“I’ve been able to travel a lot the past two or three years, doing my ice sculptures at shows, events, and different jobs, and it’s been amazing,” said Samantha ‘Sammy’ Moore, owner of Moore Ice Sculptures and one of the ice sculptors at the 2024 January First Fridays Fire and Ice Festival in downtown Goshen.
“I’m from Elkhart County. I went to NorthWood High School and Ivy Tech—I used to be a chef for Goshen Health and now I’m a plant operations coordinator. I think Elkhart County is unique; there are still so many tight-knit communities, and this area will always feel like second nature to me. But it’s a lot of fun but to go and see other places; you really have to branch out to stay active and busy in ice sculpting.
I sometimes take my German Shepard, Maverick, with me on the road and it’s just a lot of fun. I traveled to Fairbanks, Alaska in 2020 and in 2022 for an international ice sculpting competition, and in 2022 my team won the bronze medal. That was a really cool highlight. I’ve also enjoyed going to Texas several times; I have mentors down there and it’s where I’ve learned a lot of what I know about ice sculpting.
I’ve participated in the Fire and Ice Festival several times before, and it’s always special being able to sculpt in Downtown Goshen. This is one of my most ‘local’ events, and it’s really great to have friends and family be able to come out and see what I do. I get a lot of support from them online, but I do so much of my work out of the area that they rarely get to see me sculpting in real-time. The Fire and Ice Festival always feels sort of like a homecoming; it’s so nice to be in my element while being supported by friends and family, and my employer Goshen Health has been so supportive of my sculpting.
The Fire and Ice Festival also happens to be, in my opinion, one of the most well-organized events like this—I wish they could all be that way. There are always a lot of moving parts at an outdoor event with multiple sculptors, and (Director of First Fridays) Amanda (McMahon) does such a great job keeping everything running smoothly. I love working with Amanda, and the event is just a lot of fun. It’s family-friendly, but also really exciting. To have the fire dancers doing their thing, and so many people enjoying themselves; it’s just a great scene.
I got into ice sculpting about five or six years ago. I was with some of my friends from the culinary field at a summertime event; they had an ice sculpting demonstration and I just felt like I was immediately hooked. A friend of mine named Greg Beachey, who now lives in Colorado, encouraged me to try it and told me I should attend a winter festival. When I was at that winter festival I had such a great time and met so many great people; I ended up being gifted a lot of old tools from sculptors I met there. That event was when I first started building up my arsenal of tools so I could really get started.
Chainsaws, die grinders, and angle grinders are some of the main tools ice sculptors will use, and most will have an assortment of specialty bits that can go on the die grinders. My favorite subjects to sculpt are animals. It’s difficult to sculpt animals; there are so many details. My approach with a sculpture is usually to carve out the rough shape, then go in and start working on making it 3D. One thing I’ve learned is that it’s always good to try and do as much of the work as you can with one tool. It’s best to avoid having to go back and forth constantly with a lot of different tools.
There’s an ‘old school’ connection between the culinary world and ice sculpting. It used to be fairly common for chefs to be called on for elaborate presentations—for, say, country club or hotel banquets. That’s not as common now; these days people mainly get into ice sculpting because they’ve seen it being done somewhere. Still, you tend to see a lot of ice carvers with a culinary or artistic background. I think creativity is the link. Whether you’re a chef in a kitchen, or a ceramic artist in a studio, or an ice sculptor holding a chainsaw out in the cold—the goal is to try and delight people with your own, individual creativity and style.
I just love everything about ice sculpting. I’m glad and thankful I get a chance to do this in the first place, and—every year, when the Fire and Ice Festival rolls around—I’m even happier to be in Elkhart County and making my sculptures in front of family, friends, and supporters.”
Sammy Moore, a NorthWood High School graduate, is a chef at Goshen Heath and the owner/operator of Moore Ice Sculptures. Moore is one of several ice sculptors and carvers creating and demonstrating work at the January First Fridays Fire and Ice Festival, Jan. 6, in Downtown Goshen.
