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Wednesday, January 7, 2026
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Serving Kosciusko County and parts of Elkhart, Marshall & Noble Counties
Know Your Neighbor . . . . . . . . . . 2➤ Good Neighbors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Vol. 55, No. 28
Milford (574) 658-4111 • Warsaw (574) 269-2932 • Syracuse (574) 457-3666
114 W. Market, Warsaw, Indiana 46580
, s n i g e b 6 2 0 s As 2 p l e h t i b e l t t i l every s t fi o r p n o n r fo A DRIVE TO SERVE — Volunteers and donations fill tables during a Combined Community Services school supplies drive, helping ensure local students have backpacks, notebooks and other essentials as the organization faces rising costs heading into 2026. Photo provided by Combined Community Services. By MAKSYM HART Staff Writer As 2025 comes to a close and a new year begins, nonprofit organizations across Kosciusko County are entering 2026 on uneven footing. What remains consistent, nonprofit leaders say, is the need, and the reminder that even small acts of generosity can make a difference. At Combined Community Services, Executive Director Kiira Churchill said the organization is thankful for donor support but is feeling the pressure of inflation on nearly every front. “Expenses are up: operationally, utilities, everything,” Churchill said, noting that rising energy and basic operating costs are affecting nonprofits across the board. End-of-year donations are especially critical for helping the organization move into the new year, she said. Combined Community Services relies heavily on volunteers and donations to operate its food pantry and assistance programs, which continue to see high demand. Churchill said support does not have to come in large amounts to be meaningful. Monetary donations, volunteer hours and even simple items such as clean, used egg cartons, which allow the pantry to redistribute eggs, all help stretch resources and serve more families. Other organizations are seeing more positive momentum. At Living In Transition Effectively (LITE) Recovery Center, donations increased significantly throughout 2025, with a noticeable surge in December. Tammy Cotton, executive director of the nonprofit, said LITE received more than $60,000 in private donations this year, with more than half arriving during the final month. She attributed the increase to greater community awareness and the growth of monthly donors.
Since its founding in 2023, LITE has expanded from three staff members to nearly 20 and now serves about 200 participants through its peer recovery program, recovery café and assisted housing for individuals recently released from incarceration. “It’s important to understand we’re not giving people a handout. We’re giving them a hand up,” Cotton said. While grants make up the majority of LITE’s funding, private donations play a critical role, she said. Those funds help cover gaps that grants often do not, including transportation, meals, recovery housing scholarships and emergency needs such as hotel stays or assistance obtaining identification documents. Organizations serving seniors report steadier donations but increasing challenges as costs rise. At Kosciusko Community Senior Services, contributions are roughly on par with last year, but demand for its mobile meals program has climbed. Nearly 20 seniors are currently on a waiting list for meals, largely due to higher food costs and a shortage of volunteer drivers. Food remains one of the center’s largest expenses, and aging vehicles used for transportation are driving up maintenance costs. “Winter months often bring heightened needs for seniors living on fixed incomes,” office manager Lee Ann Andrews said, including help accessing food, prescriptions and reliable transportation. For other nonprofits, stable giving has not been enough to offset financial headwinds. At the Beaman Home’s Emergency Shelter, donations have remained relatively consistent, but rising household costs and significant grant reductions are forcing difficult decisions. Executive Director April Slone said maintaining the emergency shelter remains the organization’s top priority, even if other services must be scaled back. Continued on page 3
UNDER PRESSURE — A nurse with Kosciusko Community Senior Services checks a senior’s blood pressure, one of many services in demand as the agency works to support a growing number of older residents on fixed incomes. Photo provided by Kosciusko Community Senior Services.
CARING FOR PEOPLE A PRIORITY — Virginia Cox, right, serves a meal to a guest at the Beaman Home, where staff continue to prioritize daily care and meals despite rising expenses and anticipated grant reductions in the coming year. Photo provided by the Beaman Home.