Latest news with #Lacasa
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Miller, Neeb honored with Friend of Lacasa award
ELKHART — Galen Miller was frank about his dismay with the shape of the country while accepting the Friend of Lacasa award Wednesday. Miller, owner of Miller Poultry, and his wife, Sue Neeb, received the award at the organization's annual lunch. Lacasa CEO Jeremy Stutsman said the couple has supported housing initiatives and community revitalization efforts that helped shape the county over the years. 'Their impact speaks for itself. For decades, they have been pillars of generosity, service and dedication, not just for Lacasa but for countless organizations and projects throughout Elkhart County,' Stutsman said. 'They embody service leadership in the purest form.' While accepting the award, Miller reflected on the state of the country at the moment. He expressed dismay at the level of disorder and the toll it can take. 'Some of us are not in a very good place, and personally I'm not in a very good place,' he said. 'With the chaos that's going on in my country right now, with the divisiveness that seems to be becoming the norm. I daresay, probably even a few of us in this very room own part of this divisiveness at times. So it's really hard to know where to go, and the easiest thing would be to just pull back. Just totally pull back.' It would be easy to retreat to a cabin in the middle of nowhere, close your checkbook and turn off your phone, Miller said. But instead, he made a reference to the parable in Matthew 25 that holds a message about feeding the hungry and welcoming strangers. 'But I think we're asked to do more than that. I think there are some of us still, and hopefully there'll be enough of us, that still feel like we do things to 'the least of us,' to 'the least of them,'' he said. 'Thank you for what you do in the community and thank you that you give us a way to help support 'the least of us.'' It's a lesson he said he learned from his father, who was once driven to tears because he wanted to support a non-profit that came to their door but didn't have the money to spare. 'He was feeling so bad that he had nothing to give. As a 10- or 12-year-old, that really made an impact. So over the years we've tried to give. And we know that, especially in this time, we still have to stay open. We still have to engage. We still need to try to find some balance in the center,' Miller said. 'Whether it's governmental, whether it's business, whether it's non-profits. We've got to work together somehow, folks. It's just driving me crazy.'
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lacasa, Oaklawn selected for supportive housing initiative
GOSHEN — Lacasa Inc. and Oaklawn have secured a pathway to expand supportive housing in Elkhart County through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) and Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH). The two organizations have been selected to participate in the 17th Indiana Supportive Housing Institute, a four-month program designed to finalize development plans for permanent supportive housing. Lacasa and Oaklawn plan to build an eight-unit building with single-occupancy apartments for people experiencing homelessness over the age of 55, a growing population among the unhoused community. The building is one of seven planned for Lakeview Apartments, a community of supportive housing at Oaklawn's Goshen campus at 330 Lakeview Drive. At the conclusion of the housing institute, Lacasa and Oaklawn will present a proposal to secure funding for the project. Supportive housing is a data-driven model that increases the supply of affordable homes, creates jobs, stimulates the local economy and enhances community safety, organizers said. Furthermore, stable housing leads to better health outcomes and improved educational stability for children, families and older adults. 'We're honored and grateful to be selected for this program. It significantly enhances our ability to make a tangible impact through this development,' said Mary Bales, Oaklawn's manager of Housing Development. 'You cannot separate wellbeing from stable housing. When people have that solid foundation, they can remain stably housed, they can access services, and they look ahead to their future. It really works.' Lacasa will act as the developer and property manager, and Oaklawn will provide supportive services – an arrangement similar to other successful housing projects the two have collaborated on, such as Lincoln West and Westplains apartments, projects that were also part of previous housing institutes. For this project, Maple City Health and REAL Services are also collaborative partners to support the unique needs of seniors. 'Strong partnerships are essential to meeting our community's housing needs,' says Jeremy Stutsman, president and CEO of Lacasa. 'By taking a holistic approach, we ensure individuals have both stable housing and critical support services. Our collaboration with Oaklawn makes lasting change possible, and I'm grateful to their team and our dedicated Lacasa staff for their commitment to this work.' The Lacasa-Oaklawn team includes three Lacasa staff members – Alan Greaser, chief operations officer; Aaron Lehman, vice president asset management; and Emily Brick, Goshen site manager – along with two Oaklawn staff members, Rhonda Martin, director of Housing Support Services, and Bales. Through intensive workshops, the team will gain expertise in overcoming development and funding challenges and delivering high-quality, trauma-informed services that support long-term housing stability.
