United Way of Whitley & Kosciusko Counties

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United Way of Whitley & Kosciusko Counties Children Succeed When Adults Care. We Can Do More Together. Our mission is uniting our community to create positive change.

United Way focuses on creating lasting change in Education, Income, and Health.

“United, we can inspire hope and create opportunities for a better tomorrow.”

Snow at recess is the best!!! But kids without snow pants and boots don’t get to be part of it. They’re out on the pavem...
10/19/2026

Snow at recess is the best!!! But kids without snow pants and boots don’t get to be part of it. They’re out on the pavement, watching everybody else play.

That’s why so many of our schools put snow pants and boots on their Winter Warmth lists. They’ll help at home too, but they’re a big part of the school day.

Kacey and Sara are already picking up packages from people buying off those lists. Thank you!!

Buy for your favorite school: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15vqw9p3GwLwTbpYR6um_GyT8VBvJweC9cfnCeWaKMbA/edit?usp=sharing

Or give and we’ll do the shopping: https://uwwhitleykosciusko.donorsupport.co/page/WinterWarmth2026

Boxes are starting to show up!!! Every school's Winter Warmth list has a little bit of everything, but each one has a bi...
10/16/2026

Boxes are starting to show up!!! Every school's Winter Warmth list has a little bit of everything, but each one has a biggest need. For example:

Syracuse Elementary needs 48 pairs of snow boots.
Lincoln needs 30 coats.
Pierceton needs 45 pairs of snow pants.

29 schools across both counties have a list. Tell me your school in the comments and I'll send you the link!

Or find every school here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15vqw9p3GwLwTbpYR6um_GyT8VBvJweC9cfnCeWaKMbA/edit?usp=sharing

We heard the student leadership program and the advisory program at Eagle Tech Academy both run through the same science...
10/15/2026

We heard the student leadership program and the advisory program at Eagle Tech Academy both run through the same science teacher, and we felt that was award worthy!!

Cory Winger leads both, and she mentors other teachers too. Her school describes her as a trusted adult for students and somebody her colleagues go to when they need to think something through. One line from her nomination stuck with me: day in and day out, she does what needs to be done, no matter what.

Cory is our Schools United Excellence Award winner at Columbia City High School. Proud of you, Cory.

This is excellence in action. At Columbia City High School's Innovation Academy, special education teacher Emma Garrett ...
10/15/2026

This is excellence in action. At Columbia City High School's Innovation Academy, special education teacher Emma Garrett gets to know each of her students as their own person, and then goes to work on whatever is standing between them and learning.

She works side by side with the other teachers so her students can be part of what's happening in class. Her colleagues say she's the one who steps in and does whatever needs done, for students and for staff.

Sara got to give her our Schools United Excellence Award. Way to go, Emma!!

We found out elementary schools in Whitley County needed new benches and picnic tables, and that the Civil and Construct...
10/14/2026

We found out elementary schools in Whitley County needed new benches and picnic tables, and that the Civil and Construction Trades class at Columbia City High School needed a meaningful project. So guess what happened?

Sara, our Whitley County Schools United Coordinator, made the connections to get it going. From there we got to help coordinate and cover materials, and a wonderful partnership has formed.

This fall, those students are building picnic tables, benches, and a coat rack for elementary schools across the county. We'll be sharing pictures as each piece gets delivered and installed. Watch this space for updates!!

Love well, serve well, Barry

We heard Dr. Jason Martin has been taking his science classes at Churubusco Jr/Sr High to the town park most days, and w...
10/13/2026

We heard Dr. Jason Martin has been taking his science classes at Churubusco Jr/Sr High to the town park most days, and we felt that was award worthy!!

He built brand new upper-level courses in environmental science and natural resources this year, for students who want to keep going in science after graduation, and he put a whole lot of his own time into getting them ready. Out at the park, his students learn it with the real thing in front of them, and they're excited about it.

His school nominated him for our Schools United Excellence Award, and Sara and Ashley got to present it to him.

Awesome job, Dr. Martin!!!

Congrats to Mrs. Cora Emenhiser, our Schools United Excellence Award winner at Churubusco Elementary!Mrs. Emenhiser teac...
10/13/2026

Congrats to Mrs. Cora Emenhiser, our Schools United Excellence Award winner at Churubusco Elementary!

Mrs. Emenhiser teaches 1st grade, and this year she's also mentoring new teachers, helping returning ones, and hosting a student teacher in her classroom. Her school says she expects a lot from her first graders and then gives them the help to get there, with a positive attitude that doesn't budge.

Their motto is "Great things happen here," and they told us she's the proof.

Well deserved, Cora!

A warm coat or a good pair of boots means a kid can walk to school, wait for the bus, and play in the snow at recess wit...
10/08/2026

A warm coat or a good pair of boots means a kid can walk to school, wait for the bus, and play in the snow at recess without being cold. That's a great day. But not every kid has those.

Winter Warmth, United Way's winter clothing drive, is helping kids in Whitley and Kosciusko Counties get proper winter gear.

We asked every school what they need and built each one its own wishlist, because we didn't want to hand a school a pile of boots when what they really needed was coats.

Pick your favorite school and buy from their list, we'll get it to them: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15vqw9p3GwLwTbpYR6um_GyT8VBvJweC9cfnCeWaKMbA/edit?usp=sharing

Can't shop the lists? Give here and we'll buy what's still needed: https://uwwhitleykosciusko.donorsupport.co/page/WinterWarmth2026

Every parent wants their kid in a classroom where they feel loved, valued, and encouraged.Mindy Gawthrop's classroom is ...
10/06/2026

Every parent wants their kid in a classroom where they feel loved, valued, and encouraged.

Mindy Gawthrop's classroom is just like that.

Mindy teaches 3rd grade at Northern Heights Elementary, and this morning she received our Schools United Excellence Award!!!

Her school told us her classroom is a calm, encouraging place where kids hear about what they're good at while they work on the hard stuff. And after more than 25 years of teaching, she's still asking how she can do it better.

This fall she dug into her reading assessments so she knows right where each of her students is at and how to help them. The other teachers lean on her too. She shares what she knows and steps in whenever somebody needs a hand.

Awesome job, Mindy!!!

Address

119 E. Center Street, Suite A5
Warsaw, IN
46580

Telephone

+15742692592

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