What a New Year Means

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

The new year is here, and we are looking to 2021 with hope. We asked our grantees to share with us what the New Year means for their organizations. Their voices are shared below and will inspire you!


Aisha R. Arrington, M.S., Executive Director–Long Term Care Ombudsman Program of N.E. Indiana
“Hope and support must be restored in the lives of those living in our area nursing homes in a way that encourages the fight for better care and the need to be heard.”

Alex Kiefer, President & CEO–Lutheran Life Villages
"While 2020 was a year of challenges, it was also a year of incredible blessings that we see shining for us in 2021 at the end of this long dark tunnel we have been traveling through together.”

Andrew Gritzmaker, CEO–Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne
“365 new opportunities to become better people. That’s always the goal. Great people create great organizations that ultimately do great work.”

Ani Etter, Executive Director–Volunteer Center
“For the Volunteer Center, 2021 means an opportunity to lead our nonprofit partners in thinking of new, innovative, and safe ways for volunteers to serve their community despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic.”

Audrey Mumma, B.A., Mission Advancement Manager–Mental Health America of Northeast Indiana
“For Mental Health America of Northeast Indiana, 2021 means exciting opportunities to reach new audiences with mental health education, advocate for improved understanding and acceptance of individuals facing mental health conditions, and support the mental and emotional wellness of our community.”

Barb Umber, Executive Director–Homebound Meals, INC
"Increased, updated, and refined services based on lifestyle changes in response to COVID-19."

Bonnie Roth, Executive Director–Power House Youth Centers
“2021 means new opportunities to understand the needs of our youth and find creative ways to meet them where they are.”

Brad Hand, Director/Administrator–The Learning Community
“Although we can never go back to what we knew as normal before 2020, we are looking forward to accepting new challenges and opportunities using the courage, flexibility, and tenacity we learned during this past year.”

Brad Little, President & CEO–Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne
“2021 the year of Rebirth: If we have only gone through this pandemic to become the old 2019 version of our self, we have not grown, we have not learned and therefore we have not evolved. Our hope is that we as a Community Foundation have learned and are embracing all of the things we are capable of. That there are very few limits to what we can do and the resounding impact that we can make, that we as a Foundation and each individual is birthing a new version of ourselves. To become better. To strive and encourage more. To effect lasting change.”

Carol Cavell, Executive Director–Trees Indiana
“Trees Indiana is starting the new year with inspiration, focusing on the positive things we CAN do.”

Charles Shepard, President & CEO–Fort Wayne Museum of Art
“While the new year means another stretch of operating within the constraints of a very tightened belt, we continue to take pride in our resourcefulness as we continue to innovate in serving our audiences.”

Chris Todia, CEO–Youth for Christ
“2021 offers YFC new opportunities to invest in the young people of this community - being present in their hurts and joys and sharing with them hope for the future.”

Debbie Meyer, MNM, Executive Director–Erin's House for Grieving Children
“Erin’s House will continue to serve those grieving despite the incredible obstacles that are placed in our way and continue to expand collaborations among partners committed to our shared core values, which will lead to a greater impact in our communities.”

Debi Knoblauch, Director–Harlan Christian Youth Center
“The new year represents greater challenges, increased need, and countless new opportunities for us.”

Dee Szyndrowski, MS, MBA, LMHC–SCAN
“SCAN looks forward to 2021 as an opportunity to embrace the basics of quality care and focus on forming productive partnerships with seamless transitions for children and families.”

Donna K. Elbrecht, President and CEO–Easterseals Arc of Northeast Indiana
“The New Year for Easterseals Arc of Northeast Indiana means hope, growth, and opportunity!”

Edward Graf, Executive Director–Gateway Woods
“Since New Year’s Day is simply a milepost marking the passage of time, we will continue our quest to constantly improve the execution of our mission, knowing that our best days are yet to come.”

Elizabeth J. Bushnell, Ph.D., Executive Director–Questa Education Foundation
“In the new year, Questa will focus on innovative new approaches to help students in our community navigate the uncertainty of this time and still achieve their college dreams.”

Irene Paxia, MBA, MS, CEO–Amani Family Services, Inc.
“In 2021, Amani is ready to fight against the pandemic and catch up on strategy. We will be busy with supporting families affected by COVID-19 (financially and through case management and counseling). We will stand with the local health organizations as needed to support vaccination and outreach work. And we will launch our new strategic plan. We will not let COVID-19 keep us from moving in a new exciting direction to promote inclusion in Fort Wayne.”

James W. Palermo, Managing Director–Fort Wayne Philharmonic
“There is nothing more that the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Board, staff, and I want more than to see our wonderful musicians back on stage, back at work, and canvassing the community so their great performances can be heard throughout our community again.”

Jeff Markley, Executive Director–Positive Resource Connection
“The new year will certainly be a year of tighter financial constraints for the Northeast Indiana Positive Resource Connection but it will also be a year to embrace and enhance the innovative best practices generated in 2020 while we fire up the creative mind and champion new opportunities to serve our clients, staff, and community.”

