The LIFE program is a youth philanthropy group supported by the LaGrange County Community Foundation. LIFE provides an opportunity for young people to gain experience in community service and charitable giving. The students provide oversight to funds held at the Community Foundation. This school year LIFE offered two grant cycles awarding $11,926 to youth-serving organizations and school projects. For the complete list of LIFE grants click here.

We began our community service projects in November, serving lunch to the elderly at the LaGrange County Council on Aging.

In December students adopted a family for Christmas through LaGrange County Miracle Tree, providing funds from their own pockets as well as Community Foundation funds to support a child in need. In the spirit of Christmas, members also passed out cookies and provided in-person thank you to Sheriff’s department and local police departments.

In March the students attended Dekko Foundation’s Philpressionism, a youth pod retreat, in Kendallville. The retreat lasted two days and was packed full of community service ideas, leadership, and relationship building. They also performed a skit detailing what LIFE is.

As our LIFE program comes to an end for this school year we are headed to Miller’s Merry Manor to clean up their courtyard.

Our last meeting in May will be the retreat, where we will spend some time reflecting, team bonding, and participating in one last community service project, picking up trash along the Pigeon River as we kayak.

As we look ahead to the 2022-2023 school year, we will continue encouraging philanthropy in our community through LaGrange County youth.

For more information about LIFE, please visit, https://www.lccf.net/life.

At LIFE we look for individuals who give their time, talent, and treasures to help better the community. Not often do we recognize workers like those in healthcare who dedicate so much time and effort to the safety and health of our community.

Dalton and I met our LIFE Navigator at the Parkview LaGrange Hospital to deliver some Holiday Cheer.

Five gift baskets were put together that contained coffee, tea, chocolates, chapsticks, and hand lotions. All things that healthcare workers desire!

A well-needed Christmas boost to the hardworking Parkview LaGrange employees who have done so much for our community this year.

We wish the Parkview healthcare workers Happy Holidays from LIFE.

This post was submitted by Sammy Updike, LIFE member.

If you would like to support LIFE and their philanthropic and community service efforts consider donating to the LIFE ENDOWMENT FUND or the LIFE OPERATING FUND.

By Breanna Baker

We were given the opportunity to volunteer at Maplewood Nature Center.

When we arrived we were met by a lady named Leslie Arnold who explained her position at the park as a naturalist.

She instructed us as we started service. The group split up and some worked on tidying up the sugar shack.

The rest took the center’s pet turtle named Tuck on a walk and cleaned his habitat.

Leslie guided us on a nature trail through the parks’s forest. We got to witness the maple trees at the peak of Autumn. Their leaves were the colors of rust.

After the walk, we began to work again. Some of us raked leaves while others cleaned and organized the building.

We enjoyed our time at Maple Wood not only participating in service but getting to learn more about LaGrange County. 

This post was submitted and written by Breanna Baker, LIFE member. Breanna serves as Recorder on the Executive Team and is a part of the LIFE Marketing Committee.

If you would like to support LIFE and their philanthropic and community service efforts consider donating to the LIFE ENDOWMENT FUND or the LIFE OPERATING FUND.