If you’ve ever attended a First Fridays celebration in Downtown Goshen, you probably know that—month after month—First Fridays is one of the most popular, well-crafted, family-friendly, and entertaining events in Elkhart County. Events like the Fire and Ice Festival, the Arts Tour, and Hometown Holiday wouldn’t happen if not for the tireless work of Amanda McMahon, the Director of First Fridays. On behalf of Vibrant Communities of Elkhart County, thank you, Amanda, for working hard to bring the community together every month to celebrate the good of Goshen and Elkhart County!
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“I walked into The Window one day looking to volunteer. I was talking to someone and mentioned my development background and I was taken in to meet the executive director, Ed Swartley. We talked. I’d brought a copy of my resume, which I gave to him, and I started working the very next business day.
I’m a Northridge High School graduate—I moved back to Elkhart County in 2015—and until I began working at The Window I was working part time and tending to all things home and garden. I studied Marketing and Communications and some Public Relations at Augustana College, in Illinois, and over time I developed an appreciation for working for non-profits—so I was thrilled to get started at The Window as the Director of Development.
There are almost 260 non-profit organizations in Elkhart County, and they all are important, and they all have similar challenges. What’s special about The Window is that every single service and item we offer and give out is free. The people who come in here don’t pay a dime.
I have such a love for my job that it doesn’t usually feel like work. Obviously there are days and there are times; but even in tough moments I remember why I’m doing this—so we can provide people a place where they can get the help they need. It’s helping people that I most love about this job. This is my dream job and I’ve loved every second of it. That sounds cliche, I know, but it’s the truth.
Our mission at The Window is to provide services to meet the essential needs of anyone with a limited income.
We’ve more than doubled the number of people we serve since before the Covid pandemic. We provide free hot lunches every weekday, and we have a Food Pantry people can visit once a month; we provide Meals on Wheels, and we have a clothing closet people can visit once a week. During the winter we constantly run drives for clothes, coats, socks, gloves, and other essential cold weather needs. We provide people with a place to take a shower. We act as a post office for people who don’t have their own home or address so they can get their Social Security checks and have a place for their food stamps to go; a lot of folks miss out on services like those simply on account of not having an address. I think we’re one of the few places to provide that.
We give people a sense of belonging; and, also, a place to socialize. When you’re homeless or struggling it can feel incredibly isolating, and this is a place where people can have a community. There are people who come here who are good friends with each other and have lunch here, together, every day.
I think The Window doesn’t just make a positive impact; I think our services are life-changing. People sometimes walk in hungry, in old, dirty clothes, and then end up walking out fed—and with clean clothes—and just feeling like a whole new person; like they can take on the world. We provide hope; a place where people don’t feel worthless to the world. Often, when someone returns after not having been here for a while, people are saying to them. ‘Hey, we missed you—where’ve you been?’ You have no idea how much it means to a homeless or struggling person to hear welcoming, loving words like those. It means everything to hear that you’ve been missed.
We live in a society that tends to judge people based on what they have. If you haven’t succeeded in expected ways, or don’t have what everyone else has, you feel like a failure. You have people who might have lost their job, or lost their house, or went through a divorce—who are feeling like they failed, but a lot of times it’s just due to circumstances. A lot of folks who come here for services are working, sometimes more than one job, but—between the bills, utilities, the increasing cost of living, and school supplies and clothes for their kids—they’re not making enough money to provide food.
People who come into The Window often feel or seem embarrassed, and that’s something we try to counter by doing everything we can to make everyone in here feel welcome and valued.
Sometimes people ask me why I’m so passionate about my work, and why it’s so important to me. I reply by asking them, ‘Have you ever been hungry and had no food to eat? Have you ever been hungry, or your kids were hungry, and you didn’t have money to buy food—and you didn’t know what you were going to do?’ A lot of people don’t know what that feels like, and if they don’t they should count their blessings and be thankful, because it’s a very, very low feeling.
By helping people with food to eat and clean clothes to wear, we give people who come in here the opportunity to feel good about themselves. Sometimes, that confidence helps people be able to take the next step, and they can improve their lives or sometimes even get a job and a fresh start.
