10/14/2026
We had a pretty full house at the Spohn Ballroom last night! Nearly 100 Lacasa supporters joined us for our annual Donor Celebration, and it was a great evening to catch up, share a few stories and say thank you.
After a welcome from Board President Alison Romero, Ashley Bowen, VP Financial Empowerment, talked about how the support we receive helps turn small ideas into big returns. Sometimes that's a financial education class that changes how someone manages their money. Other times, it's a volunteer who brings a skill or connection we wouldn't otherwise have.
Ashley recognized several of those volunteers, including Karl, Maria, Larry and Maija. Between them, they're helping with grants, teaching classes, reconnecting with past participants and working toward providing housing counseling. They give us something just as valuable as financial support: their time and knowledge.
And speaking of Karl Birky, he wears quite a few hats around here! He's a donor, teaches our Investing 101 class and happens to be a talented woodturner. He also connected us with the Michiana Woodturners Association, which helped make the handcrafted wooden bowls our guests received. A pretty special gift, with a lot of people behind it.
And our President/CEO, Jeremy Stutsman, wrapped up the evening by talking about ROOTS, our theme for 2026. Lacasa has been around for more than 50 years, and we've been fortunate to have people and organizations supporting us throughout that time. As the cost of developing housing continues to rise, having those strong roots is especially important.
Of course, an evening like this takes a few extra hands, and we have plenty of people to thank!
Thank you to our sponsors, Dana Miller Building Solutions, Stutsman Dentistry, and Maija and Jeremy Stutsman and family.
To the Michiana Woodturners, Floyd Miller and Dean Christener of Goshen, thank you for the time and craftsmanship that went into the bowls. And thank you to Viewrail for donating the wood!
We also appreciate Rafael Chávez Moreno for handling the sound equipment and sharing his expertise, The Electric Brew for the delicious catering, the Spohn Ballroom for hosting us, and Naomi Miller Zook for keeping everyone refreshed behind the bar.
And to everyone who joined us last night, thank you for spending your evening with us. We enjoyed seeing familiar faces, meeting some new ones.
