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$65,000 in Grants Awarded To Help Susanna’s Kitchen

Longtime food pantry receives money from Community Foundation, 100 Women Who Care Elkhart County for renovation at Grace Lutheran Church

ELKHART, Indiana — Two grants given via the Community Foundation of Elkhart County will help Susanna’s Kitchen reopen in a new home.

The soup kitchen has served folks in need in downtown Elkhart for 40 years. It has served lunches and distributed coats and other items from a number of churches, including First Congregational Church for 17 years. Nearly 20 churches support the ministry.

Susanna’s Kitchen was operating out of the Knights of Columbus building on Lexington Avenue until early September, but moved out as the building is being sold. The kitchen at Grace Lutheran Church, 831 W. Marion St., Elkhart, will be renovated so that food can again be served. “We feed whoever comes through the door, no questions asked,” said Dale McDowell, a volunteer who is overseeing Susanna’s with his wife, Sharon. “It’s really God’s work, through the churches,” he added.

Phid Wells, a volunteer from First Presbyterian Church, was aware of the need and presented it to 100 Women Who Care Elkhart County at the meeting on October 11. Women at the meeting who contributed $100 voted in large numbers to give the $10,000 grant to Susanna’s Kitchen.

The Community Foundation’s Kids & Families Committee also agreed to give $55,000 toward the renovations through a Community Investment Grant.

An estimated $125,000 to $150,000 is needed to turn the kitchen at Grace Lutheran into a place that can serve dozens of people a day. The City of Elkhart is also part of the work to raise the needed funds. The Elkhart Urban Enterprise Zone gave $50,000. “We see this as economic development and support for residents and businesses,” said Kristen Smole, assistant director of economic development for the city.

Smole, along with Eric Trotter, Elkhart’s assistant director of planning & zoning, have also been working to find a way to offer food before the kitchen is completed. Cook Judie Hyatte-Howie, the sole employee of the organization, is eager to help others, particularly as the weather turns colder.

Hyatte-Howie and McDowell are excited to offer food from what will be the new home of Susanna’s. They want to offer kindness and compassion as well as a hot meal, and in the coming months will give away hundreds of coats. They are grateful for the grants to help create a new place at Grace Lutheran. “They want to be part of this community. This is where we need to be,” McDowell said.

A check from 100 Women Who Care is awarded to Susanna’s Kitchen. From left are Eric Trotter, Judie Hyatte-Howie, Dale McDowell, Marty Irving, Phid Wells, Sister Norah Frost and Kim Miller.

About 100 Women Who Care Elkhart County

In the summer of 2014, Jenny Welch and Sheila Terlep organized the 100 Women Who Care Elkhart County chapter, a gathering of local women who care deeply about Elkhart County and give generously to see their communities thrive. Throughout the last three years more than 200 women have given to the Elkhart County chapter to support local causes. The group has awarded more than $300,000 to local organizations serving Elkhart County residents.

The 100 Women Who Care is a component fund of the Community Foundation of Elkhart County. The Community Foundation partners with donors to leverage their philanthropy in ways that transform lives. Since 1989, Community Foundation has connected the generosity of donors with community needs by providing scholarship opportunities to local students and making grants to nonprofit organizations working to improve the quality of life in Elkhart County.

100 Women Who Care Elkhart County, www.100WomenWhoCareElkhart.com

About Community Foundation of Elkhart County

Community Foundation of Elkhart County partners with donors to leverage their philanthropy in ways that transform lives. Since 1989, the Community Foundation has helped generous donors to meet community needs, provide scholarship opportunities to local students, and made grants to nonprofit organizations working to improve Elkhart County. The Community Foundation strives to be a local entity known for inspiring good and impacting success. To learn more, go to www.InspiringGood.org.