A Northwest Indiana family is now one step closer to escaping the hardships of poverty thanks to Schneider’s generous $5,000 donation to United Way Northwest Indiana on Tuesday, June 25.
The money will go towards United Way Northwest Indiana’s Level Up Program, which is designed to help individuals across five counties gain the financial support they need to achieve both their personal and professional goals.
Through this program, members learn a variety of financial wellness and career skills with the support of a personal navigator (or mentor) to help them overcome obstacles they may encounter on their journey. Whether it's learning how to create a budget or finding childcare funds so parents can work knowing their children are in safe hands, the Level Up program is here to help in any capacity.
“Just the other day, we had a family struggling to provide diapers for their child, and they couldn't have them in childcare without an appropriate amount of diapers,” United Way Northwest Indiana President and CEO Adam O’Doherty said. “We're going to help them find the funds to eliminate that barrier. These are the kinds of challenges that, even if they're small, we can still help them find a way through our program.”
Learning these crucial skills and having access to these resources helps members “level up” in life, and upon graduation, have a world of opportunities at their fingertips. This includes advantageous job prospects that allow them to earn a higher salary and live comfortably with fewer financial burdens on their shoulders. Through donations such as Schneider’s, United Way Northwest Indiana can keep that momentum going to help Level Up participants reach that success.
“We're hoping to continuously work on creating more economic mobility for underemployed families in our Region, which is why we have the Level Up program,” O’Doherty said. “We also want to help adjust their needs, too, so if they're facing challenges getting hired or finding their talent, let's help them find that talent through our program and bring some of our clients to their trucking company.”
Tuesday’s donation also marked the start of a promising partnership between the two organizations, which became connected through United Way Northwest Indiana Regional Account Executive Shannon Buck. About 30% of Level Up graduates embark on a truck driving career after graduation, so this partnership will be a great resource for participants to network and find meaningful careers during and after completing the program.
“We're ecstatic because this is a new partnership between Schneider and United Way Northwest Indiana as an organization,” O’Doherty said. “We're hoping to continue this partnership and work together on addressing the challenges of our communities.”
Schneider is equally thrilled about joining forces with United Way Northwest Indiana and is proud to support an organization that helps people create a better future for themselves as well as the people around them.
As a responsible company, Schneider and our associates are dedicated to supporting the United Way Northwest Indiana in empowering the communities we call home," said Schneider Public Relations Manager Kara Leiterman.
As for now, Schneider’s contribution is already going a long way. Guiding people through the Level Up program can come with a hefty price tag, but Schneider has already made it possible for at least one local family to soon be in good financial standing. Every donation makes a difference, and both companies are eagerly looking ahead to help many more “level up” in Northwest Indiana.
“Every dollar counts to make this mission happen,” O’Doherty said. “For us, it literally takes about $5,000 to elevate just one family out of the cycle of poverty, but if you think about the return on investment, it’s so much greater than that. $5,000. This is where the impact happens and it doesn't take $5 million – any amount really does help.”
For more information on United Way Northwest Indiana and how the Level Up program is changing lives throughout the Region, please visit unitedwaynwi.org.
