KLA Cadets Visit Cardinal Services To Learn About Human Services In Kosciusko County
October 17, 2024 at 5:13 p.m.
On Oct. 8, the Kosciusko Leadership Academy cadets visited Cardinal Services to learn about many of the human services Kosciusko County has to offer.
The first speaker, Vicki Lootens, executive director of Cardinal Services, stated that the purpose of Cardinal Services is to lead the way to 100% equity, inclusion and access for people with disabilities, families and communities. Cardinal Services has served over 7,500 people annually through residential (group home) living, community (apartment) living, Career Links, Early Head Start, Headstart and affordable housing. Cardinal Services serves nine counties in Northern Indiana and employs over 350 people.
The cadets enjoyed meeting in the newly renovated training facility, according to a news release from KLA.
Laura Deal-Decker, director of the help center at the Health Services Pavilion, presented information about each tenant in the K21 Health Services Pavilion.
Deal-Decker assists Kosciusko County residents who are overwhelmed financially due to health issues and need guidance for medical, dental and social services. Pavilion agencies are all nonprofits that offer a health-related service, such as Brightpoint, providing free help for families to enroll in and understand state and federal health insurance programs.
Other Pavilion agencies include Healthy Families of Kosciusko County, Heartline Pregnancy Center, Kosciusko Home Care & Hospice, Medication & Dental Assistance, WIC, Live Well Kosciusko and Northern Indiana Hispanic Health Coalition. For more information, see https://healthpavilion.org
Darren Bickel, president of United Way of Whitley & Kosciusko Counties, has been leading outreach efforts for about eight years. United Way seeks to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities around the world to advance the common good. Bickel spoke about Dolly Parton’s Imagination library, a free book program for children under the age of 5. Children will receive a book in the mail every month at no cost. Another great program is the Fill it Up Box which provides essential supplies to children displaced from their homes. For more information, visit the website at https://www.uwwk.org/volunteer/fill-it-up/
KLA cadets will meet next on Oct. 22 at Ivy Tech Community College for Whitepaper Round-up.
The Kosciusko Leadership Academy is in its 43rd year of service to the county. As an independent 501-3(c) organization, KLA conducts biweekly morning sessions around the county to expose leaders to a wide variety of local topics and experts. The annual whitepaper projects have yielded many benefits to the citizens of Kosciusko County. For more information, visit www.kocsciuskoleadership.org
On Oct. 8, the Kosciusko Leadership Academy cadets visited Cardinal Services to learn about many of the human services Kosciusko County has to offer.
The first speaker, Vicki Lootens, executive director of Cardinal Services, stated that the purpose of Cardinal Services is to lead the way to 100% equity, inclusion and access for people with disabilities, families and communities. Cardinal Services has served over 7,500 people annually through residential (group home) living, community (apartment) living, Career Links, Early Head Start, Headstart and affordable housing. Cardinal Services serves nine counties in Northern Indiana and employs over 350 people.
The cadets enjoyed meeting in the newly renovated training facility, according to a news release from KLA.
Laura Deal-Decker, director of the help center at the Health Services Pavilion, presented information about each tenant in the K21 Health Services Pavilion.
Deal-Decker assists Kosciusko County residents who are overwhelmed financially due to health issues and need guidance for medical, dental and social services. Pavilion agencies are all nonprofits that offer a health-related service, such as Brightpoint, providing free help for families to enroll in and understand state and federal health insurance programs.
Other Pavilion agencies include Healthy Families of Kosciusko County, Heartline Pregnancy Center, Kosciusko Home Care & Hospice, Medication & Dental Assistance, WIC, Live Well Kosciusko and Northern Indiana Hispanic Health Coalition. For more information, see https://healthpavilion.org
Darren Bickel, president of United Way of Whitley & Kosciusko Counties, has been leading outreach efforts for about eight years. United Way seeks to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities around the world to advance the common good. Bickel spoke about Dolly Parton’s Imagination library, a free book program for children under the age of 5. Children will receive a book in the mail every month at no cost. Another great program is the Fill it Up Box which provides essential supplies to children displaced from their homes. For more information, visit the website at https://www.uwwk.org/volunteer/fill-it-up/
KLA cadets will meet next on Oct. 22 at Ivy Tech Community College for Whitepaper Round-up.
The Kosciusko Leadership Academy is in its 43rd year of service to the county. As an independent 501-3(c) organization, KLA conducts biweekly morning sessions around the county to expose leaders to a wide variety of local topics and experts. The annual whitepaper projects have yielded many benefits to the citizens of Kosciusko County. For more information, visit www.kocsciuskoleadership.org