Your Business

The 2nd annual Health & Human Services Coalition Social Service Summit was held today, December 10, 2010, at the Public Safety Academy of Northeast Indiana.  Kathleen Randolph, with WorkOne, kicked things off by welcoming all attendees and introduced Mayor Tom Henry.

Mayor Henry reported on outcomes from the first Social Service Summit and announced the launching of a new web site geared directly to nonprofits. The site brings everyone from non-profits, faith-based, government, and business sectors together to help people in need. The site is called ComeTogetherFW.com.              

Next, Dr. Michale Hicks, the keynote speaker, informed us on his view of the area economy and things possibly to come in the future.  His presentation touched on many areas including banking, manufacturing, housing and education.  He believes education of our youth should be our number one priority.

Katy Silliman then gave us an update on Vision 2020, and Mike Landram from the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce reported on new and innovative things happening in the Fort Wayne area.

After these speakers, three breakout sessions were planned.  Each breakout session had three-four offerings to choose from depending on which topic best fit your need. Pictured is Linda Buskirk of Accountable Solutions, Inc.  She spoke on “10 Traits of a Terrific Board Member” and the importance of a vital Board of Directors to help make an organization a success.

“Jophiel is fortunate to do business in a community that has supported it for over fifteen years,” explained Julie Eckert Clancy, owner of Jophiel, a fine women’s clothier. “Because of the continued support of our clients, we are able to assist others in our community.”

This fall, Jophiel focused its philanthropic support on education, with the desire to contribute to educational programs and nonprofit organizations whose mission supports education in the Fort Wayne community and the surrounding area. A call for submissions went out in September, with Jophiel committing to contribute up to five thousand dollars to the winning recipients.

On Wednesday, December 15th at 1:00 pm, the four recipients will be announced at Jophiel, 6420 West Jefferson Blvd. in Covington Plaza. Said Clancy, “Jophiel is excited to be able to show our support for wonderful educational programs and initiatives in our community.” A similar philanthropic support for the arts is planned for the spring.

Almost 50 women stopped by for some “warm and cozy” on Tuesday at the home of A Party Apart’s Cheryl Brockmann, and countless others dropped off donations in all forms — all to help support the Fort Wayne Sexual Assault Treatment Center. If you haven’t toured this center or met these wonderful women, it should be your New Year’s resolution to do so. Incredible resource providing incredible care, education, research and support. Learn more at ftwsatc.com and help others become more aware of what the Treatment Center can provide.

The Fort Wayne Museum of Art will once again hold its 2011 Gala at its newly expanded facility.

For More Information: Michelle Gray, 260-422-6467, x-338 or gray@fwmoa.org

 

YLNI, Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana, will host their 6th Annual Masquerade Ball on December 31, 2010 from 9:00pm- 2:00am at Downtown Fort Wayne’s Parkview Field.

* Must be 21 or over
* Masks required – prize awarded for best mask
* Black-tie optional
* Everyone will receive vouchers to play casino games
* Purchase tickets through the www.ylni.org Store

The employees of Walmart at Southtown Crossing in Fort Wayne presented Francine’s Friends with a check for $1,000.

The employees took time out of their day preparing the store for the Thanksgiving holiday to present the check as a proud group.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals Northeast Indiana Chapter hosted the 7th Annual National Philanthropy Day Outstanding Philanthropists Awards Breakfast on Wednesday, November 17th at Ceruti’s. The awards breakfast recognized those individuals and organizations in our community whose generous gifts of time, expertise, and resources have made Northeast Indiana a better place to live.

Four awards for Outstanding Philanthropy were presented:

Jean Vrabel (LFG), Taylor Reuille, Madeleine Baker, Jerry D. Fox

• Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy – Taylor Reuille, who at the age of 11 started on a quest to bring a Boundless Playground to the Fort Wayne community so children of all abilities and disabilities would have a place to play together. Three years after her quest began, Taylor and Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation broke ground on the first Boundless Playground in Indiana. Because of one young girl’s vision and dedication the playground will open on Memorial Day, 2011.