I’ve always volunteered in my spare time. I was brought up to Love they neighbor, and treat other people how you’d want to be treated. I think my drive to volunteer, and be of service to people, comes mostly from God and from my parents example. My parents cared about all people and would talk to anyone. They believed we’re all the same. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up but if there was someone who needed somewhere to go on Christmas or Thanksgiving, my parents would invite them to come eat with our family.
I think that feeling is so very strong, still, throughout the City of Goshen and throughout Elkhart County. We have volunteers for sorting and hanging clothes, transporting meals, packing lunches, and so much more—we literally would not exist without the many volunteers who work with us. I’ve also had times, out in public, when people simply overheard me talking about The Window and then came up to me to make a donation. I remember the first time that happened—someone walked over, handed me money, and walked away before I could even thank them. It was surprising, at first, but once it sank in it left me feeling overflowing with happiness and love.
That’s how I want people to feel when they come to The Window; I want them to feel cared for, and to know that they are loved.”
The Window, Inc., 223 South Main Street in Goshen, exists to help people on limited incomes meet their essential needs. For over 50 years The Window has served Goshen and neighboring communities and currently offers services such as a Food Pantry, hot lunches every weekday, a clothing closet, Meals on Wheels, and other important services that improve the lives of those in need—especially the elderly, the disadvantaged, and those living on low incomes. If you’d like to donate, please contact Susi at [email protected]. To learn more about The Window, or to inquire about the many volunteering options, please visit https://www.thewindowofgoshen.com/.
To nominate someone like Susi for their dedicated work in Elkhart County, fill out this easy submission form. Let us know their story!
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
– Sir Winston Churchill
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“For a lot of business owners, being involved in the Latino Business Expo is a transformational experience,” says Yolo López DeMarco, whose business—Yolo Vox—hosts Elkhart’s annual Latino Business Expo (LBE).
“There’s nothing wrong with a basic pop-up market, but the purpose of the Latino Business Expo is specifically to give Latino business owners in Elkhart County the experience of a professionally organized event, with a formal pipe-and-drape layout, so that they can grow confidence in their business, learn how to network, and see themselves in a different light. The spirit of the Latino Business Expo is one of helping; we want to help business owners take themselves more seriously and understand what they can do to grow their businesses and expand their reach.
It’s inspiring for a lot of the business owners to be involved in such a professional event, and the expo also gives business owners a chance to get critical feedback and to connect with local business experts. The Hispanic community is not the easiest to convince that something like this is worth the time and money, but once business owners have been a part of this event they realize it’s a worthy investment; they realize how much networking and making new connections can improve their businesses, and their lives.
I came to Elkhart County with my mom, from Mexico, when I was six. I went to Concord High School; I didn’t get Honor Roll grades but I was able to tap into some of my natural leadership skills. I was involved in sports and dance, and during my senior year of high school my mom encouraged me to apply for a leadership scholarship at Goshen College. I am one of the first in my family to go to college and finish with a degree; I majored in Broadcasting at Goshen College and I got a minor in youth ministry.
I never really saw myself as a business owner. I spent a lot of time in the broadcasting field—I was a journalist for Fox 28 News and I was news director for WFRN Radio in Elkhart. Then one day I thought of starting my own business, and I told myself I can do this. I had my Broadcasting degree and a lot of experience both in front of the camera, and behind it, and in my mind I envisioned starting my own business where I could put my best skills into play; helping people and organizations with important, bilingual communication services.
In 2020 I started my business, Yolo Vox. We offer advertising services, translation, voice-overs, and Spanish services for corporations, government entities, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions. When I started it, we were mainly doing voice-overs for radio and TV. During the pandemic there was an uptick in need for translation services; the opportunities kept coming in and the business has grown steadily since then into what it is today.
The underlying theme of what we do at Yolo Vox is to help companies overcome language and cultural barriers for the sake of bringing communities together. That’s something that’s always been important to me, and that’s also the underlying mission of the LBE. I think my own experience as a business owner makes the LBE even more important to me.
Online registration for the 2024 Latino Business Expo will begin in March of 2024. As it is every year, the point of the event will be to bring Latino-owned businesses together to connect and network with each other and with the broader business community of Elkhart County. We’ll have bilingual business workshops, there will be a luncheon with a keynote speaker, and an array of networking opportunities.
