Warsaw Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert speaks to the crowd during the luncheon.

KOSCIUSKO — Donors and community members were invited to celebrate the yearly accomplishments of the Kosciusko County Community Foundation during the annual celebration luncheon held yesterday, Nov. 15.

During the last fiscal year, donors allowed the foundation to award nearly $2.5 million in grants. More than $537,000 in scholarships were awarded to 239 students for college, university or vocational training. Twelve new funds were established, bringing the total number of charitable funds held to 432.

The most notable milestone reached was that since 1992, the foundation has awarded over $30 million in grants.

Warsaw Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert was present to speak about the $100,000 grant to local school systems to expand counseling services. Hoffert noted that every day the school is alerted to crisis phrases being searched on school devices and that every weekend police get sent to a student’s house for help. The mental health crisis spans all schools systems and the need to expand services is great.

Warsaw schools was awarded around $50,000 of the foundation’s grant. The school has been able to use that money as a catalyst to earn $701,100 from a Lilly Endowment grant. With the funds from the Kosciusko Community Foundation, Warsaw Schools were able to fund a mental health speaker and eventually multiply the investment 14 times by securing the Lilly Endowment grant.

Marlene Mulero-Betances also spoke at the event. She moved to Warsaw in 1999 and worked with Johnson & Johnson for many years. In 2011, she began her own company EnPak, which provides packaging and labeling services for the orthopedic industry. She joined the foundation’s board of directors in 2012. Together, she and her husband, honored their grandmothers by establishing a charitable fund at the foundation.

The main message of the luncheon was that without donors, nothing the Kosciusko Community Foundation does would be possible.

“You are the reason the community foundation is successful,” said Executive Director Suzie Light. “All of you are important to the community foundation.”