout Porter County.

The Portage Township YMCA and the Portage Township School Corporation have partnered together to bring a Summer Learning Loss Prevention Program to low-income second and third grade students in Portage. This free, six week summer program will provide a safe, fun and educational environment for students to help prevent learning-loss that occurs during the summer months. In the first year, thirty-two children will be selected to participate in the program.  This program continues the Portage Township YMCA’s support of students and their educational, emotional and social growth progress.

Impact Porter County has now awarded over $500,000 in Women’s Fund grants since its inception.  To learn more about Impact or to view Women’s Fund impact stories, visit www.pccf.gives or contact the Foundation at 219-465-0294.

Porter County Chosen to Launch Promise Program

College may seem far away to first graders and their families, but this fall, Porter County will bring post-secondary education and careers front of mind through a collaborative effort called “The Promise.” The program makes educational savings a reality by helping families start a CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings account through their school, seeding the account with an initial investment from a local sponsor, and engaging the community to match deposits that the students, families, and champions all contribute to the account. Porter County is honored to be one of four new communities to launch the Promise program, with the support of Promise Indiana and the Indiana Education Savings Authority.  Bob Wanek, CEO of the Valparaiso Family YMCA, and Bill Higbie, CEO of the Porter County Community Foundation, have led the local effort to bring “The Promise” to Porter County.

Promise Porter County

During school registration, The Promise helps families take that first step to start saving, while also integrating college and career discovery activities in the classroom. Pilot counties select a cohort of students to participate, based on community size. The Promise Porter County Steering Committee consisting of local partners including school districts, the community foundation, local businesses and government, economic development groups, and nonprofits, has selected all first graders in the seven county school corporations for the launch.  The generous support of Urschel Laboratories will make it possible for every first grade student to begin the school year with their own college savings account.  There will also be an opportunity for those enrolled to invite champions—friends, family members, neighbors, coaches, and teachers—to invest in their college savings accounts.  A coalition of local partners, including 1st Source Bank, Stewart and Kathryn McMillan, Thorgren Tool and Molding, Porter Health Care System, and the Porter County Community Foundation, will provide a matching deposit to the student’s college savings account during a prescribed period of time.

Youth in the program not only build assets for post-secondary education and learn about college and careers, but they also visit a college campus for a day of interactive learning and dynamic hands-on experiences called “Walk Into My Future.” Valparaiso University will host the event this fall, with college students and faculty leading campus tours and activity stations for elementary-aged youth.

Research from the Center on Assets, Education, and Inclusion at the University of Kansas shows that youth with a college savings account in their name are between three and four and half times more likely to go to college than those without an account. CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings accounts can be used at any eligible institution—2-year community colleges, 4-year colleges and universities, even trade and technical schools.

"It was evident that the team from Porter County had the drive and partnerships to make this a success for the students and families in their community,” said Phil Maurizi, VP of Operations for Promise Indiana. “We look forward to working with all the collaborators to achieve absolute success in their first year, but also to making the Promise program better and stronger with their innovation. Their work will impact not only local youth, but communities around the state of Indiana.”

To date, over 10,000 youth around the state have started a CollegeChoice 529 direct savings account through the Promise program. To learn more visit www.PromiseIndiana.org.  To get involved with Promise Porter County, contact Julie Giorgi at jgiorgi@valpoymca.org or 219-462-4185 ext. 267.

Liberty Township Volunteer Fire Department Purchases Four Computers with Grant from Porter County Community Foundation

The Liberty Township Volunteer Fire Department was awarded a Community Fund Grant from the Porter County Community Foundation. The grant funding allowed them to purchase four Panasonic Toughbook Computers.

Liberty Township Fire Department Grant

The new electronics will be securely placed in each of the department’s trucks, enhancing communication with the dispatch center and surrounding agencies.

These computers are capable of adapting to enhancements in the County’s 9-1-1 dispatch system and will help the fire department fulfill its mission to protect life, property and the environment.

Center of Workforce Innovations Receives Grant from Porter County Community Foundation

The Porter County Community Foundation selected the Center of Workforce Innovations to receive a Community Fund Grant to support the Women’s Adult Learning and High School Equivalency (HSE) Program at the Porter County Jail.

Center of Workforce Innovations Grant

In 2014, the Center of Workforce Innovations started a small adult education program in the jail which has since assisted over 145 students. As the women’s interest in the program grew stronger, the Center of Workforce Innovations, along with the Porter County Sherriff’s Department and Sheriff David Reynolds, saw the need for the program to expand. The funds will help fund instruction costs and the HSE (formerly GED) test fees for the female students.

