The Hive, a local ladies giving circle established through the Starke County Community Foundation, helped provide a platform and funding to four amazing causes during their second annual Social Gathering at the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center Wednesday evening.
Drew’s Gift of Music and The Cheryl Lyn Welter Family Charitable Foundation will each receive a $750 grant, The Koontz Lake/Oregon-Township Volunteer Fire Department will be getting $1,500 and the Hope Restored Recovery Home will be awarded a grant of $2,000.
Each group had a chance to speak about their organization and discuss how the funding was going to assist their cause. The amount of grant funding was determined by how many votes the various organizations gathered from Hive members.
Representatives of the Hope Restored Recovery Home Steve Purtha and Megan Johnston talked about the need for accessible addiction treatment in the community.
Their grant money will be spent on construction supplies for the facility being built on Lane Street in North Judson. Their anticipated date of completion is
Koontz Lake/Oregon-Township Volunteer Fire Department Captain Kyle Hinds explained that a lot of the funding the department receives comes directly from fundraising and the firefighters themselves.
He said their money will go toward purchasing medical supplies as well as a new rescue saw.
Drew’s Gift of Music Founder Deb Johnson discussed how their charity was established in memory of her son, former Knox High School Drum Major Drew Shearin. She said they’ll be using their money to expand their reach in the community to get instruments in the hands of even more students.
She also emphasized a new program they started at Knox Schools called Music
Cheryl Lyn Welter Family Charitable Foundation Founder Harold Welter highlighted the giving spirit of his daughter who passed away in 2000.
He emphasized that in 2018 they were able to provide 17 grants that made a difference in the lives of teachers and students all across Starke County. The funding provided by the Hive will be used to continue
In addition to spotlighting those charitable organizations, some officials from the ladies giving circle spoke as well. SCCF Director of Development and Hive Founder Jessi Martinovic and Hive Chairwoman Andrea Cox started the event out by sharing a bit about the organization and past grant recipients.
Northern Indiana Community Foundation Associate Director Corinne Becknell Lucas also took to the podium.
Northern Indiana Community Foundation Associate Director Corinne Becknell Lucas, Hive Chairwoman Andrea Cox and SCCF Director of Development and Hive Founder Jessi Martinovic
She highlighted how a portion of the dues collected from the Hive members goes to fund the annual grants and how another part is set aside in an endowment fund.
She also shared a recent development that will bring more funds into The Hive to help fund future projects.
She explained, “We are pleased to announce that the Starke County Legacy of Women, a former giving circle of the Starke County Community Foundation, has agreed to move their endowment dollars into the Hive Giving Circle.”
A powerful presentation from ‘The Giving Gal’ Stephanie Jones was another element of the event. She spoke about the importance of giving and living a grateful life.
The Hive’s Social Gathering will be featured in a future Kankakee Valley Viewpoints Program. For pictures of Wednesday’s event, click below.