Jessica Henry, Executive Director–Allen County SPCA
"It means a new spirit of collaboration for the Allen County SPCA and HOPE for Animals, now that our organizations have legally merged. Stronger together, we’ll be able to offer our entire region a full list of comprehensive services for animal lovers, low-income pet owners, and at-risk cats and dogs - resulting in real and measurable change for pets and people."

Jonathan Busarow, Executive Artistic Director–Fort Wayne Children's Choir
“Our organization is ready for a new beginning in 2021 with a renewed focus on our mission, attention to our strategic plan, and ensuring we serve all.”

Justin Clupper, Executive Director–Community Transportation Network
“In 2021, CTN will start to explore opportunities to serve throughout Northeast Indiana.”

Karl LaPan, President & CEO–Northeast Indiana Innovation Center, Inc.
“Our 2021 focus is a race for relevance – redefining and deepening our customer relationships, growing our reach, doubling down on our impact, and pursuing evidence-based valuable programs needed by entrepreneurs and founders to navigate the post-pandemic world.”

Kelly Updike, President & CEO–Embassy Theatre
“For the Embassy Theatre, the start of a new year brings renewed hope for patrons returning to our venue to enjoy events together and for continued innovation to reach new audiences throughout the region, state, and country.”

Lena Yarian, President–Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana
“2021 gives our organization the unique opportunity to enhance our virtual JA experiences and resources, which will not only allow us to continue to educate and inspire students during this unusual school year but will also serve as valuable complements to our traditional programming long into the future.”

Madeleine Baker, CEO–Early Childhood Alliance
“With the onset of the New Year, 2021, ECA is rolling out its updated strategic priorities with dashboard metrics that address our focus on the mission; diversification of funding support; charting our growth through partnerships with our consumers, including businesses/employers; investing in our workforce, and streamlining advocacy efforts by promoting and providing excellence in early childhood care and education, and infrastructure that helps our economic growth.”

Matthew E. Konow, Executive Director–Cross Connections, Inc.
“The one word that would describe 2021 for Cross Connections is UNSHAKEABLE.”

Megan McClellan, Executive Director–Fort Wayne Trails
“The new year is an opportunity for Fort Wayne Trails to engage with all of the people who discovered the amazing trails in Fort Wayne during the pandemic and encourage them to continue using the trails in our new normal.”

Melinda Haines, CEO–The Literacy Alliance
“The Literacy Alliance is cautiously optimistic about 2021 and plans to use knowledge and experience gained in 2020 to more efficiently and effectively serve our students so that they are empowered to succeed at home, at work and in the community.”

Melissa Rinehart, Ph.D., Executive Director–Wellspring Interfaith Social Services
“I’m continuing to forge new partnerships, fundraising opportunities, and programming adaptations to accommodate the constraints brought on by the pandemic.”

Mike Mushett, CEO–Turnstone
“Turnstone's lessons learned going into 2021 have strengthened our resolve to carry our mission forward and remain an agency of choice, providing critical needs and services for people with disabilities in all corners of our community.”

Paige Wilkins, Executive Director–Healthier Moms and Babies
“Healthier Moms and Babies is looking forward to new beginnings.”

Paula Hughes-Schuh, CEO–YWCA Northeast Indiana
“2021 means cultivating growth, restoring hope, and moving into our new home for YWCA Northeast Indiana - thanks for asking!”

Phillip H. Colglazier, Executive/Artistic Director–Fort Wayne Civic Theatre “Due to the impact of COVID-19 in 2021, the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre will set a deficit budget for the first time in nearly 20 years as we must be proactive and use resources to sustain our organization’s finances, programs, and mission.”

Rev. Donovan A. Coley, Sr., MA, CEO/Senior Pastor–The Rescue Mission
“We are optimistic in that we saw and experienced some encouraging signs from a few major donors at the end of 2020. We anticipate some ongoing challenges due to COVID-19 and the lingering economic impact, but the lessons learned in 2020 have given us a renewed sense of confidence and resolve to work smarter, with more strategic thinking in place, and a deeper appreciation, and relationship with our donors. We are also learning to pace ourselves within this new reality and paradigm.”

Rev. Roger F. Reece, Executive Director–Associated Churches of Fort Wayne and Allen County
“It means paying closer attention to food supply chain interruptions and most of all, care for those in need of mental and spiritual care.”

Suzie Jordan, Executive Director–Mustard Seed Furniture Bank of Fort Wayne, Inc.
“A time to use our mission and resources to impact lives with understanding and flexibility.”

"T" Irmscher, Executive Director–FAME The Foundation for Arts and Music in Education
“For FAME, 2021 is a year of change, a year of flexibility and creativity.”

Tim Zink, Vice President, Communications–Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana
“We are now in a position of not having to chase success with opportunities to rewrite the narrative of what success means for our organization in this new year by way of programming, funding, partnerships, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.”

Todd Pelfrey, Executive Director–Fort Wayne History Center
“For the Fort Wayne History Center, the new year is a time to synthesize the unprecedented historical events of 2020 and appreciate how the memory of those occurrences will shape the cultural heritage of our community.”

Tony Hudson, Executive Director–Blue Jacket, Inc.
“Blue Jacket will see 2021 as rocket fuel for the go-kart it zigged and zagged through 2020 in.”

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