To celebrate Indiana Beverage’s recent donation of $10,000 to United Way Northwest Indiana as well as their long standing partnership, CEO of Indiana Beverage Jon Leetz led United Way Northwest Indiana on a tour of the Indiana Beverage facility. This included its prohibition museum located in the front of the facility as well as the warehouses in the back.
The partnership between Indiana Beverage and United Way Northwest Indiana began over 40 years ago in accordance with a key aspect of Indiana Beverage’s mission: giving back to its local communities. Witnessing the crucial role United Way Northwest Indiana plays in bolstering the community through a variety of programs like Level Up over the years has fueled Indiana Beverage to strengthen its relationship with United Way Northwest Indiana and continually pour into such a valuable community resource.
“For us, partnership with our community is foundational to what we do. It's in our mission statement, and there's a long legacy and history behind that,” Leetz said. “It's something that we get really excited about. Involvement is an expectation, but I think it fits the people who work here. People want to be involved. They want to have a purpose. They want to give back. When we’re able to do stuff with folks like United Way Northwest Indiana, it satisfies a lot of needs across the board.”
As Indiana Beverage thrives more with every passing year, its drive and capacity to give back also grow. Chris White, CEO of United Way Northwest Indiana, is proud to call Indiana Beverage a partner and is grateful for the impact the company has had on United Way Northwest Indiana and ultimately the community over their decades-long relationship.
“Simply put, we can't do our work without their support,” White said. “They've been leaders in helping to fund our mission. Their leadership over the years has been critical.”
CFO of Indiana Beverage Todd Wagenblast recalls having only briefly been at Indiana Beverage before being encouraged to reach out to Sharon Kish, who led Porter County United Way at the time, about ways to support United Way Northwest Indiana’s efforts.
Whether it looks like donating to United Way Northwest Indiana or serving as a volunteer on the board of a local nonprofit, Wagenblast is proud of Indiana Beverage’s commitment to the community on a company and individual level.
“It’s almost an expectation that we're part of this community. We encourage our employees to get out and get involved in whatever organization strikes them with a passion. I think that's a big part of who we are,” Wagenblast said. “A number of our people are on nonprofit boards; Jeff Leetz was on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs for a long time, and they would often meet here. Our president, Bob Jacobs, is very involved with the Northwest Indiana Food Bank.”
Following his recent appointment as CEO of United Way Northwest Indiana, Chris White looks forward to pouring more into the community with Indiana Beverage on board, allowing United Way Northwest Indiana to continue existing programs and discover new methods tailored to every area in the Region, enabling Northwest Indiana to flourish as a whole.
“We have a lot in common across the Region, but we’ve got to remember that it’s the things that make us different that make us stronger. We want to find new ways to get people engaged with their communities,” White said.
For more information about United Way Northwest Indiana, visit unitedwaynwi.org.
