Every time Darrell Peterson climbs the stairs at Imo’s Den, the hair on his arm stands up and he sees goosebumps. It’s not fear, but awe at how the four-unit apartment building came to be thanks to the generosity of one man wanting to honor his wife. Darrell thinks of the hours it took to reclaim those worn wooden steps and other parts of the large structure to turn it into living spaces for young people as they learn skills and take on adulthood. In every apartment is a plaque honoring Keith and Imogene Rupel. Darrel, executive director of Lifeline Read More »

It’s pretty easy for Amish Shah to point to the milestones that line the road to JA BizTown®. The Elkhart entrepreneur remembers when his father, Satish, would drop him off at Junior Achievement on Saturdays. As his father worked across the street at AccraPac, Amish caught the business bug at JA. He made a device that could crush the cans that piled up at his father’s factory and soon was riding his bicycle and knocking on doors to collect more orders. After graduating from college, someone asked Amish to teach for Junior Achievement, an organization that educates students in grades Read More »

Elkhart County is great at making things to move people. Thousands of recreational vehicles, boats, and even motorcycles come together here so that people can travel with them. Within the county, visionaries saw the possibilities in the abandoned Pumpkin Vine Railroad corridor and a rutted path along a Goshen canal to create some of the first and best paths in Indiana. New trails have emerged over the years, but now it’s time to create a world-class trail system in a community known for how it helps people get moving through Connect in Elkhart County. The Community Foundation’s Placemaking Committee is Read More »

Bob Schrock remembers sitting in the conference room at DJ Construction listening to others talk about the Community Foundation’s role in the community. The Community Foundation was getting a large gift from David Gundlach’s estate. Bob was on the board in 2013 as the organization did its listening tour to determine how to best be stewards of that gift. He invited friends to participate in a session, where President Pete McCown asked, “If you were in Bob’s shoes and could give away $10 million a year to make the community better, what would you do?” Someone in the room said Read More »

Most employers want their team members to engage in the community. The struggle is making it happen. Employee community engagement programs benefit organizations in several ways. They boost employee morale and productivity, help attract and retain employees, and create connections for employees outside of working hours. Research from America’s Charities found 88% of employers believe effective employee engagement programs help attract and retain employees. In addition, 71% of employees surveyed say it’s imperative or essential to work where the culture supports giving and volunteering. Yet many organizations struggle to design an effective and lasting employee engagement program. That’s where Acts Read More »

The village has been working to raise a child, so to speak, for a long time, and the Elkhart County village is upgrading its approach. A new initiative, led by the Community Foundation with Horizon Education Alliance, The SOURCE, and Crossroads United Way will address ways to help more children arrive at kindergarten ready to reach their full potential. The initiative will focus on a systems-level approach, considering how the various existing programs and services contribute to success and where opportunities for improvement exist. Candy Yoder, chief program officer for the Community Foundation, has spent her entire career focused on Read More »

Tom Grove was a skilled fine artist and photographer with a quick wit, sharp intelligence, and mastery of Scrabble and crossword puzzles. But what is remembered most about Tom is how he made people feel good about themselves and helped them believe they could accomplish anything. “He was the guy in the room that if you were around him, it was something special,” says Tom’s brother, Stephen Grove. Tom grew up in a large, tight-knit family in southern Indiana. He was known as the funny guy in the family with a keen ability to make others laugh. He attended Ball Read More »

The INSPIRE Scholarship of the Community Foundation of Elkhart County doesn’t just give students money to help with tuition. It connects them to their community. The INSPIRE Scholarship, which began in 2017, gives hard-working, community-minded students the opportunity to receive $3,000 per year. To be eligible, each of the recipients must complete a minimum of 30 hours of volunteer time per year in Elkhart County. As a young girl, Maria Mitchell was on the receiving end of community outreach. She was diagnosed with cancer at 14 and spent months in Chicago, IL, away from home, receiving treatment. Maria made a Read More »

Transitioning from high school to college is a major change for students and their families. Students are often on their own for the first time. And while parents and guardians do everything they can to lessen the uncertainties, some details get overlooked. In 2016, Danielle Neal learned what her two daughters really needed as they attended college out of state. Since both were on scholarship, they had little time for a job outside their school and athletic commitments. As a result, they were continuously calling home to Danielle, asking for help with basic, day-to-day necessities. Danielle saw an opportunity to Read More »

A child carrying a ball runs across the grass on a glorious summer evening. He was looking toward the crowd that had gathered on the lawn at Tolson Center for Community Excellence. He was eager to join what was emerging — as are so many others in our community. He was eager to see what is happening at Tolson Center. For decades, people, particularly young people, have gathered at 1300 Benham Avenue, Elkhart. As a child, Norman Anderson flew kites on the property that had nothing other than the Abshire Car Wash. After a youth center opened in 1991, he Read More »