The Jasper Newton Foundation, Inc. and the Second Chance Fund has committed $375,000 over the next three years to expand United Way Northwest Indiana’s Level Up and community navigator services to Jasper and Newton counties.
The commitment will place dedicated program personnel in the counties to provide a one-stop assistance resource for residents in need with the end goal of enrolling qualified candidates into United Way Northwest Indiana’s Level Up program.
“We’re really excited about this partnership opportunity to bring Level Up to the residents of Jasper and Newton counties,” said Brienne Hooker, executive director of Jasper Newton Foundation. “We need great partners like United Way to help our residents break barriers and thrive. Funding through the Second Chance Fund, established by one of our generous donors, will sustain this critical support opportunity for residents in both counties to realize their potential, obtain necessary training and education, and then launch into the next part of their lives.”
Targeted to help working residents who are struggling financially and one emergency away from disaster, Level Up provides customized one-on-one financial education and career support to help clients break barriers and achieve financial stability.
“In Northwest Indiana, 1 in 3 households can’t afford basic needs such as childcare, housing, food and transportation,” said Adam O’Doherty, president and CEO of United Way Northwest Indiana. “We’re working to expand our services to meet residents where they are at.”
United Way Northwest Indiana serves Jasper, Lake, Newton, Porter and Starke counties and by the end of 2025, they look have 1,000 Level Up graduates from across their 5-county footprint.
To become a Level Up client, residents must be working, live in one of the counties United Way Northwest Indiana serves, be 18 years old or older, have reliable transportation, and meet the minimum income requirements. For more information about Level Up and to apply, visit unitedwaynwi.org/level-up.
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United Way Northwest Indiana serves residents in Jasper, Lake, Newton, Porter and Starke counties and works to address urgent community needs and transform lives. To learn more, visit unitedwaynwi.org.
The Jasper Newton Foundation Inc. is a local nonprofit organization that connects residents of Jasper County and Newton County, Indiana, with causes they care about through coordinated investments and
strategic grantmaking. JNF’s vision is that residents of Jasper and Newton Counties are guided by a sense of community and actively contribute to its betterment through philanthropy and volunteering. For more information, visit jaspernewtonfoundation.org.