“Thank you for the way you support women, families and children in Porter County,” said an emotional Debbie Lambert, Hilltop Neighbor House Executive Director, as she accepted a $45,000 Women’s Fund grant on behalf of Hilltop from Impact Porter County, a women’s giving circle associated with the Porter County Community Foundation. 
The grant award will help the nonprofit organization renovate the building known as “Walt’s Place” located at 554 Locust Street. “Walt is looking down right now and smiling,” said Lambert referring to the organization’s late founder Walt Reiner. “This was his vision.” Opening Walt’s Place will allow Hilltop to expand its afterschool and summer programs for all ages.
“Hilltop Neighborhood House was one of the three grant finalists vying this year for the Women’s Fund high-impact grant,” said Joanne Urschel, Impact Porter County grant committee chair. The other finalists, Visiting Nurse Association of Porter County and Parents as Teachers of Porter County, each received a $2,500 grant. Women’s Fund grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations in support of programs serving women and/or children in Porter County. “The needs are great and these organizations are doing so much with limited resources,” said Urschel.
In 2009, Impact Porter County awarded Porter County PACT a $40,000 grant to provide gender responsive programming for female offenders. KV Works was awarded a $30,000 grant in 2008 to expand training opportunities for women in Porter County.
Introduced in 2007, Impact Porter County is an active giving circle through the Porter County Community Foundation. Its mission is to empower women to dramatically improve their lives by collectively funding significant grants that make a lasting impact.
Each year women are invited to support the Impact Porter County mission with a contribution to the Women’s Fund. The goal is to raise $100,000 annually; half of which is given away each year in a high-impact grant to advance women in Porter County; half is endowed through the Women’s Fund at the Porter County Community Foundation to continue helping women forever. To learn more about Impact Porter County and to view Women’s Fund impact stories, visit online at www.portercountyfoundation.org or contact the Foundation at 219-465-0294.
PHOTO CAPTION: Hilltop Neighborhood House was recently awarded a $45,000 Women’s Fund grant from Impact Porter County, a women’s giving circle associated with the Porter County Community Foundation. (L-R) Joanne Urschel, Impact Porter County grant chair; Jan Jones, Hilltop youth coordinator; Debbie Lambert, Hilltop Executive Director; and Barb Young, Porter County Community Foundation President.