On Jan. 11, members of the LaGrange County Chamber of Commerce joined together for a Member Showcase and the Annual Meeting. This year, the staff of the LaGrange County Community Foundation won the 2024 Member Showcase!
Each year, Chamber invites members to showcase their organization or business prior to their Annual Meeting. The Community Foundation wanted to inspire kindness this year with their booth.
Decked out in pink and red hearts, the booth had information about their upcoming Intentional Acts of Kindness Calendar. In February, the Foundation will be participating in acts of kindness each day, and encouraging others to join in. You can join in on the Intentional Acts of Kindness Event Page!
LCCF is also excited about a new matching opportunity. The Caring Community Fund supports the greatest needs in LaGrange County, at any given time, making impact forever. The Foundation intends to apply for a $750,000 Matching Fund Grant from Lilly Endowment to support the Foundation’s unrestricted endowment, which will provide resources to present and future needs.
The Community Foundation is asking people and businesses like YOU to give to the Caring Community Fund.
For every $1 you give, the matching grant will give $2, giving the fund a total of $3! If you would like to give to this fund DONATE HERE, chose to give to a specific fund, then chose the Caring Community Fund.
Presenting the award to Braden is Executive Director Octavia Yoder, along with Braden’s parents, Jeremiah and Elizabeth Rogers of LaGrange.
Braden Rogers of Westview Jr. Sr. High School was named the recipient of the 2024 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for LaGrange County.
Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, charitable, and leadership.
Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides for full tuition, required fees and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and required equipment for four years.
The scholarship is for full-time undergraduate students leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Rogers will graduate high school with academic honors and intends to pursue a five-year degree in landscape architecture at Purdue University or Ball State University. He is the son of Jeremiah and Elizabeth Rogers of LaGrange.
In his application essay, Rogers wrote: “Traveling to beautiful places around our country, I have always been drawn to landscape. I’ve always been the guy who notices a nicely manicured golf course or the detail of an intricately designed walkway. It wasn’t until I began looking into possible career paths that I realized I could one day bring happiness and peace to others through landscape architecture. My long-term goals are to run my own architectural firm and raise a strong and active family within a great community.”
Laurie Sherck, the Foundation’s Scholarship Coordinator, Octavia Yoder, Executive Director and Leanna Martin, LIFE coordinator and LCCF Program Director, talk with Braden and his parents about what this scholarship means to him.
Rogers’ school involvement includes being part of student government as class vice president his junior year, being a Student Council member and serving on the Prom Committee. Rogers is the goalkeeper for the Westview Boys Soccer Team and participates in school musicals. He most recently held the lead role in the musical, “Grease” and participates in show choir, jazz band, weightlifting and is a member of the National Honor Society.
Rogers also has a love of skiing. He founded the Westview Ski Club and is involved in SOLO (Special Outdoor Leisure Opportunities). SOLO provides opportunities for people with physical and mental limitations to experience downhill skiing with a friend or instructor. The group meets every Monday during the winter months and skis for two hours.
Roger participates in LIFE, a youth philanthropic program of the LaGrange County Community Foundation. He is a guitarist for the St. Joseph Church and participates in New Life Fellowship youth worship group.
“I strongly believe that if a talent is given, you should seek ways to use that gift in positive ways,” Rogers shared. Additionally, Braden manages to have time to work part-time jobs in the winter months and a full-time job during the summer.
In determining LaGrange County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholar nominees, consideration was given to academic achievement, demonstrated service to others, leadership ability, commitment and motivation to succeed, employment history, extracurricular involvement, essay responses, as well as two recommendations.
“Braden demonstrates many of the qualities we seek in a leader: motivated, hardworking, and engaged in his school and community. The selection committee was impressed by his service to his community and passion for his career goals,” said Octavia Yoder, Executive Director of the LaGrange County Community Foundation.
The top five students who scored highest on their application were then invited to participate in a personal interview conducted by the Lilly Scholarship Advisory Committee. After the field of applicants was narrowed, nominees were submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI), the statewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, which approves the final selection of scholarship recipients.
