William Jewell lived a quiet, unassuming life. He’s about to change thousands of lives for the better.
Jewell, who died in July 2021, just two months shy of his 100th birthday, left a staggering $12.5 million bequest to the Porter County Community Foundation, the largest gift in that nonprofit’s 27-year history.
Porter County Farmers are invited to attend the Gift of Grain Chili Day at the Co-Alliance Elevator in Malden on Friday, October 19, 2018 from 10 AM – 2 PM.
Gift of Grain Committee Members (left to right) Tim Stoner, Brad Metzger, Jane Maxwell, and Joe Cannon.
A free homemade chili lunch and sweets will be served. Information about how farmers can support our community through the Gift of Grain program will also be available.
The Gift of Grain program was started in 2017 as a way for local farmers to use grain to help families in Porter County start saving for their kids’ college education. The program supports Promise Porter County, an initiative that helps families with first grade students invest in a CollegeChoice 529 savings account.
Gift of Grain is also investing in a permanently endowed fund. The Agricultural Community Initiative Fund, at the Porter County Community Foundation, will help ensure there will be resources available to meet future needs in our community.
Gift of Grain committee member and Porter County farmer, Tim Stoner, says “This program is unique in that it has a double benefit; it allows us to support Promise Porter County today and build an endowment to contribute to future projects as they develop.”
While chili will be available on October 19, gifts of grain can be made anytime. This is an ongoing project that encourages farmers to participate at the time of year that is best for them.
“The partnership between local farmers and the Porter County Community Foundation is really special,” said Foundation President & CEO, Bill Higbie. “It’s a great example of how investing today grows tomorrow.”
A gift of grain can be an easy, tax-efficient way to support local causes in our community. For more information about the Gift of Grain program, visit www.pccf.gives/giftofgrain.
In the event of rain, the Gift of Grain Chili Day will be on Friday, October 26.
College may seem far away to first graders and their families, but this fall, Porter County will bring post-secondary education and careers front of mind through a collaborative effort called “The Promise.” The program makes educational savings a reality by helping families start a CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings account through their school, seeding the account with an initial investment from a local sponsor, and engaging the community to match deposits that the students, families, and champions all contribute to the account. Porter County is honored to be one of four new communities to launch the Promise program, with the support of Promise Indiana and the Indiana Education Savings Authority. Bob Wanek, CEO of the Valparaiso Family YMCA, and Bill Higbie, CEO of the Porter County Community Foundation, have led the local effort to bring “The Promise” to Porter County.
During school registration, The Promise helps families take that first step to start saving, while also integrating college and career discovery activities in the classroom. Pilot counties select a cohort of students to participate, based on community size. The Promise Porter County Steering Committee consisting of local partners including school districts, the community foundation, local businesses and government, economic development groups, and nonprofits, has selected all first graders in the seven county school corporations for the launch. The generous support of Urschel Laboratories will make it possible for every first grade student to begin the school year with their own college savings account. There will also be an opportunity for those enrolled to invite champions—friends, family members, neighbors, coaches, and teachers—to invest in their college savings accounts. A coalition of local partners, including 1st Source Bank, Stewart and Kathryn McMillan, Thorgren Tool and Molding, Porter Health Care System, and the Porter County Community Foundation, will provide a matching deposit to the student’s college savings account during a prescribed period of time.
Youth in the program not only build assets for post-secondary education and learn about college and careers, but they also visit a college campus for a day of interactive learning and dynamic hands-on experiences called “Walk Into My Future.” Valparaiso University will host the event this fall, with college students and faculty leading campus tours and activity stations for elementary-aged youth.
Research from the Center on Assets, Education, and Inclusion at the University of Kansas shows that youth with a college savings account in their name are between three and four and half times more likely to go to college than those without an account. CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings accounts can be used at any eligible institution—2-year community colleges, 4-year colleges and universities, even trade and technical schools.
"It was evident that the team from Porter County had the drive and partnerships to make this a success for the students and families in their community,” said Phil Maurizi, VP of Operations for Promise Indiana. “We look forward to working with all the collaborators to achieve absolute success in their first year, but also to making the Promise program better and stronger with their innovation. Their work will impact not only local youth, but communities around the state of Indiana.”
To date, over 10,000 youth around the state have started a CollegeChoice 529 direct savings account through the Promise program. To learn more visit www.PromiseIndiana.org. To get involved with Promise Porter County, contact Julie Giorgi at jgiorgi@valpoymca.org or 219-462-4185 ext. 267.
