LaPorte Service League members gather to complete stacks of fleece blankets, adding to more than 100 homemade gifts of warmth made possible through a grant by the Unity Foundation of LaPorte County.
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The LaPorte Service League is racking up some impressive “firsts” in its 79th year of benefiting the community.
As a new 501c3 nonprofit, the organization recently received a $2,400 grant from Unity Foundation of LaPorte County. The funds will help support the service league’s annual play for schoolchildren, and a special blanket project.
Over the past two years, the league’s needy family Christmas project was expanded to provide handmade fleece blankets for children at Handley Elementary School in LaPorte. The blankets have also been used to comfort at-risk children who are identified as being in challenging circumstances, such as sudden removal from the school and their homes.
With the additional Unity funding, the blanket project will be expanded to other LaPorte schools. Service league members cut and sew 6-foot squares of fleece to make the cozy blankets, which are provided to the school administration for distribution. With shopping for the material on sale, the handy efforts will result in more than 100 blankets this year.
La Lumiere School students helped the service league prepare the blankets as part of their December community service.
La Lumiere students Molly Levin, Rebecca Stueck, Antonio Drummond, Raphael Davis, Jay Simpson, Stephanie Alvarez, Taylor Schaetzle, Alana Murray, Anulé Ndukwu, and Cassidy Dye.
In addition, the Unity grant is helping to support the service league’s traditional play, which is presented for 6,000-7,000 local schoolchildren annually. For the first time in 79 years, the play has been written by a member. Kathy Sommer joined the organization in 1996, and is usually found behind the scenes assisting with sound, lights and set construction. But this year she put pen to paper to write “Why Do I Have To Do My Homework?” The play will be directed by Lucy Vergo, working with members in all capacities of production, from acting to technical assistance.
At its final summer meeting, the service league also recognized several longtime members who have been active in the play and other activities for decades. Kitty Wolf joined the group in 1957, and immediate past president Jan Martinsen and Jan Yandt started in 1979. Georgia Whitted became a member in 1981, Cathy Calvin in 1983, Suzanne Schafer in 1984, Claudia Raymond in 1985, and Sheryl Edwards in 1987. Several honored members who are currently inactive also achieved many years of service dating back to 1956, including Rosemary Trigg, Olga Sanchez, Mary Scupham and Mary Ellen McCain.
The league was founded in March 1932 with members focused on social, economic, educational, cultural, and civic volunteerism. Each member spends at least 50 hours contributing to community service projects, including selling popcorn and homemade cookies to help support the Arts in the Park concerts in Fox Park, providing children’s eye screenings, tutoring sessions at Handley School, Meals on Wheels deliveries, and bingo parties at the LaPorte County Home and Golden Living Center.
In October 2011, the group ushered for the LaPorte County Symphony children’s concerts and assisted with the Lights Out at the Library event. Other activities during the year include bell ringing and cooking meals for the Salvation Army, collecting household items and purchasing diapers for the Womens’ Care Center.