Finalists for the 2024 include: Taylor Jerdon and Xia Leu of Lakeland Jr/Sr School; Christien Noward and Jace Lang of Westview JR-SR High School. Each of the finalists will receive the Lambright Leadership Scholarship, a $1,000 renewable scholarship established by Kevin and Carrie Lambright in 2013. The scholarship may be renewed up to three more years after the initial award, for a total scholarship of $4,000.
“The Foundation is honored to nominate a LaGrange County student for this prestigious award,” Yoder added. “We are grateful Lilly Endowment continues to support future leaders and makes dreams possible for our young students. Selecting a nominee is a difficult process based on many factors. The committee was impressed by the exceptional scholars in our community.”
Lilly Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1998-99 school year and has supported the program every year since with grants totaling more than $505 million. The LaGrange County Community Foundation has awarded the scholarship to 42 LaGrange County students since the program’s inception.
The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are: 1) to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana; 2) to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and 3) to 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.
LaGrange County Community Foundation is accepting applications to the Community Scholarship Program through February 15, 2024.
The Community Scholarship Program provides 47 unique scholarship opportunities for graduating high school seniors who are planning to pursue full-time education at a college, university, technical or trade school.
Scholarship opportunities vary according to residency, career fields, current high school attendance, anticipated college enrollment, extracurricular involvement, and academic performance. Students complete a common application and are matched to scholarship opportunities. Scholarship awards range from $500 to $10,000 and may be used for educational expenses.
The Community Foundation partners with families, businesses, and organizations who want to help LaGrange County students succeed in obtaining higher education. New this year are two scholarship opportunities for students pursuing degrees in the field of education.
The Rex Fisher History Scholarship supports a student planning to teach history. A lifelong historian, researcher and student, Rex Fisher was born in LaGrange, and lived in Wisconsin, and Alaska throughout his life. He left LaGrange to attend Ball State and earn a degree in education in 1954. It was there he discovered his love of history and historical research.
Fisher next traveled to the University of Wisconsin and completed his graduate degree. After that, he moved to Alaska to teach U.S. history to high school students and do academic research.
The Rex Fisher History Scholarship supports a LaGrange County high school senior pursuing a degree in education with an emphasis on teaching history. The scholarship is $10,000 per year, renewable up to 3 years with a maximum award of $40,000.
The Jean Seagly Crouse Memorial Scholarship supports a LaGrange County student planning to pursue a degree in education. The scholarship is a one-time award in the amount of $1,000, awarded annually.
Crouse grew up in Topeka, graduating from Topeka High School as valedictorian of the class of 1944. She attended the University of Michigan for two years before getting married in 1946. After raising four children, Crouse completed her education degree at Goshen College in 1963. She was hired by Westview School Corp. and taught fifth grade at Topeka Elementary for 25 years, retiring in 1988. The Jean Seagly Crouse Memorial Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship one-time award in the amount of $1,000.
“We are thrilled to offer these new scholarship opportunities in the field of education,” said LaGrange County Community Foundation Executive Director Octavia Yoder. “They provide options for students in our county to make college more affordable and encourages more students to pursue a path in education.”
Students can apply for the Community Scholarships at LCCF.net/AvailableScholarships. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2024, at 4 p.m.
The LaGrange County Community Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the fall Community Impact Grants cycle.
LaGrange County Soil & Water District Water Quality Monitoring
The Foundation recently awarded $92,000 in grants to eleven nonprofit organizations. The Community Impact Grants support nonprofits in six areas: arts and culture, health and human services, recreation, environment, community development and education.
The Community Impact Grants are made possible by the generosity of donors who give to the unrestricted and field of interest funds at the Foundation.
For over 30 years, the Community Foundation has remained committed to its mission of “inspiring and sustaining generosity, leadership and service in LaGrange County.”
