On Tuesday, August 20, 2019, the Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) broke ground on a new facility in La Porte, IN. The structure will become HFL’s new headquarters and will house a Conference & Learning Center. The new building will be located 1.7 miles southeast of the current HFL office and will serve as a great resource for the Foundation and surrounding community.
The Center will be 12,815 square feet and will be completely accessible. HFL is utilizing the expertise of the architects at Shive Hattery and the team at Larson Danielson Construction to conceptualize and bring their vision into fruition. The site, nestled in a tranquil location surrounded by nature and located just south of Fishtrap Lake, will be constructed using natural materials which will complement the land. There is even a previously established hiking trail, the Chessie Trial, alongside the site, which HFL will add a water/rest stop for trail participants to use. The Healthcare Foundation of La Porte stated it sees potential for the Chessie Trail to improve the health and quality of life of the community. Their grant to the project of $232,020 provided the 20 percent match for the federal grant La Porte City received.
The primary function of this Center will be to host many educational opportunities for not for profits sponsored by HFL, such as the Not for Profit Leadership Academy, Board Governance Academy, and other speakers and seminars. It will be a productive space to meet, learn, retreat and plan, offered free of charge to nonprofit organizations that engage in charitable activities benefiting the residents of La Porte county and other public entities. It also holds the potential to host health and wellness seminars and speakers.
The building will feature a large conference room, which can be split into 3 smaller rooms, will be capable of seating 10 to 223 people. This will offer a variety of room configurations and each room will include state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment, wi-fi and conference telephones. There will also be a large warming kitchen located close to the conference room(s) which will serve as a convenience for events that will host a hot meal.
An Incubator Space will also be available within the building. This space will be a dedicated area for nonprofits to work and collaborate with their mentors, designers, accountants and other industry experts. It will ideally be a space for young nonprofits to remove barriers and should help ease them into the, often costly, process of establishing administrative and financial systems.
“HFL’s evolution is logical as money alone cannot change a community. A significant part of the plan relies on the development and enhancement of deeper partnerships with and across organizations and our community,” said Maria Fruth, President & CEO of HFL. When asked about the foundation’s strategic roadmap, Fruth added, “It is only by working together toward common goals that we will successfully reach our vision – to be among Indiana’s top 10 healthiest communities by 2030.”
The Healthcare Foundation of La Porte is a not for profit, independent, private foundation dedicated to promoting health and wellness for the residents in and around La Porte. This foundation was initially funded in March 2016 from the proceeds of the sale of La Porte Hospital. With their shared vision, the La Porte Hospital Foundation and the Healthcare Foundation of La Porte blended their financial and operational efforts together as of January 1, 2017.