While a big part of the event is to create a sense of belonging and support for Latino-owned businesses, the LBE is an all-bilingual event and we also invite non-Hispanic companies to have a space at the expo. The Hispanic market is growing more and more, and so many local companies are looking for ways to connect more deeply. Last year we had close to 100 businesses at the expo wanting to learn how to better reach the Hispanic market.
There is so much potential within our local Hispanic community, but we have to make sure to provide access to the resources Latino-owned businesses need to create lasting success. It’s pretty amazing to be a part of the Latino Business Expo; there is so much energy and enthusiasm surrounding this event.
I remember at one point, when I was a senior at Goshen College—I’d go into Fox 28 at 10 p.m. to do writing and reporting, then at 2 a.m. I’d go into WFRN. I’d leave WFRN and immediately head to my first class at Goshen College at 7 a.m. Hard work is always the surest path to success, but as a community it’s important that we make sure we are giving small business owners and Latino- and minority-owned businesses in Elkhart County all the resources and tools needed for success. That’s what the Latino Business Expo is all about; showing people that, no matter what, their dreams are within reach.
That’s something I learned firsthand, and I’m glad to be able to help others achieve their goals.”
Yolo López DeMarco, owner of Yolo Vox, was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and came to Elkhart with her mother at the age of six. A graduate of Goshen College, Yolo is a board member of the Tolson Community and Youth Center and for the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce. She resides in Goshen with her husband and two young daughters.
Yolo López DeMarco, center, with Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Levon Johnson, right, and Goshen Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Nick Kieffer, left, at the 2023 Latino Business Expo.
Photos provided by the Latino Business Expo and Yolo Vox.
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“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
– Sir Winston Churchill
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“I think there are assumptions made about people who are incarcerated; that they are violent, or bad, or disrespectful people—and that’s not usually the case at all,” says Ashley Bowen, the Director of Client Empowerment for Lacasa Inc. “Everyone makes mistakes in their lives, and a lot of the people who end up in jail are not that much different from anyone else. In a lot of cases these are just people who had a bad moment, or made a bad decision, and got caught making a mistake.
I started out as a volunteer financial coach with Lacasa in 2020. Earlier in my life I spent two years in Peru as a teacher with the Peace Corps, and I think it’s in my DNA to want to be in helping roles. When a position opened up with Lacasa to direct a learning program for inmates, I knew it would be an opportunity to do a lot of good work.
It’s not what people think. No one is throwing paper airplanes around the room. The truth is that students in our Master It Series for Inmates program are on their best behavior. They understand the value of having access to this financial knowledge, and they don’t want to lose it. They show great respect. I remember, at one of my first classes at the jail, one man was absent-minded and used a swear word and his buddy next to him thumped him on the arm and said, ‘Hey, watch your language, man. That’s a lady, and she’s here to teach us.’
We believe that everyone has a right to a basic financial education, and we recognize that a lot of people don’t have that access.
Most of the inmates in our Master It classes at the jail are trying their hardest to correct things so they can have a fresh start and have a normal life someday. Being incarcerated can be a wakeup call, and many want to use their time to try and right their ship. They understand they’re at rock bottom, and they know how important this financial knowledge is to getting that fresh start. No one is forced to come to these classes at the jail; these are just men and women who are pushing really hard to reclaim and redefine their lives.
Our Master It classes are available to everyone in the community, not just at the jail, and provide HUD-certified financial education in four different courses. The classes are Master Your Credit, Master Your Money, Master Your Debt, and Master Homeownership. These are not 500 level courses, more like 100 and 200 level, but they’re so important in helping people develop a roadmap for financial stability and success.
The inmates at the jail are so grateful that we bring this program to them. They know it’s a big part of what they need to rebuild their lives. Those who complete the coursework and get certified in our classes can have access to banking and credit-building opportunities; they might qualify for free checking and savings accounts and they may even be able to get a credit builder loan. We had one gentleman at the jail, who went through our first round back in November 2021, who was able to get a credit builder loan. We heard back from him after he was released, and in six months he was able to raise his credit score by 100 points.
