By John Gliot Executive Director and Alicia Stauffer

The Anthony Wayne Area Council Boy Scout fund was established in July 2007 by the volunteer executive board of the council to assure a long-term financial return on the council’s endowment assets while supporting the local community. The revenue received from this fund goes directly back to help recruit more youth in Noble County as well as help train volunteer leaders in the county. Although Anthony Wayne serves an eleven county area, this fund allows them to easily designate revenue directly to the youth of Noble County.

It is Anthony Wayne Area Council’s hope, that by having young people involved in the Scouting program, they will grow up to be more active and involved members of their community as adults. The national research shows this to be true. As adults that are more active in their community, they will be more likely to give back their time to organizations like Scouting and invest their resources in organizations like the community foundation.

By Vickie Truelove and Margarita White

The Adoption Assistance Fund was established in July of 2007, by an anonymous donor. The purpose of this fund is to provide financial assistance toward the cost of adoption for qualified families that are determined to be in need of such assistance, according to criteria and a selection process that are fair and impartial and established by Hand In Hand International.

Hand In Hand was founded in 1974 by a Christian missionary and staffed by adoptive parents which has always believed in and worked on behalf of the rights of each child in the world to have a mother and father who can love and care for them unconditionally whatever their background and wherever they are from. There has been an office of the agency in Albion, Indiana since 1996. The office is located in the lower level of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. They assist families from the time they begin to think about adoption, through the process of becoming approved as adoptive families, to the match of a child to their family and after the child has joined the family. Hand In Hand believes in the right of every child to have a family to love and care for them.

There are thousands of orphans in the US and other countries who pray every night that they will soon have a family. There are many families in Noble County who believe that they can be one of those families. However, the adoption process can be costly in order to meet all the necessary state, federal and foreign country requirements and to ensure that the families who adopt children are emotionally, financially and psychologically prepared to adopt and raise a child. Though the families who adopt are financially able to rear a child, this fund allows families to get some help in covering these preliminary costs involved in getting the children home. This benefits the community by showing how much Noble County cares about children without families and how open they are to embracing these new children into the community.

Adoptive families are generally not wealthy individuals as compared to others in the community. But they feel they have plenty of love, time and dedication to give to a child who has no one who will be there for him/her as they grow up and beyond. They are willing to become the parents to that child. And sometimes they just need a little financial help to make it happen. The goals of this fund are to make it slightly easier (financially) for a family with a desire, willingness, and ability to adopt a child to be able to complete such an adoption. From the Albion office we have assisted more than 600 children to find permanent adoptive homes.

In 1947, she married her high school sweetheart John, moved to Kendallville, Indiana, and went on to have three children—Debbie Fagas, Catherine (Fred) Kreigh, and Joseph (Theresa) Atz. Her children used to perform as a trio at Eastern Star events because Julia was involved in this group. Being proficient on the piano, Julia made sure that all of her children took piano lessons when they were growing up. Since their childhood, voice lessons and learning to play other instruments have been included in their repertoire. Music has also been passed down to Julia’s grandchildren—Jenna Atz and Dustin, Scott and Samuel Kreigh.

Julia’s husband owned and ran the Atz Furniture Store in Ligonier, Indiana.  He was involved in both the Ligonier and Kendallville communities. Some of his community involvement included being a member of both the Rotary Club and the Kendallville Masonic Lodge F&AM. He was on the Economic Development Steering Committee and was a member of the Noble County Fair Board. He helped with the Apple Festival and enjoyed driving his yellow convertible in community parades. His business also belonged to the Chamber of Commerce.

Julia was a true lady. She taught her daughters to be ladies and her son to be a gentleman. She got really excited when someone else talked about music and shared her same passion. Her goal was to be a good mother and raise a family, so she stayed at home while her children were young and substitute taught occasionally during that season of her life. Another goal she had in life was to be a good organist.

She loved dancing, including square dancing with friends and she also enjoyed the Arts. She was very passionate about music and in general was an enthusiastic lady. Classical music was one of her favorite styles of music, but she enjoyed many other styles as well. She was tenacious, perseverant, and a hard worker. One of her favorite Bible verses was Psalm 121:1 which reads:

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.”

Julia was a very social person, so getting involved in the community was something that came very natural to her. She was active in Eastern Star, Sigma Ata Musical Sorority, and was an active member, choir director, and organist at Trinity United Methodist Church. She was also the founder of the Noble County Concert Series and was president of the group for over 20 years.

Julia wanted to keep music alive for future generations. She wanted to keep it immediate; keep it personal; listen to as much live music as a person could; and go out and find music.

Criteria: Applicant may be a senior in college or a post graduate student pursuing a career in classical music performance or conducting. An applicant can re-apply and receive financial support in ensuing or subsequent years. Preference will be given to an applicant from Indiana. The successful applicant will have a college GPA of at least 3.0.

Art was a big part of Devan’s life as well. He liked drawing, painting, and sketching. When he became sick, he and his dad would sketch together. This created a good bonding time for both son and father. At the 2011 Relay for Life, two of Devan’s drawings were displayed during the art show. If Devan had made it to college, he would have gone into graphic design and been a creator of video games.