“Through our grantmaking program we are able to ensure a lasting legacy for our funders who have made a long-term commitment to support positive growth of our nonprofit community in LaGrange County,” said Octavia Yoder, Executive Director.
“We are honored to support many deserving nonprofit organizations who are improving the quality of life in LaGrange County and helping meet important and unmet community needs,” Yoder added.
The 2023 fall Community Impact Grant recipients include:
LaGrange County Department of Parks & Recreation, Tetrick property, $20,000;
LaGrange County Soil & Water Conservation District, Long-term strategic water quality monitoring program in LaGrange County, $11,500;
LaGrange Baseball League, Score board installation at Spreuer Park, $8,000;
Coffee & Cream of South Milford, Coffee & Cream equipment, $12,500;
Agape Child Care Ministry, Program materials, $2,500;
Cancer Services of Northeastern Indiana, Client advocate program for LaGrange County, $2,500;
Clothes & Food Basket of LaGrange County, Operating support, $15,000;
Junior Achievement of LaGrange County, Junior Achievement Biztown Fieldtrips 2023-2024, $5,000;
Boomerang Backpacks, 2023-2024 school year weekend feeding program at Westview and Prairie Heights schools, $10,000;
Youth for Christ Northern Indiana, Westview Campus Life, $2,500; and
Kate’s Kart, Book Distribution at Parkview LaGrange, $2,500.
Each year, the Community Foundation seeks proposals for charitable projects and programs that help local nonprofit organizations provide services in LaGrange County. The Grants Advisory Committee reviews the submitted grant applications and makes recommendations to the Board of the Directors who approve the grant awards. To learn more, visit lccf.net/grants.
Wednesday, November 15, National Philanthropy Day, our LIFE youth philanthropy members hosted the bi-annual LEAP Event, Leaders Excited About Philanthropy. Students from our 3 county public schools are encouraged to get involved in their community during this one-day conference on leadership and philanthropy.
Our 12 LIFE members along with their LIFE leader, Leanna Martin have been working since Spring 2023 to organize this event for high schoolers from Lakeland, Prairie Heights and Westview. This year’s event was held at Lakeland high school. The members chose the speakers, nonprofits in attendance, icebreakers, snacks and even found donations and sponsors for the event.
There were a lot of fun and education activities throughout our 4 hours together. Our time included lots of Icebreakers for the kids to get to know each other. They also organized a Community Nonprofit Fair in which volunteers/ employees from Agape Missions of LaGrange County, LaGrange County Community Foundation, Elijah Haven Crisis Intervention Center, LaGrange County Habitat for Humanity, and Reason 4 Hope attended. These nonprofits spoke to the kids and shared how they started, where they are located, what they do, and how a person could get involve or help the nonprofit. After the student listened to the nonprofit, they would get their Passports signed to enter for prizes. The prizes were donated from many of our awesome community members, nonprofits and business (see list below!).
We also had a great speaker, Coach Seth Maust from Five Star Life. He spoke to the kids on looking beyond themselves to see others, leaders volunteer first, as well as many other good philanthropic ideas. Octavia Yoder, Executive Director at LaGrange County Community Foundation also spoke to the students about philanthropy, working for a nonprofit and what jobs are available, notably in our area. There was also a small Community Service Project they were able to participate in.
Before they left, students were asked to take part in an end of event survey, in which 100% of the 45 students who participated, said that they would recommend LEAP to a friend.
Our LIFE members did an amazing job of working hard and running the event. But none of that would have been possible without the donations and sponsorships from our community. We want to thank the following individuals/ businesses/ nonprofits for helping the LEAP event be a success:
Donations: Crossroads United Way, E&S Sale, Elijah Haven, Farmers State Bank, Habitat for Humanity, LaGrange County CVB, LaGrange County REMC, Lassus Bros. Handy Dandy in Wolcottville and Yoder Popcorn. Financial Support: Cierra Young & Jessyca Castle, LaGrange Veterinarian Clinic, Shipshewana Trading Place, Tammi Haviland, The Riegseckers, Inc., Topeka Pharmacy and Wear Haus Designs.
