Cole Loan Repayment Award Winners Named

Noble County Community Foundation Announces:

Selected recently to receive the Olive B. Cole Foundation Loan Repayment Awards for 2012 are:

Elizabeth Atz of Kendallville, IN; Atz is a graduate of Indiana Wesleyan; Elizabeth is currently working as an English teacher at East Noble High School in Kendallville, IN.

Brent O’Brien of Avilla, IN; O’Brien is a graduate of Purdue University; Brent is currently working as a Software Engineer at ITT Exceliss in Fort Wayne, IN. 

Matthew Bennett of Albion, IN; Bennett is a graduate of Purdue; Matthew is currently working as an 8^th grade Social Studies teacher at East Noble Middle School in Kendallville, IN.

Holly Fairchild of Fort Wayne, IN; Fairchild is a graduate of St. Francis University; Holly is currently working as an RN with Fort Wayne Acute Services in Fort Wayne, IN.

Taylor Tribolet of Kendallville, IN; Tribolet is a graduate of Ball State University; Taylor is currently working as a 3^rd grade teacher at Fort Wayne Community Schools in Fort Wayne, IN.

Each will receive $3,000 toward payment of student loans incurred while attaining college and, if they continue to work in northeast Indiana, the winners will receive $3,000 each year for four years for a total of $12,000.

Eligible to apply for the competitive award were recent college graduates, who were on Cole Scholarships while pursuing their degrees, and work in Northeast Indiana (defined as Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Kosciusko, Noble, Steuben, Wells, and Whitley counties) and have college debts of $6,000 or more.

The awards are administered  by the Noble County Community Foundation and in the selection process a committee of foundation volunteer judges considered applicants’ academic achievements, letters of recommendation from their employers, the extents of their community involvement and written descriptions of future career goals and why each thought he or she should receive the award.

The Noble County Community Foundation appreciates the educational opportunities that the Olive B. Cole Foundation continues to support.  By providing these scholarships for our local youth that are working and trying to pay off college loans certainly has demonstrated the forward thinking of the Olive B. Cole Foundation Board of Directors.

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Giver of Gifts Volunteer Recognition Event
Another great group of volunteers that help so many non-profits in our county were honored. From front row: Jeff Boyle, John Kessen, Cheri Kessen, Pat Rauh, Richard Gerber, Keith Grimm, Thomas Pfaffenberger, Nancy Peterson, Kathy Gray, Wendy Gensch, Renee Runkle and Joe Pegan. Honored but not pictured Dr. Thomas Hayhurst.

A big thank you to all of you that do make a world of difference!

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PULSE of Noble County the youth philanthropy group of the Noble County Community Foundation held its annual Noble County Turkey Trot on Saturday November 17th at the Kendallville Public Library. The funds raised from the Turkey Trot will s

upport the PULSE Endowment in memory of Dave Knopp scholarship. PULSE awards three $500 scholarships as one-time payments to a high school senior currently enrolled in East Noble, Central Noble, and West Noble who has shown strong community involvement, has been active in various volunteer committees, and has participated in any school-sponsored sports all four years of high school.

PULSE members would like to thank the Turkey Trot sponsors: Egolf Forestry Management, Ligonier Public Library, Dutch Acres Farm, Wechter Family, Albion New ERA, Campbell & Fetter Bank, Black & Ramer Insurance, Larry E. Baker Family, Friends of Dave Knopp, John & Linda Yerick Family, Charles & Marta Wysong Family, Daniel & Melinda Stump, Burnworth-Zollars Ford-Chevrolet Inc., Brown & Sons Fuel Co., Inc., XY Tool & Die Inc., Superior Sample Co., Inc., Lloyd Ness Family, Heffner Excavating, Inc., Diehm Construction, Inc., Hite Funeral Home, Kenneth W. Arnt, DDS, Dekko Investment Services, Dr. Robert & Lura Stone, Caitlyn Marie Halferty Scholarship Fund, John H. Schwarz II Attorney at Law, Michael K. Cunningham, ABC Embroidery, Inc., State Farm – Don Gura, and Kimmell House Inn

PULSE of Noble County is a philanthropic organization made up of eighth graders through seniors and some home schooled students too. These students are empowered to lead, serve, and provide grants to their communities.

Pictured are Noble County Turkey Trot winners. The overall winner and male winner was Brian Shepherd with a time of 17:33 and the female winner was Kirstin Hegelein with a time of 20:39.

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Woodward W. (Woody) & Lucy B. Weeks Memorial Fund, held at the Noble County Community Foundation recently awarded $2,102 to Noble House Ministries, Inc. to support its works in Noble County.  This fund was established in 1997 to help support Noble House Ministries, which has three facilities: Noble House, Pilot House and Val’s House.  The shelters are dedicated to the care and recovery of Noble County’s homeless, abused, and those struggling with addictions.  For more information on Noble House Ministries visit noblehouseministriesinc.com.

Pictured are Noble House Ministries Executive Director Deborah Pfaffenberger and Noble County Community Foundation Executive Director Linda Yerick.

The Noble County Community Foundation, Inc. and its supporting organization Community Initiatives, Inc. recently awarded Children First Center a grant of $1,000 to support the cost of updating their computer systems.  Funds would be used to purchase computers, monitors, internet services, storage, and scanner.  Children First Center is a comprehensive agency, offering a full array of in-home services to children and their families in northeast Indiana.  For more information about the Children First Center please call 800-824-2698 or visit their website at www.childrenfirstcenter.org.

Pictured are Children First Center executive director Pat Zakula and Community Initiatives board member Jeanna Hagen.