• Outstanding Philanthropist – Jerry D. Fox has been a force for good in sports- and youth-oriented nonprofits for over 25 years. As a result of his philanthropic leadership and fundraising activities, Fort Wayne has seen the strengthening and diversification of the sports program at IPFW, the construction of the Memorial Baseball Stadium which brought minor league baseball to the city, and the establishment of the Lifetime Sports Academy.

• Outstanding Corporate Philanthropist – The Lincoln Financial Corp. has a long and rich history of supporting a range of programs and projects in the communities in which it is located. The company sets aside up to 2% of its pre-tax earnings to support charitable contributions. In 2009 the Lincoln Foundation donated $3,180,405 in the greater Fort Wayne area, giving to such causes as services for children and aging adults, healthcare, literacy training, childcare, prevention of abuse and violence, emergency shelters, transportation, music, theater, public television and radio, and education. Everyone who lives in Fort Wayne benefits from the philanthropic spirit of the Lincoln Financial Corporation.

• Outstanding Nonprofit Leader – Madeleine Baker became the Executive Director at Early Childhood Alliance in January, 2002, bringing nearly 20 years of experience to theposition. With solid management skills, Madeleine has advanced the mission of building better futures for young children through the many quality services EAC provides for children, families, and childcare providers. Because of Madeleine, the Board is more representative of the diversity in our community, a volunteer program was created to supplement the work of staff, a planned giving committee was created, and the organization moved into the 21st Century using technology to improve inter-agency communications, streamline reporting, strengthen financial management, and improve efficiencies. Madeleine also spearheaded the creation of two unique events—the annual themed tea party and a block-building competition called Plank-APalooza— which have raised awareness of ECA and are providing new financial support for the organization’s programs.

Kathy Callen, daughter of Richard Doermer

In addition to recognizing the Outstanding Philanthropists of 2010, the AFP Northeast Indiana Chapter and its sponsors recognized and honored the late Richard “Dick” Doermer for a lifetime of leadership in philanthropy.

Finally, the organization honored special Giving Hearts in our community—those volunteers, donors, board members, and employees who go that extra mile and are always willing to chair another committee, take on another project, or put in extra time to ensure the mission is accomplished.

This year’s Giving Heart honorees are:

American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana
Katherine MacAulay
Jo Milliken
Lynn Witt
Early Childhood Alliance
John Rogers
Suzanne Rogers
East Allen County Schools Educational Foundation
James Ball
Joyce Magner
Salvation Army
Ginny Thomas
Fort Wayne Children’s Choir
Nancy Swanson
Volunteer Center @ RSVP
Ron Costa
Larry Drook
Susie Pierce
Donald T. Thornton
Fort Wayne Center for Learning
Jennifer Jo Brown
Turnstone Center for Children and Adults with Disabilities
Art Litton
Marcia Litton
YWCA of Northeast Indiana
Tonya Wine

The keynote speaker at the breakfast was former State Representative Matt Bell.

Hope Huber and Troy Baeten

Even though there is a panel of three judges– their scores mean nothing. What does matter is buying votes, and the votes (donations) are in for the 2010 Dancing with the Fort Wayne Stars.  Hope Huber and her dance partner Troy Baeten, owner of the Fort Wayne Arthur Murray School of Dancing, danced a flawless Samba which the crowd loved.  This, along with some hard work promoting their fundraising efforts for Carriage House and involvement with Dancing with the Fort Wayne Stars all helped to garner them the most votes (donations).

Emcees: Julie Eckert Clancy, Andy Wilson with Patsy Dumas-Chair

Actually, all the Dancers were winners raising money for the biggest winner of all, Carriage House, which has a singular mission of assisting people in recovering from mental illness and returning to the community.

“Celebrity Judges”: Jane Martin, Karl Peterson, Jay Leonard

Dave Dumas was the second largest vote getter/fundraiser and Connie Voderman came in third.  All the dancers worked hard learning and practicing their dance routine as well as marketing themselves to raise money on behalf of the Carriage House.  The 2010 list of dancers also included: Jerry Thompson, Aishah Hasnie, Katie Burns, Mark Carboni, Toni Thompson, John Peirce, and Brad Stinson.  If you missed this years Dancing with the Fort Wayne Stars, you will want to be sure not to miss next year’s event. Be sure to check back here for details on the 2011 event.  Click here for more photos.