Insurance Companies Donate to Bluejay Football

1st Choice Insurance Presents Check to Kid's Closet

Kid’s Closet Places Third in National Contest

Published: August 19, 2015 By: Michael Gallenberger, WKVI 

Kid’s Closet, which collects clothing and school supplies for kids in Starke County, has received $6,500 after finishing third in an online poll. Safeco Insurance’s Make More Happen Contest awarded grants to 33 organizations nationwide who had been nominated by local insurance agencies.

Each organization got $3,000. Plus, since the contest surpassed its goal of 28,000 votes, the organizations each got another $500. On top of all that, Kid’s Closet got another $3,000 for finishing third.

Kid’s Closet founder and director Linda Lewandowski says the money will help the organization buy clothing and school supplies throughout the year, “This means we will have the funds to purchase the things that we do not have in stock. We do have a lot of gently used clothes in stock, but many times we don’t have the size that a child needs, so we have to go shopping for that need.”

The organization was nominated by Carrie Block from First Choice Insurance. She says winning third place in a national contest says a lot about the local community, “Being a small community, I didn’t know if we would even have a chance to be in the running, trying to advertise and get the word across our community. I just had no idea where we might be able to place, and week after week as I saw the results coming in, I was just completely blown away that we were able to accomplish that.”

Kid’s Closet is a ministry of North Judson United Methodist Church and serves children throughout Starke County.

Vote for Kids Closet Ministry in SafeCo’s Make More Happen Contest

Published: August 7, 2015 By: Jacque Ryan, WKVI

Kids Closet Ministry assists the youth of Starke County year-round. From providing backpacks and school supplies at the start of the school year to doling out winter wear in the colder months, Kids Closet Ministry is constantly there for the children in the area. Now you have a chance to give back to this generous organization with Safe-Co’s a Make More Happen program.

Earlier this summer First Choice Insurance employee Carrie Block asked the founder of Kid’s Closet Ministry, Linda Lewandowski for permission to apply for a grant through Safe-co’s “Make More Happen” program. All the necessary information was provided and Block applied for the grant, which was approved. The organization received an initial $3,000 however it doesn’t end there. From now until August 17 you can vote for Kids Closet Ministry to help them receive an additional sum of money anywhere from three to ten thousand dollars. Since the goal of 28,000 votes was reached, all 33 organizations in the contest will get $500.

Voting is simple and you can even do it more than once. In order to vote visit the Safe-Co Make More Happen page. You can either search by the agency name and pick the top option on the list, 1st Choice Insurance or search by charity name and scroll down to find Kids Closet. Select either one and a window will pop up with the organization description. In the top right corner there is a vote button, click that and it will show you a message saying you can vote again in 24 hours. Underneath the vote button there is the option to leave a ‘cheer’, where you have your opportunity to express your opinion about Kids Closet Ministry and display it for all to see.

The top three organizations with the most votes will respectively win $10,000, $5,000 or $3,000. Its time to give back to Kids Closet Ministry who provide so much for our community. You have until 10 am on Monday, August 17 to get your votes in. Do your part by voting as much as you can and spreading the word about assisting this local charity.

Vote for Kids Closet To Receive a Donation from Safeco Insurance

Help a charity get $10,500!  Vote for 1st Choice Insurance and Kids Closet at http://www.safeco.com/make-more-happen.  Contest ends 10 a.m. on August 17, 2015.  

• The three teams with the most votes will receive respectively a $10,000, $5,000 or $3,000 donation from Safeco Insurance for the charities.
• All 33 charities each get $500 if the vote total in the contest reaches the 28,000 goal.

1st Choice Insurance, North Judson, Indiana, making more happen for Kid’s Closet, North Judson, Indiana

“Children without needs” is the vision of Kid’s Closet, a program run by the United Methodist Church in North Judson, Indiana. The all-volunteer group served 550 children in 2014, giving kids in need 250 backpacks filled with school supplies, clothing and more. 1st Choice Insurance got involved last summer after learning about the program and the impact it has on the community, which is in the poorest county in Indiana. Employees volunteer one evening per month to help sort, fold and organize clothing, as seen here. They also assist with fundraising and collecting donations. The children served by Kid’s Closet are recommended by schools, churches, government agencies and sometimes even the families themselves. All go through a screening process and receive a home visit from a volunteer, who also makes sure the kids like the clothing they’re given and that it fits properly.