Rainbow Years Learning Ministry is a childcare and preschool program of Shore Church in Shipshewana.
We recently visited Portia Amstutz, director of Rainbow Years Learning Ministry in Shipshewana to see the progress on their $1 million renovation project. Rainbow Years is a ministry of Shore Church, providing year-round daycare and education to children from birth to age 11.
Rainbow Years renovated their space to add more childcare seats. At one point, their wait-list exceeded their capacity.
In June, Rainbow Years received a Community Impact Grant of $21,736 to purchase materials and equipment for its updated facility.
We were excited to see their new space!
Rainbow Years can currently take around 90 kids, ages birth to 11 years old. With the help of the grant, they were able furnish two new classrooms, giving each age level a class of their own. They not only were able to furnish the two new rooms, but they also replaced some old items throughout the facility.
New classroom furnished with the grant funds received.
The grant helped purchase new sleeping cots, glider rockers, furniture for the teacher’s work room and main office, refrigerator and microwave for the teachers, a washer and dryer unit, cribs, changing tables and toys. It also helped create an indoor “recess” area.
They also created a fun, comfortable space for school-age kids to meet before and after school, as well as in the summer.
When we asked Portia what is meaningful about her work; she said the impact they have on the children. She said it’s because the most critical time for learning is before age 5 – it’s an important job!
Cribs and a glider rocker are a few of the many items added to the infant room.
The Foundation is excited to partner with nonprofits like Rainbow Years to help improve the early education of the youngest children in our county.
Community Impact Grants help nonprofits to be more effective, efficient and self-sustaining. The Community Foundation looks to fund innovative or creativeprojects addressing community needs like Rainbow Years.
Currently, Rainbow Years currently has about 18-20 spots open for childcare! In the next few weeks, they will be able to accept Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) vouchers for low-income families. This program will make their childcare even more affordable for more families.
You can learn more about their programs and availability at RainbowYears.org.
Portia Amstutz reading to some of the children at Rainbow Years Childcare Ministry.
From left are the 2024 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship finalists Xai Leu, Jace Lang, Taylor Jerdon, Christien Noward and Braden Rogers.
Five LaGrange County high school seniors have been named finalists for the LaGrange County 2024 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. The prestigious award goes to an outstanding high school senior in LaGrange County.
The finalists include Taylor Jerdon (Lakeland High School), Jace Lang (Westview High School), Xai Leu (Lakeland High School), Christien Noward (Westview High School), and Braden Rogers (Westview High School).
The scholarship is awarded to one LaGrange County graduating senior who demonstrates service and leadership in their community, and a commitment to academic excellence. Among the finalists, one LaGrange County resident will be awarded the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, which will pay their full-tuition at any Indiana college or university, plus required fees. The recipient also will receive $900 per year for books and required equipment.
The Community Foundation received applications from all three high schools in LaGrange County. The Community Foundation’s Lilly Scholarship Advisory Committee reviews and evaluates applications based on academics, community and school activities, work history, leadership and written essays. Identifying information about the student, such as name, school and gender, are removed during the application process. The finalists are then invited to a personal interview with the committee.
All finalists participated in a personal interview with the Foundation’s Lilly Scholarship Advisory Committee on October 17. The results of the interview round are combined with the application round to determine the 2024 nominees who will be submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana for final selection of the LaGrange County recipient.
Announcement of the recipient will be made in December. The four remaining finalists will each receive the Lambright Leadership Scholarship – a $1,000 award, renewable for up to three years. The Lambright Leadership Scholarship was established by Kevin and Carrie Lambright of Shipshewana in 2013.
The scholarship program is offered each year by the LaGrange County Community Foundation, and other Indiana community foundations across the state to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana; to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and to 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.
As many of us go through life, we wonder: what will I leave behind? Will I be remembered for anything great? Will my time on this earth have made anyone’s life better? I’ve worked hard all my life, what can I do with my money that will count for something important?
