Mayor Pete Land and the City of Crown Point recognized various community stakeholders and businesses during Tuesday evening’s State of the City Address.
New this year, the City lauded efforts of volunteerism in Crown Point through a Community Impact Award, which recognized Bonnie Meyer for her dedication to help keep the community fed.
Meyer is the founder of Buddy Bags, a program that provides students in the South Lake County with breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for the weekend. What started at one school in the Crown Point Community School Corp. has expanded to serve more than 800 students across 23 schools spanning four school districts.
She also heads up Community Help Network, where Buddy Bags are made, a household pantry exists for low-income families and a monthly Ladle of Love luncheon is held for the community free of charge.
Meyer is someone who volunteers for the community with the sole intention of helping those who need it
because it’s in her heart, Land said.
“This award is not my award. This award goes to everyone who has ever supported Community Help Network and Buddy Bags. Whether you have served on the board, packed a Buddy Bag, delivered a Buddy Bag, served food at Ladle of Love, helped a client to their car after they have received items from the household pantry, performed in a play, come to a fundraiser, donated time and/or money, worked in the garden, planting a seed or pulling a weed — this is your award,” Meyer said. “This is your recognition of what you do can help make life a little easier for those in our community who are struggling.”
Land and the City honored Developer Tim Heidbreder with the Excellence in Development award, which recognizes an outstanding commitment to development in Crown Point.
"It’s a recognition to show our appreciation as a City on how the recipient's work has helped make Crown Point an even better place to live. It’s a person who personifies, the ‘Building a Stronger Community from Within,’ approach,” Land said of the award.
Heidbreder became a developer in the 1980s after owning a successful Crown Point business for years.
“Once upon a time, maybe 55 years ago, I decided I wanted to build something in Crown Point. So, I built a two-car garage on East Clark Street, and it’s still standing today, as a matter of fact. And ever since then, I’ve had a lot of fun,” Heidbreder said.
A few notable projects Heidbreder has worked on around Crown Point include Arrowhead Park; Y2K Park; Millennium Plaza; Caleb’s Corner; Coe’s Corner; Crown Heating; Phil & Sons; Prestige Custom Stone; Janus Fire Systems; Point Medical Building; D&L Wood Products (Thomas Street location); O'Drobinak & Nowaczyk law firm; Bedarra Bar; Summers Heating & Cooling; Henderlong Lumber Co.; Shaw Polymers, LLC; and both the original and current Buddy & Pals buildings, which are a part of the Millennium Park development.
“Anyone whose had a conversation with Tim can see his passion for his developments, his historical knowledge of Crown Point and his ‘old Crown Point’ stories. But perhaps the most important trait you see is Tim’s love of Crown Point, our history, our community and its people,” Land said.
Land also recognized five Crown Point businesses that have been in business for 25-plus years in 2025,
including Artful Garden; Doppler Construction; Fricke’s Recreation; Gasparis & Zembillas Law Office; and Larry’s Barber Shop.
Two Crown Point Community School Corp. students — Aseel Al-Qudah and Cohen Webber — also received recognition and a $500 scholarship from the City and the Crown Point Community Foundation for their dedication to serving the community. The Crown Point Community School Corp. requires students to have 40 hours of community service to graduate. Al-Qudah had 276 hours, and Webber had 248 hours.