The Center of Workforce Innovations is a catalyst for community and business investment in workforce, education, and economic development to build and enhance collective capacity to succeed in a new global economy.

Porter County Community Foundation Presents Grant to Shirley Heinze Land Trust

Shirley Heinze Land Trust was selected to receive a Community Fund Grant from the Porter County Community Foundation to help purchase a much-needed snow plow.   

Shirley Heinze Land Trust Grant

"Support from the Porter County Community Foundation for the new snow plow is yet another way the Foundation is so integral to the success of our work," said Kris Krouse, Executive Director of Shirley Heinze Land Trust. "This equipment will help us maintain year-round access to Meadowbrook Conservation Center and Nature Preserve and to Shirley Heinze Land Trust preserves throughout the region."

Currently the staff has been using a small ATV and hand shovels to clear snow. With this new plow the team can not only clear the main parking areas more efficiently, but also roads that lead to trails for winter hikers and cross-country skiers.

Shirley Heinze Land Trust is comprised of volunteers, donors, professionals, business and industry, working together to preserve, protect and restore significant natural areas in Northwest Indiana. Their mission is to educate, inspire and invite the public to experience the natural wonders of our unique region.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County Receives Grant from Porter County Community Foundation

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County recently received a grant from the Porter County Community Foundation’s Community Fund. The organization has used the funds to partner with the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality, to assess the current programs offered at all four of the Club locations.

Boys & Girls Clubs Grant

The assessment will focus on measuring and evaluating the quality of the current youth programs as well as identify staff-training needs to better strengthen the club operations and club experience.

The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County is to inspire and enable the youth of our communities to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. The organization serves youth ages 5 to 18 years throughout all of Porter County.

: Porter County Community Foundation Presents Grants to Porter County Nonprofits

The Porter County Community Foundation recently awarded grants from its Community Fund to several nonprofit organizations. Grantees are selected through a competitive application process open to 501(c)(3) agencies serving Porter County.

F & Y Services Bureau Grant

The Family & Youth Services Bureau was awarded a grant that provided the necessary funds to have a new roof installed on their downtown Valparaiso building.  

The Independent Cat Society is a non-profit, cage-less, no-kill cat shelter that has promoted the welfare of all animals, especially cats, since 1976. In conjunction with the TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) Community Cat Clinic and local Porter County Veterinarians, the funds from the grant will help spay or neuter 100 cats or dogs in our community.  

PC Association for Handicapped Children & Adults

Porter County Association for Handicapped Children and Adults received funds to help make a difference and improve their clients’ daily lives.  With the funds, this organization can purchase custom devices necessary for individual clients that Medicare, Medicaid, and insurance won’t cover. This equipment will help children and adults enjoy everyday activities with their families in a more inclusive manner.

Porter-Starke used the funds to support their InSHAPE program that is designed to improve the physical health and wellness of people with mental illness. Participants met weekly, developed individual fitness plans, exercised, and learned about nutrition & healthy eating.  The YMCA partnered with Porter-Starke to help make this nationally-recognized program possible here in Porter County.

Northwest Indiana Excellence in Theatre Foundation received funds to bring a real-life storytelling event to Northwest Indiana’s Memorial Opera House, which was selected as the host site for all of Chicagoland. The performance, “This is My Brave”, is part of a national campaign to raise awarness of mental health issues.  

The Knights of Columbus’ Bike Project - founded by Mark Siminiski - received funds to purchase parts that will help repair donated bikes. These bikes are restored and then given away through various organizations to kids who may have only dreamed of having their own bike.    

The Portage Resale shop needed new furnaces for their building, which still had its original systems from the 1960’s.  With the community fund grant, the new heating system is in place allowing the organization to heat the building more efficiently and expand their work into areas of the building that were previously unusable.

Kouts Fire Department Grant

The Kouts Volunteer Fire Department received a Community Fund Grant to purchase eight new nozzles for this all-volunteer fire department. Replacing this critical equipment will enhance delivery of water in an emergency situation and creates uniformity of the nozzles on all five trucks.  The grant also enabled them to purchase a hose washer and two adapter valves.

The flooring in the activity & dining room of St. Agnes Adult Day Service Center was original to the building and had cracked and lifted after 19 years of wear and tear, resulting in a safety hazard for their clients and visitors. The new flooring is a non-slip surface that is level, and was purposefully chosen in a neutral color, allowing all participants to feel comfortable when entering the room.