That can be a real life-changer. Just by building up your credit little-by-little it can give someone access to some of the mainstream financial products and services that many others might take for granted.
Something like that can give someone hope.
It’s been eye-opening, working with the inmates. The determination some of them have to improve themselves is something you don’t see all the time. They truly want to have a chance to learn and apply these financial skills after they’re released, and—as such—they are some of the keenest students I’ve ever been around. They’re totally engaged and thinking deeply and asking so many questions. I’ve heard some of the most intelligent, thoughtful financial questions I’ve ever heard while working inside the Elkhart County Jail.
Earlier this year, in February, Lacasa’s Master It Series received the Program of the Year award at the 2023 Prosperity Indiana Summit in downtown Indianapolis. It’s a big award in the supportive services area, and we were there alongside many worthy and well-known programs; there were Habitat for Humanity and United Way programs and even a Special Olympics program with representatives in attendance.
I was there with two of my colleagues, and—during the award presentation—as soon as I heard the announcer say the words ‘working with inmates’ I knew we’d won. I think I probably turned beet red and stark white all at the same time. I was surprised at first because our inmate program is still fairly new, but that turned quickly into joy and gratitude. We earned this award. Our work allows us to connect with and help an entire segment of people who otherwise would be out of everyone’s reach, and in 2022 we collaborated with more than 25 partners—volunteer bankers, loan originators, realtors, and other housing and financial industry professionals—to benefit almost 200 program participants.
Our coordinators, Kris Klosinski—who’s since retired—and Sharon Lowry worked so hard to make this all possible. Our program has educated over 300 inmates since it began, and without the dedicated work of Kris and Sharon none of it would have happened. We couldn’t have done any of this without them.
I’m so grateful for all those who donate, and for our partner agencies, and for the funding we receive from HUD and NeighborWorks America. I think Lacasa’s leadership has demonstrated a commitment to being flexible, and able to adapt through so much change, to meet the many needs of the people in our community. As we speak, Lacasa has 360 affordable housing units between Elkhart and Goshen, so we’re always working to help meet housing needs, and with programs like the Master It Series classes we’re always working to find new ways to improve the quality of life for all Hoosiers, whether they’re working hard in our community or working hard to get back on their feet with a fresh start.
I grew up in Elkhart County and graduated from Concord High School in 2003, and then I went to Indiana University South Bend. When I was 25 I moved to Los Angeles to work as a gemologist for a renowned jeweler and I was out there for several years. I’ve had other travels and great experiences, but ultimately I came back to Indiana because I loved and missed its people.
Working now to help uplift the lives of Hoosiers, and having the satisfaction of watching students go from Point A to Point B, is a great joy for me. It’s rewarding beyond words to see so many men and women use the Master It Series program as an opportunity to commit to a new life, a better life, based on continued learning and self-improvement.”
Ashley Bowen is the Director of Client Empowerment for Lacasa Inc. A 2003 graduate of Concord High School, Ashley’s work includes teaching financial education classes to inmates at the Elkhart County Jail through the Master It Series for Inmates program.
A group of proud women display their certifications from the June 2023 Master Your Credit course at the Elkhart County Jail. The course is part of Lacasa’s Master It Series program, which is available to the public and also—in an effort to provide knowledge and tools to those seeking a fresh start—is offered to both male and female inmates at the Elkhart County Jail.
This group of men at the Elkhart County Jail, participants in the Master Your Debt course from July 2023, worked with instructors Ashley Bowen and DeVon Swihart for three days straight to earn their Master It Series certifications. The group, in a show of gratitude, spent six hours knitting custom-made hats for Bowen and Swihart the night before the final class.
Nonprofit housing agency Lacasa Inc. has worked for more than 50 years to strengthen Elkhart County by focusing on areas of impact such as Housing Development, Asset and Property Management, Financial Empowerment, and Community Building and Engagement. Lacasa works with individuals and community partners to create opportunities for personal empowerment, financial and family stability, and neighborhood vitality.
To nominate someone like Ashley for their good work in Elkhart County, fill out this easy submission form. Let us know their story!
