May 30—Foundation hosting nonprofit meeting

LAGRANGE — LaGrange Partners, the nonprofit interagency meeting coordinated by the LaGrange County Community Foundation, will meet June 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Garage Community Center, 111 W. Lafayette St., LaGrange.

LaGrange Partners consists of local and regional nonprofits that meet bi-monthly to discuss social service topics and exchange information about each organization. All nonprofit staff, board members, volunteers and interested community members are welcome to join the interagency meeting.

A representative of Crossroads United Way serving Elkhart, LaGrange & Noble Counties will be the featured speaker at the June meeting. Crossroads will discuss the current ALICE data for LaGrange County, and share about their programs, Read United and Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

ALICE, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, represents the increasing number of individuals and families who work, but are unable to meet their basic needs, including food, childcare, housing, health care and transportation.

Previous Partner topics have included diversity, homelessness, food insecurity, youth needs, and mental health. During the roundtable segment, each organization can share news about their current projects, programs and resources for services.

LaGrange Partners is free to attend. Lunch is available for purchase at registration. To register, visit Lccf.net/LaGrangePartners. The last day to register for the June meeting is June 7.

Tickets to be sold for screening of documentary on Lincoln Highway

ELKHART — The public is invited to join the Lincoln Highway Association on June 26 from 12:30-4:30 p.m. for a documentary screening on the Lincoln Highway at the Lerner Theater in downtown Elkhart.

The screening is of the pre-release cut of a new documentary film, “After Ike: On the Trail of the Century-Old Journey That Changed America.”

The program includes:

12:30-1:10 p.m. — Guided tour of The Lerner Theater

1:20-2:30 p.m. — Presentation of the new documentary in the Crystal Ballroom at The Lerner

2:30-3:45 p.m. — Meet the creator, production team, and cast members to field questions /comments on the production;

Follow the e-bike experiences of the man who followed the 1919 Lincoln Highway across the U.S. to create the documentary;

3:45-4:15 p.m. — Presentation of a convenient and fun alternative to GPS; an app for your cell phone called what3words

The cost is $25 per person for this portion of the conference only.

Checks should be made payable to Indiana Lincoln Highway Association and sent along with your name(s) to INLHA, 15493 State Road 23, Granger, IN 46530; or pay online at www.indianlinlincolnhighweay.org via PayPal or Credit Card — scroll down to the “Donate” button and make your payment.

The deadline for registration and payment is June 16.

The event is sponsored in part by grants from Indiana Landmarks, Indiana Humanities and National Endowment for the Humanities; Indiana Destination Development Corporation; and Elkhart County Convention and Visitor Bureau.

Free fishing clinic for kids offered

ELKHART — The Elkhart Environmental Center, Elkhart City Parks & Recreation, and Aquatic Biology departments are hosting the second annual free fishing clinic for kids this Saturday, from 8 a.m. to noon at High Dive Park off of Baldwin Street.

The first 200 children (while supplies last) to complete the clinic will receive their very own fishing rod. Children ages 7 and older will visit five stations to learn the basics of fishing: safety & casting, knot tying, basic tackle, stewardship, and conservation. Afterward, they can fish around High Dive Pond, where volunteers will be available to help first-time fishers get a good start with their new skills.

Families can also check out live fish from the Elkhart River, courtesy of the city’s aquatic biologists, as well as enjoy fun casting games.

Anyone who is interested in assisting with the stations or helping kids learn how to fish safely can volunteer by signing up at https://signup.com/go/tSnkGqX.

For more information, call the EEC at 574-293-5070 or visit the event website at www.elkhartindiana.org/FishFest. The fishing clinic will be located at High Dive Park, off Baldwin Street in Elkhart.

Beacon receives $5.4M grant

SOUTH BEND — Beacon Health System has been awarded $5.4 million from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration for the Healthy Start Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health.

This grant, spread across five years, will be deployed in the community through the launch of a program that aims to improve birth outcomes, promote health equity and eliminate health disparities.

The Michiana Family Journey program will be a coordinated cross-sector collaboration, bringing together more than 25 non-profit partners in Elkhart and St. Joseph counties that will work together to address the barriers to care and improve health outcomes, a statement from Beacon reads.

“This is an unprecedented initiative in our community, fostering innovation to significantly improve infant mortality rates and maternal health outcomes,” said Kimberly Green Reeves, executive director, Beacon Community Impact.

Read more about the grant, the Michiana Family Journey program and key community partners involved in this initiative at https://www.beaconhealthsystem.org/news/2024/05/28/beacon-receives-5-4-million-grant-to-address-maternal-and-infant-health-through-cross-sector-collaboration/