Welcoming a Year of Connection and Care
“And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.”
– Rainer Maria Rilke, poet
As we celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Community Foundation of Lorain County this year, I’m reminded of the incredible legacy of generosity that has shaped our larger Lorain community and driven the impact of the Community Foundation. I think of our Board Emeritus luncheon, where we shared stories and laughter with those who served on our board decades ago. Or I think about the youth fund members baking cookies and writing heartfelt messages to our friends in retirement communities. These are just two recent moments of connection and care that reflect the spirit of those elders who, years ago, had the vision to create endowments that now fund our mission of Connecting People Who Care with Causes That Matter.
This year, we would love to hear your family stories—how you celebrated the holidays and your hopes for the New Year. As we kick off our health and human services grant cycle, we’re excited to feature a story each month, showcasing the joy and inspiration you bring into our community. Please send your stories our way.
2025 is already in full swing, and we have many exciting things to share with you. First, I would like to welcome our new Development Officer, Colleen Walts, who brings a wealth of experience to our team. She is looking forward to meeting you out and about in the community. We currently have another exciting opportunity to join our team as a Scholarship Coordinator. Check out the job description here and please share it with your network (or apply yourself!).
This past Friday, the Community Foundation of Lorain County and Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU) hosted the first of four workshops as apart of our Lorain County Workshop Series for non-profits. Held quarterly on Friday mornings, these FREE in-person sessions will focus on key governance and management challenges facing non-profit boards and leaders. Please consider joining us for one of these future workshops and share with your board and staff. We hope to see you at the next one on Succession Planning on May 16th! Sign up coming soon!
Finally, as temperatures drop and winter settles in, let’s be sure to look out for others in our community. Check on elderly neighbors, friends, and family members. Please take care and stay safe and warm.
With gratitude,
Cindy
P.S. Do not forget our Scholarship Application is open until March 1, 2025. Share with the students in your life.