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
– Sir Winston Churchill
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“I’m a terrible Minecraft partner—I could play that video game for 20 years straight and I’d still be just awful at it, but if that’s what one of the kids needs from me that’s what I’ll do,” says Goshen’s Vince Turner, a member of the Elkhart County Sports Hall of Fame and a longtime volunteer, along with his wife, Pat, for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County. “For about 20 years I mainly served on the board for the Boys & Girls club, and I was blessed to play a part in a lot of growth; I’ve been involved in five building campaigns, and that’s been very gratifying.
But these days I also spend time as a mentor, working one-on-one with the kids—like my wife, Pat, has done all these years. I spend time with the kids, build relationships with them, talk to them, play video games with them—very badly—and, mainly, I trust them to let me know what they need from me. I also really enjoy helping them get ready for their presentations for the Youth of the Year awards.
My wife is a retired teacher and just an amazing and inspiring connector with the kids. She’ll tell you she doesn’t really do anything, but don’t believe her. She cares so much, and gives so much of herself and her time—my admiration for Pat is endless.
When I started helping out with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County—around the time Kevin Deary, who I knew from Boston, came to the area to serve as CEO—it was just my way of paying it forward.
I was born in Boston and then moved to Southern California and grew up there—then I came to Indiana, kicking and screaming. As a kid I had some really rough patches, and at Columbia City High School a group of adults took me under their wing and just decided they were not going to let me fail. And I had a lot of trouble, but every time I turned around it seemed like there was someone there to encourage me, or help me. Or correct me.
I had a teacher at Columbia City named Jim Thompson, and he told me one time, ‘Vince, you can let your circumstances dictate the outcome of your life, or you can rise above it. And if you choose the latter, I will be with you every step of the way.’ And he meant every word. He was my biggest supporter for 50 years and, throughout my career in journalism and broadcasting, he was my biggest fan.
So for me, the idea of volunteering to help kids; to be an advisor, and a mentor—it’s more than just a nice thing to do. It’s crucial. It can save lives. Pat and I are absolutely dedicated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County. We love family, and we love Notre Dame hockey. You’ll see us at the Compton having fun together and supporting Jeff Jackson and his players. We love all of that. But one of our greatest joys comes from knowing that—together—we give of our time, and of ourselves, to be of service to kids in Elkhart County who need help.”
“When I first started volunteering for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County it just felt, right away, like it was one of my purposes in life,” says Pat Turner. “I was a teacher, and I’ve always had a passion for helping people—letting them know that they matter to me; that they count, and they have value.
Many years ago, I got very sick and I woke up in a hospital bed; paralyzed from the neck down, hooked up to wires and a respirator. I remember, at first, all I could do was wonder ‘why is this happening’? But then you realize pretty soon that ‘why’ doesn’t change things. I remember thinking ‘what am I going to do,’ and talking to God, and praying for strength. And I’ll never forget, at some point I started getting get well cards from people.
Simple, little cards.
And it may seem like a small thing, but just getting those cards and having that contact from people who cared was so huge for me. It told me I counted. There are a lot of kids in our community, and around the world, who have so many challenges. And they need to hear that they count, that they matter. I know, firsthand, how much it means to hear that.
When we were helping kids out with the Youth of the Year project I was asked to help the kids with speeches and presentations. And I agreed, but it struck me—with his background in media, broadcasting and public speaking—why not bring Vince in to help with this? I suggested it, and that’s when Vince started working one-on-one with the kids, too.
When you know you’re making a difference as a volunteer, it’s not difficult to dedicate your time. In fact, it’s easy. I know that’s true every time a child from the Boys & Girls club comes running up to me to give me a great, big hug.”
Every day, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County welcomes more than 1,500 youth between the ages of six and 18 into its Clubhouses, which provide an environment of stability, consistency, and physical and emotional safety, and are dedicated to building deeply powerful relationships and opening avenues of opportunity for youth across Elkhart County. To find out more, or learn how you can help, please visit https://www.greatfutures.club/.