Devan liked going to his church, Trinity Assembly of God in Ligonier, and even when he did not feel well, he still wanted to go. He also liked when people would read the Bible to him. Margarita, Devan’s stepmom, would read to him throughout the night and it would calm him

down. Mike remembers his son being sick and how bad it was, but he also remembers the faithfulness of God. Devan accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior.

Mike says, “I look at it this way; we don’t know when our time is coming to an end and we just have to be ready, Devan was ready. He was saved. When you get sick like that you can either get mad at God or you can embrace God. Devan embraced God.”

Mike cherishes all of the memories of Devan that he had with him. One of his favorites was being able to hunt with him. Devan wanted to go deer hunting, so he and his dad found a hunting class, which both of them passed, and went hunting the next weekend. Although they did not get a deer that weekend what they did get was just a valuable as they were able to spend the day together. Mike says he and Devan were almost inseparable the last part of his life. The entire family was able to share some good memories with Devan.

Mike is a cancer survivor as well, so he was able to relate with his son more than most. Mike remembers Devan wanted his opinion on everything that the doctors told him. Mike was in prayer about all of the decisions he had to make about Devan’s condition. Mike says, “I feel like I was directed with all of the decisions that I made. God was in control and it was out of my hands.”

“The community here was great,” Mike said in his interview. “Once they knew how bad Devan was, they had a benefit for him to raise money for doctor’s bills.” Mike said the community would show up at the family’s home with food, money, gifts or just visit with the family and tell Devan that they were praying for him. Mike and Margarita were overwhelmed by the blessings of the community.

After Devan’s last trip to the hospital he shared with his father that he was scared. He wasn’t scared of leaving this world but that when he did leave that he would not be remembered. Mike and Margarita did not want that to happen and knew that one way they could assure Devan’s memory would live on after he was gone would be to create a named scholarship fund. In January of 2011, the White’s established the Devan Christopher White Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Noble County Community Foundation so that Devan’s memory would live on forever. The scholarship criteria for this scholarship was selected to honor and celebrate many aspects of who Devan was … his character, passions, talents and to recognize students who share the same attributes

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.” -Psalm 1:1-3

Criteria: For a West Noble High school senior who is planning to attend a technical school or a 2-4 year college or university and pursuing a certificate of degree in Applied Science for Technology such as software engineering, programming, systems analyst, web development, network administrator or a degree in information technology or Computer Graphics Technology such as computer animation, virtual product integration, or construction graphics. Applicants must have a GPA between 2.5 – 3.5. A one-time $1,000 scholarship for the fall of 2013. FOR TUITION ONLY

The Noble County Community Foundation, Inc. and its supporting organization Community Initiatives, Inc. recently awarded LEAP of Noble County’s New DAWN ENL Program a grant of $4,712 to assist with the cost of purchasing 8 computers for the Ligonier ENL program.  LEAP offers adult ENL (English as a New Language) classes and EL Civics classes each Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 pm-8:30 pm at the Education Center in Ligonier, IN.  The Education Center is located right by West Noble Primary School at 500 W. Union St., Ligonier, IN 46767.  Childcare is provided at no cost.  Adults may register for classes any Tuesday or Thursday at the Education Center.  All classes require a $20 annual registration fee.  For more information, please call Julia Gibbons, New DAWN Adult Ed. Coordinator, at 260-894-3830.  Pictured accepting the gift is New DAWN Staff Angie Roth, Julia Shepherd Gibbons, Noble County Community Foundation board member Jolene Durham, Martha Hedges, Magda Smith, and Kaitlin Hedges.

The Noble County Community Foundation, Inc. and its supporting organization Community Initiatives, Inc. recently awarded Mad Anthonys Children’s Hope House a grant of $1,605 to assist with the cost of providing Hope House services to Noble County families.  Hope House is temporary housing for families whose child is receiving medical care at any Fort Wayne hospital.  The Hope House provides temporary, minimal-cost lodging to the families along with food, comfort, hope, and emotional support.  Pictured is Noble County Community Foundation board member Josh Munson and accepting the gift is Cindy Atkinson Hope House Executive Director.

The Noble County Community Foundation, Inc. and its supporting organization Community Initiatives, Inc. recently awarded Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry a grant of $2,500 to assist with the cost processing donated large game and livestock.  The meat will then be donated to Noble County ministries/food pantries so they may distribute to needy families.  Pictured is Linda Speakman Yerick NCCF Executive Director and accepting the gift is Debra Treesh Director of Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry. 

Robert and Darlene Black Charitable Fund, held at the Noble County Community Foundation, was established for the purposes of providing funds annually for charitable organizations exclusively in and around the Kendallville community.  Pictured are the recipients of this charitable gift Kari Roberts and Ivory representing the Humane Shelter of Noble County and Dr. Doug Jansen board member of the Noble County Community Foundation presenting the gift of $2,146.66.

For more information, please contact the foundation.

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