One way you can assure leaving behind a legacy is by starting a charitable fund. The LaGrange County Community Foundation offers a range of charitable funds that allow individuals, families and businesses to choose the best way to accomplish their philanthropic goals.
Our funds are simple to establish and the Foundation will work with you to find the right type of fund. We manage more than 150 funds, each with a specific charitable purpose.
Here are different types of funds you can start:
Field of Interest Fund: A field of interest fund allows you to support your favorite causes or issues while relying on the Foundation’s knowledgeable staff to identify nonprofits that make the greatest impact in that area.
Donor Advised Fund: A donor-advised fund allows donors to make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax benefit and then recommend grants from the fund over time.
Designated Fund: A designated fund allows you to create a permanent stream of income for a nonprofit organization of your choice in LaGrange County. This is a great option if you want to help provide sustainability to an organization.
Scholarship Fund: Scholarship funds help support college-bound students in their effort to attain higher education.
Unrestricted Fund: Unrestricted funds give the Foundation flexibility to meet community needs for new programs, emergencies and innovative ideas.
Agency Fund: An agency fund is established by a nonprofit organization to support its sustainability.
If you are unable to start a charitable fund, you can still make a difference by supporting an existing charitable fund. Gifts of all sizes are valued and help support a thriving LaGrange County.
We appreciate the legacy that you are giving to future generations of this community!
Since 1991, the LaGrange County Community Foundation has been a charitable partner in LaGrange County, helping connect donors to their charitable dreams and building permanent community funds.
Miles Perkins was one of the nine community leaders who believed in the importance of building long-term permanent funds for LaGrange County, thus helping start the LaGrange County Community Foundation.
Miles served as a founding board member and first President of the LaGrange County Community Foundation in 1991, and on the Board of Directors from 1991 to 1997. After his retirement, he worked with the Foundation to establish the Stroh Community Fund in 2000, and the Prairie Heights Perkins Family Scholarship Fund in 2009.
Paul Johnston, a long-term Board member, served the Foundation from 2005 to 2013. He served 4 of those years as Board president during which the foundation gave a grant to support the Pond Lil project at Dallas Lake Park. Pond Lil, located on the south border of Dallas Lake Park, totals 44 acres. The property was purchased by the Foundation from a private seller in 2012. The LaGrange County Parks Department secured grant funding from the state to purchase the property from the Foundation in 2013. This property increased the Dallas Lake Park size to 140 acres. The Foundation was instrumental in the purchase of this property under Paul’s Leadership.
Both men had a heart for volunteerism and service. Their legacy has forever changed the landscape of LaGrange County for the good.
LaGrange County Community Foundation is pleased to announce the 2023 recipient of the Natalie Kauffman Memorial Nursing Scholarship: Olivia Mettert.
The $1,000 scholarship supports college students and non-traditional students pursuing a degree in nursing. The scholarship is open to students who have graduated from a LaGrange County high school or adults currently working in the healthcare field in LaGrange County. Applicants must be accepted or enrolled in an accredited nursing program to be eligible.
Mettert is a 2020 graduate of Prairie Heights High School, and is entering her senior year of nursing school at Purdue University in West Lafayette. While at home the last two summers on break, she has worked for Parkview Health in their student nursing program. Most recently, she worked in the in Infusion Clinic at the Packnett Family Cancer Institute on Parkview’s main campus.
In her scholarship application Mettert wrote: “My hope and reasoning is to be a nurse that provides individualized and compassionate care for all individuals regardless of what their situation may be. By providing this compassionate and individualized care for all patients, their care will not only be optimal, but their lives may be changed by the experience that they have had.”
The scholarship honors Natalie Kauffman, a 2010 Lakeland High School graduate. Kauffman passed away on October 18, 2013, while a junior in the nursing program at IPFW. She demonstrated love, respect, and compassion for others, and carried the belief that people are on earth to help each other. The Kauffman family established the scholarship to promote those ideals, support aspiring nurses, and continue Natalie’s legacy of helping others.