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“I grew up in a part of Kansas that is known for volunteerism and service work, where people would help out at a local level and they’d also travel great distances to be of service to others,” says Billy Holdeman-Bass, an Admissions Counselor and joyful volunteer at Goshen College. “I was lucky to witness a lot of service work and volunteering, and I saw so many examples of servant-leadership in my early years. That instilled in me a desire for serving as a volunteer and for supporting other volunteers and nonprofit organizations. It’s been a privilege to pattern my life after the great lessons I’ve learned from others regarding service.
As an Admissions Counselor at Goshen College, I have plenty of work duties on my plate at any given time. I’m so happy to work with students to connect their interests with the many ways Goshen College can help them find their future. I think the best thing about Goshen College is that it’s not all just about earning a degree here, it’s also really about joining a community and becoming a lifelong learner.
For me, my experience at Goshen College has been so great that even when I’m off the clock I find myself wanting to stay involved and be a part of everything. In addition to my work duties, I volunteer wherever and whenever I can on campus, and at every event I can. I just want to be involved, it’s just a great community. I think I volunteer just as an extra act of love for our students, and to the patrons who visit our campus for events.
It’s hard to choose my favorite memory from all the events I’ve volunteered for, but a recent favorite was serving as an usher for our annual Earthtones concert at the Goshen College Music Center. This event was just really special, and important because it provided a voice for people from so many nations all in one space. I could sense and feel the meaning it held for students, to be involved in such a display of unity. I think the audience felt that, too.
I believe in what we do at Goshen College. When I’m volunteering my time in service of this great learning institution, there’s no place I’d rather be.”
Goshen College is a nationally-ranked college and Hispanic-Serving Institution located in Goshen, Indiana. The college’s 135-acre tree-filled campus is home to 950 students, including more than 40% that identify as students of color or from countries outside of the U.S. It offers over 65 undergraduate areas of study; as well as best-in-class graduate programs in nursing, business administration, environmental education and social work.
To nominate a volunteer like Billy for their dedicated work in Elkhart County, fill out this easy submission form. Let us know their story!
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
– Sir Winston Churchill
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“I was looking for opportunities, and I came from Guatemala to Goshen in 1992,” says Oscar Molina Jr., a volunteer for the Hispanic Heritage Festival in Goshen. “I think because I’m someone who went through a lot of challenges to get here—someone who experienced firsthand what it’s like to move to a new country and basically start from the beginning—I’ve always felt the need to help others in the Hispanic and Latino community.
I’m helping again this year with the Hispanic Heritage Festival. This will be the third year for this event in downtown Goshen and I’m happy to help Manuel Cortez from Radio Horizonte 104.3 FM and everyone else involved in putting on this festival; it’s been really nice. The past two years we’ve had a lot of people come out. I think it’s so popular because it really gives the Latino community a taste of home in a lot of different ways. This year we’ll have some great music and food, and we’ll also have vendors and local businesses with booths, including banks and realtors to help people with information. It’s like a combination between a street market and a party; we’ll have a roaming Mariachi band, Mexican bands from Goshen, South Bend, and Michigan, and we’ll have a headlining band from Chicago.
Since I’ve lived in Goshen I’ve wanted to try and improve the experience here for members of the Hispanic and Latino communities; to do whatever I can to help people get oriented. When I was in Guatemala I studied Engineering, but I took some journalism classes just so I could be involved in the school newspaper.
When I came here to Goshen I saw there was a need for more news outlets for Spanish-speaking members of our community. I had experience, and so in 1999 I helped my late father, Oscar Molina Sr., to start a newspaper called La Prensa Hispana. We started in 1999 with 16 pages and in a little over five years it had grown to nearly 50 pages. My father passed away in 2005, and I took over in his place, but then I had some health problems of my own that resulted in having to stop putting out the newspaper.
I’ve just always felt strongly about working hard to make sure the Hispanic community here has its needs met; in 2001 I started planning the first festival in this area dedicated to the Hispanic and Latino community.
For me, there are a lot of reasons to be involved in helping people and serving the community. There are always people who need help, and it’s just a good feeling to be the kind of person who tries to provide it. It makes you feel good to know that you have the ability to help someone else.
