Elkhart County’s trails and pathways wind through the community, affording runners, cyclists and walkers the opportunity to enjoy nature as they exercise or commute. When the various trails connect so that one can move across the entire community safely, the community is tighter-knit and even stronger. As the Placemaking Committee of the Community Foundation began working with the emphasis on trails and parks for Community Investment Grants, it wanted to bring people across the community together to do more planning for the future.  A project is underway to knit together Elkhart County’s network of beloved trails. The Community Read More »

At her first 100 Women Who Care meeting, Kris Mueller saw how the giving circle can truly empower other organizations.    “In the bigger picture, my hundred dollars doesn’t seem like much but in fifteen minutes you can completely change an organization’s function. That ten thousand dollars can make or break them, the thought that my little vote can do that was elating,” says Mueller.  Kris Mueller joined 100 Women four years ago after being encouraged to go by some friends. She was hooked from the beginning. This group gathers four times a year for a one-hour meeting, and each Read More »

Walk into The Post and you’ll find Goshen teenagers playing a pickup game of basketball, hunched over their latest homework assignments, or chatting over snacks in the café. They represent a diverse range of family structures, school systems, and perspectives. What matters is that their voices converge here—in Goshen’s old converted post office. “Our mission is to take those that can’t plug in somewhere else—and everyone else too,” says board member Don Wade as he sits next to The Post’s executive director E-man Monge and board president Sean Behensky. The three have gathered to reflect on the last 20 years—plus Read More »

Five years ago, leaders at several organizations serving youth in Elkhart County saw that too many kids experiencing behavioral and emotional challenges weren’t getting the help they needed. These children ended up getting expelled from after school programs, school and spending time in the juvenile justice system. But the leaders believed that children could avoid going down dangerous paths if they had the support network and emotional and behavioral help that they needed. The leaders started meeting regularly to imagine how they could work together to better identify the behavioral health needs of children early on and build a support Read More »

Every trail has its hurdles. Some, like miles-long gaps in the path, are obvious. Then there are the invisible hurdles: laying the groundwork for diverse communities to connect or convincing neighbors to build doors instead of walls.  Forging new pathways takes persistence. Today, when Pumpkinvine Nature Trail founder John Yoder rides his bike, glides past the old gap, and sees three generations of families stretching their legs along the greenway, the decades of persistence are worth it. All he feels is gratitude.  The story of the Pumpkinvine began in 1989. A group of Elkhart County cyclists, including Yoder, envisioned a Read More »

When Walter Beardsley purchased an Auguste Rodin sculpture for $50,000 in 1969, he hoped it would be more than a beautiful piece of art to display. He donated it to the Ruthmere Museum with the intention that it could one day help secure the legacy of the museum that honors his family — Elkhart’s founding family. In 2019 “The Fallen Caryatid Carrying Her Stone” sold for $7.5 million. “The sale of ‘The Caryatid’ was the fulfillment of Walter Beardsley’s originalintention, to give something to Ruthmere to benefit the Elkhart community not only in art, but in the longevity of the Read More »

Generosity often looks like a check in the mail. A legacy gift. A fundraiser. Financial outpourings make a deep impact, but so too do small acts of service—a helping hand, a pint of blood or an hour of volunteering. For years, the Community Foundation of Elkhart County has worked to improve quality of life in Elkhart County by inspiring all types of generosity. When Acts of Service joined our ranks in late 2019, it opened new connections between local nonprofits and volunteers. Acts of Service was founded in 2017 with a simple, powerful premise: offer practical ways for people to Read More »

Neal Myers always said he was just another cog in the wheel, doing his part to help others in need. The Middlebury man, along with his wife Dianne, helped launch the Boys and Girls Club in Middlebury and donated money to local charities including the Northridge Dollars for Scholars. He volunteered as a pilot for Angel Flight Central, helping sick children and their families travel to receive medical care, as well as for Pilots N Paws Pet Rescue Services. “He always felt that to those whom much has been given, much will be expected,” Dianne says. “That’s how he lived.” Read More »

It’s not easy to be a teacher. “I think as a first-year teacher everything is a little overwhelming,” says Lizeth Abad, a first-grade teacher at Model Elementary. “But I have felt a lot of support with my co-workers, my principal, my mentor, and my master teacher that I’m working with.” Abad is a recent graduate from Goshen College, and she’s part of a future of racially and ethnically diverse teachers the college hopes to train and retain in Elkhart County. Indiana is one of the lowest performing states in the country when it comes to teacher retention, according to a Read More »

Community Foundation of Elkhart County and Crossroads United Way serving Elkhart, LaGrange and Noble Counties are offering $300,000 to help lower barriers to learning. COVID-19 has impacted us all and we continue to work together to help those in need. The children in our community have had inconsistent schedules, were not able to attend school, lost some in person learning opportunities and missed out on spending quality time with their peers. Grants are being offered to help organizations in Elkhart County help students this summer recover from some of those losses. A year ago, Community Foundation of Elkhart County and Read More »