Family Advocates

06/05/2026

Earlier this week, Family Advocates staff and volunteers gathered for another wonderful Gather & Grow session!

We were honored to welcome Stacey Gaecelon-Williams, LMHC,the executive director of Anam Cara Counseling. She shared the importance of supporting youth mental health, inforamtion on trauma-informed counseling and regualtion in healing. Her presentation provided insight, resources, and meaningful conversation.

Thank you, Stacey, for taking the time to share your knowledge and passion with our team!

Gather & Grow is our bi-monthly continuing education and connection opportunity for Family Advocates staff and volunteers. We meet on the first Tuesday every other month to learn from community experts, strengthen our skills, and grow together in our mission of serving children and families.

We look forward to seeing everyone at our next Gather & Grow session!

06/04/2026

A huge thank you to the talented students in the Building Trades program at La Porte High School for their hard work updating and reinstalling the Family Advocates sign at our new location!

The students reworked our existing sign to feature our current logo and gave it a fresh new look. We are so grateful for the time, skill, and dedication they put into this project. The sign looks fantastic and is a wonderful addition to our new home.

06/03/2026

📣 Attention Parents of All Incoming 5th Graders Headed to Kesling! 📣

Jumpstart to Kesling is designed just for your child! This exciting program is open to all incoming 5th grade students and is led by Sarah Novak, LMHC.

Jumpstart to Kesling helps students build confidence, make connections, and feel prepared for the transition to intermediate school before the first day of school.

Please see the flyers below for program dates and times at:
🏫 Kingsford Heights Elementary
🏫 Handley Elementary

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Please share this post and tag families with incoming 5th graders who could benefit from this opportunity! Together, we can help students start their Kesling journey with confidence.

Health Foundation of La Porte
La Porte Community School Corporation

06/02/2026

Our Slicer Champions enjoyed the beautiful weather at their end of the year celebration at La Porte High School. We are so grateful for their dedication and look forward to welcoming them back in the fall!

05/29/2026

Earlier this week, our mentors and mentees gathered at Kesling for an end-of-the-year celebration filled with fun, laughter, and time together before summer break!

Students and mentors enjoyed wiffle ball, football, basketball, and the opportunity to spend some extra time building the relationships that have grown throughout the school year.

We cannot thank our mentors enough for making time for their mentees week after week. The connections they’ve built are meaningful, strong, and lasting and we are certain the students already cannot wait to see them again when school starts back up in the fall.

Thank you to all of our mentors for investing in the youth of our community!

05/28/2026

🎹 SAVE THE DATE 🎹

Join us on August 8, 2026, at The Lodge at Rush Lakes for an unforgettable evening... Dueling for a Cause - where music meets mission!

An exciting night of music, community, and impact all supporting the programs and services of Family Advocates.

Dueling pianos, paddle raise, food & drink!

More details, ticket information, and sponsorship opportunities coming soon!

05/24/2026

A strong community stands together! 🩵💙

📣 LA PORTE COUNTY: Let’s show up BIG on Wednesday! 📣

Wear BLUE this Wednesday, 5-27-2026, to stand with Deputy Jon Samuelson, his family, the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office, 911 dispatchers, first responders, and the entire Franciscan Health Michigan City team. 💙

Schools, businesses, organizations, and families across La Porte County are coming together to show support and solidarity. Post your blue, tag your friends, your school, your workplace, and use so we can flood social media with support from every corner of our community.

Strong communities do not stand by. They stand together. 💪

05/23/2026

This morning we hosted a booth at Michigan City Farmed & Forged Market. We had a coloring station and a community board where people could write what they felt all children deserve. Watching children write the words from their heart put smiles on our faces! We enjoyed connecting with so many people today in Michigan City and spreading the word about CASA, mentoring and Family advocates!

05/22/2026

🌟 Mentor Spotlight: Meet Mark 🌟

“To me, being a mentor means being someone others can look up to in life.”

Mark enjoys mentoring because he sees so much joy, potential, and happiness in the students he works with. He believes what truly makes a difference in a child’s life is simply being there and giving them someone they can talk to about their future, goals, struggles, and dreams.

Mar shared that mentoring with our Wolf Pack Leaders program not only impacts the child, but also changes the mentor’s life in meaningful ways. By showing up consistently, listening, and offering support, mentors help young people learn, grow, and build important life skills.

He especially encourages more men to become mentors and positive role models for youth in our community.

“Sometimes the smallest encouragement can make the biggest difference in a child’s future.”

Thank you, Mark, for investing your time, heart, and encouragement into the lives of local students!

05/21/2026

Enjoy some photos of just a few of our amazing mentors and mentees from the 2025–2026 school year!

We had another successful year in both La Porte Community School Corporation and Michigan City Area Schools through our Slicer Champions and Wolf Pack Leaders mentoring programs. Throughout the year, mentors showed up consistently to encourage, support, and build meaningful relationships with students in our community.

This program would not be possible without the support of our incredible community partners, including Health Foundation of La Porte, Geminus, and MCCEC.

We are so incredibly grateful to every mentor, school partner, supporter, and community member who helps this program thrive year after year. Thank you for investing in the youth of our community!