The second thing is that when you carry yourself this way—as someone who is trying to make things better for others—it sets a strong example and inspires other people to do the same. So, yes, it feels good to volunteer, and help people, and try to make good things happen for others. But more than that, it sets off a chain reaction of others following your lead. It can lead to helping a lot of people with their lives, and then they’ll want to help others, also.”
The 3rd Annual Hispanic Heritage Festival, presented by Community Pro-Education and Radio Horizonte 104.3 FM – is Saturday, Sept. 16, from 1-11 p.m. in downtown Goshen. Learn how to be involved as a volunteer, or find more information about the festival here https://www.visitelkhartcounty.com/event/3rd-goshen-hispanic-heritage-festival/14290/.
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“The rodeo that we host here at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair isn’t just a little county rodeo for fun,” says Dewey Miller, the volunteer coordinator for the Elkhart County 4-H Fair Rodeo. “Our rodeo at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair is the real deal. It’s a real competition sanctioned by the International Pro Rodeo Association. Winnings count toward the world standings, and the world finals are in January, so this is a serious event. Last year we had over 300 contestants from all over the country, including several riders from Canada.
I’m the Board Treasurer for the Elkhart County 4-H Fair, have been for eight years, but I also volunteer as the rodeo coordinator. An old friend of mine named Jerry Trolez, who is no longer with us, used to say something that has really stuck with me over the years, and still sort of guides me when it comes to service. He used to say, Your volunteer work is the rent that you pay to live on Earth.
That always meant a lot to me, and still does, and I consider myself a very active volunteer.
Coordinating the rodeo is a challenge, a lot goes into it, but from where I sit one of the most important things we do is to make sure that we give the riders the best ground we can. In rodeo, having ‘good ground’ is one of the most important things. We take a lot of pride in preparing the ground to ensure quality and improve safety for our riders and for our livestock owners.
Horses and livestock are expensive. Years ago, a good horse might run up to ten thousand dollars. These days it can be between seventy-five and one hundred and fifty thousand. So there’s a lot of investment into the livestock at these events, and the primary concern is always keeping the riders and the animals safe. Good ground is the key to that. We’re diligent in preparing the ground carefully, and our partners in the groundwork–Quality Excavating out of Goshen and Dana Bontrager Excavating out of Middlebury–do an exceptional job of moving and packing the ground with great care.
I was a farm kid growing up in this area, I grew up in Elkhart County and went to Fairfield High School. I didn’t do 4-H as a kid, but my daughter, Mia, was in 4-H Saddle Club and Swine Club. That’s how this rodeo journey all started, with my daughter in 4-H. She’s come a long way since then. She just graduated in May from Southern Arkansas University, where she was a member of the rodeo team. Mia competes on the rodeo circuit, and so rodeo is a part of our lives–we’ve spent a lot of time traveling to weekend events.
I take a lot of pride in the fact that the rodeo at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair is highly thought of by rodeo professionals. That’s a great feeling; it’s really rewarding to know that professionals appreciate what we do for them here. Overall, my goal every year for our rodeo is to be one of the best rodeo events in the state and region, and to provide the most entertainment for fans.
I’ve been somewhat instrumental in bringing Breakaway to Elkhart County, we were one of the first rodeos in the county to incorporate Breakaway. Breakaway is a women’s rodeo event, and one of my daughter’s specialties, that’s sort of taken the country by storm–it’s now part of professional rodeo and most are including it all over the county.
I’m just so glad to be a part of this rodeo, it was such a great experience to see my daughter ride in this rodeo over the years, too. I’m proud that we do it very well, and at the end of the day it’s just such a good feeling to see all the kids and folks and fans in the stands having a grand time watching the rodeo at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair.”
The Elkhart County 4-H Fair Rodeo is Friday, July 28 at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds and will include Bareback Bronc Riding, Bull Riding, Cowgirl’s Barrel Racing, Breakaway Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding, Steer Wrestling, and Team Roping. The day session (Session 1) begins at 1 p.m. and the evening session (Session 2) is scheduled for 8 p.m. For more information or to buy tickets please visit https://www.4hfair.org/events/2022/rodeo.
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