In the spirit of the season of giving, United Way Northwest Indiana brought together local business leaders and community members for its first friendraiser on Tuesday, November 28. The event was hosted at Journeyman Distillery’s American Factory with refreshments and music. This was Journeyman Distillery’s first nonprofit event at its new Valparaiso location.
The event showcased how United Way Northwest Indiana is working to scale its impact in the community for the better.
“Our direction has greatly changed in the last two years,” said Adam O’Doherty, President and CEO of United Way Northwest Indiana. “We're not your parents' United Way anymore. We're taking a whole new direction on the way we scale our impact and we've invited people in to learn about that change.”
The friendraiser event was about partnerships and how United Way Northwest Indiana can truly help move the Region forward.
“This is a friendraiser event in order to make sure more people know about our mission,” said Heather Ennis, board chair for United Way Northwest Indiana. "What we're doing and the opportunities to move the Region forward through the amazing work of our Level Up program.”
The Level Up program was a big focal point of this event. The program is designed for working, low-income residents that are just above the poverty line and struggling to make ends meet. The goal is to improve their circumstances through financial education, social-emotion support and help them to obtain better jobs with sustainable wages.
“We provide one-on-one support to client with the aid of our navigators. Their job is to inspire hope and guide clients on their journey,” said O’Doherty. “If someone comes in, doesn't have any idea what they want to do, then we help them dream.”
Both Ennis and O'Doherty delivered remarks, and among those who spoke was Tamera Jones, a Level Up client. Jones told about how the Level Up program has positively impacted her life.
“Through this program, I was assigned a navigator by the name of Suzanne. She has been a godsend to me by providing moral support and access to resources,” said Jones. “She's allowed me to have a better outlook on life. This program has provided me with resources to cover childcare costs for my three children and given me the opportunity to become a CPR instructor.”
Jones has just started her journey through the Level Up program. The program takes 12 to 24 months to complete and program graduates on average earn an additional $20,000 annually.
Hearing stories like Jones’, it’s not hard to see why hundreds of people came out Tuesday night to support United Way Northwest Indiana.
“I want to thank everyone who came out tonight with a special thanks to Journeyman,” said O’Doherty. “We're experimenting together, and they've been awesome to communicate and work with. They really have helped support us to make this event possible.”
To learn more and donate to United Way Northwest Indiana please visit their website at https://unitedwaynwi.org/.
