Caring hearts build strong communities. The people of the Lenawee community display profound care throughout the entire year.

The Lenawee Community Foundation (LCF) continually celebrates donors, volunteers, community members, past award recipients, and everyone who shares their hearts, assets, skills, or time to build a better Lenawee.

LCF’s Annual Celebration brings together local individuals, organizations, and businesses to recognize and honor this year’s award recipients along with the work of donors, volunteers, and community partners.

This year, LCF is also celebrating the incredible generosity of the Lenawee community that has transformed the Health, Happiness, and Hope Fund (H3 Fund) into a reality. Together, the bold goal of raising $2 million by the end of 2024 was not only met but exceeded! This speaks volumes about the caring and generous spirit that makes Lenawee such a remarkable community – collectively creating something transformative: a flexible, local resource to meet needs and opportunities as they arise, now and for generations to come.

On Thursday, April 17th, two individuals and two couples who excel beyond community expectation will be celebrated and honored.

The Lenawee Lifetime Legacy Award recognizes individuals, couples, and families who have given exemplary service and commitment to the Lenawee County community.  The award honors consistent, lifetime giving to multiple local causes for a minimum of twenty years.

Gary and Cindi Gray are the 2025 recipients of the prestigious Lenawee Lifetime Legacy Award. The Grays have big hearts for our community and for others, especially children.  Nearly 35 years ago, they created Hot Rock Basketball Training Camp to teach basketball and life lessons all with no charge to attend this camp.  Gary has been an assistant varsity basketball coach and Lenawee Christian School Board member.  He is CEO of Gray Institute and Director of Program Development and Education at 3DPT Physical Therapy. He is world-renowned in the fields of physical therapy, functional movement, and sport training.

Cindi volunteered and taught at the Adrian Training School for 20 years.  She has shared her skill of sign language in churches, schools, as well as at Gray Institute.  She has served on the Crisis Pregnancy Board and volunteered at HOPE Community Center. Cindi has also written a historical fiction book, Locust in the Sandbox, about the 1963 bombing of a Black church in Birmingham, Alabama, that killed four girls. 

The Grays are kind and considerate, genuine and authentic, quietly living their values through actions that serve others. They have big hearts for our community and for others, especially children. They embody all that the Lenawee Lifetime Legacy Award represents through their lifetime of giving to multiple local causes for more than 40 years.

Robert L. Vogel is the recipient of the 2025 Lenawee Leadership Award. The Lenawee Leadership Award honors a person or couple, who exemplify the underlying principle that the future of our county will be determined by the quality of its leadership. Formerly known as the Maple Leaf Award, previous recipients continue to be recognized and are listed on the Foundation’s website. The award has a county-wide focus that mirrors the Lenawee Community Foundation’s mission: to connect people who care with causes that matter, bringing HEALTH, HAPPINESS, and HOPE to our community, now and forever.

Vogel graduated as salutatorian from Clinton High School. He worked at Hardwoods of Michigan in the village of Clinton for 43 years, serving as vice president for nine years and president for 20 years, while also serving as president for Walker Lumber Bigler, PA, and vice president of Kansas City Hardwoods, MO. He was named one of the 50 most influential people in the hardwood industry in North America in 2010.

Vogel has served the Lenawee community on numerous boards and committees. He served on the Herrick Hospital Development Board, the ProMedica Herrick Hospital Board, and the ProMedica North Region Board, Lenawee Intermediate School District Board.

He currently serves on the boards of Hospice of Lenawee (since 2013), Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County (Treasurer), Sam Beaufort Woodworking Institute (charter board member), and the Lenawee Community Foundation (since 1999).

Vogel is a member of the Lenawee Cares Pillars Club and helped start the Clinton Area Fund. He is a charter member, active participant, and donator to the Hunters Helping Lenawee initiative which donated a record 5,185 pounds of venison to the Lenawee community for the 2024-25 hunting season.

Vogel believes you can go far in life without leaving town through involvement in your community and its causes. He works hard for our community and quietly lives each day as an example of the quality of leadership that determines a positive future for our county.

Dr. Stanley and Karen Caine are the recipients of the 2025 Stubnitz Award. The Stubnitz Award is presented annually to a person or couple demonstrating exemplary commitment to Lenawee Cares, our community, and volunteerism in Lenawee. The award is named in memory of Lenawee’s philanthropist and businessman, Maurice Stubnitz.

Dr. Caine and his wife, Karen, moved to Adrian with their children, Rebecca, Kathryn, and David, in June of 1989 when Dr. Caine assumed the position of President of Adrian College. Both Stan and Karen come from families who believed in service to others. They also believe that community members should work as a team for the benefit of all. Adrian welcomed them to the team.

Since coming to Adrian, the Caines have been members of the Adrian United Methodist Church and have volunteered with Meals on Wheels and Share the Warmth.

As president of Adrian College through 2005, Dr. Caine made efforts to connect the college with the community. He was a member of the NCAA President’s Council which allowed him to ensure that athletes in Division III had access to sports. He was a member of the Rotary Club and served with the Lenawee Community Foundation as part of the Investment Committee and the Lenawee County Educational Foundation.

Karen has been a member of the church choir, brass ensemble, and bell choir. For 16 years, Karen served as a coach for both high school girls and college women’s tennis. She also served as a substitute teacher for the Adrian school system. Karen has served on the Board of Housing Help since the 1990s, including spending time as President. She was a member of the Adrian Symphony Orchestra Board and has been a member of the Stubnitz Foundation Board since 2006, including being the current president.

The Caines are especially honored to receive this award since they had the opportunity to meet Dorothy Stubnitz before her passing. They also feel blessed that their service has given them the opportunity to meet people with whom they wouldn’t normally connect, and the chance to learn from diverse perspectives. 

The Caines are Lenawee Cares Pillars Club members and have demonstrated exemplary commitment to Lenawee County and the cause for volunteerism in the Lenawee community for decades – so much so that following his retirement from Adrian College, they remained in Adrian and continue to call it home. They are kind, thoughtful, generous and do good wherever they can to help others and make a difference.

The 2025 Incito Award recipient is Jacob B. Wright. Incito means to inspire, excite, spur, increase, hasten, urge forward. The Incito Award was established in 2011 to recognize a young person, age 40 or under, who has emerged as a community leader and demonstrates a commitment to volunteerism, philanthropy, and leadership in our community.

Wright is a Tecumseh High School graduate who pursued architecture earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan. He is an Architect/Project Manager at Krieghoff-Lenawee Co, licensed in both Michigan and Ohio. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), National Council of Architecture Registration Board (NCARB), the Tecumseh Public Schools CTE Advisory Committee.

Wright serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors of Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Michigan, the Lenawee County Land Bank Authority Board of Directors, the Vice Chair of the Charter Township of Raisin, and Zoning Board of Appeals.

Wright inspires by example while making our community a better place in which to work and live. He follows his passion and thrives on doing good in his community. He inspires others with this passion; when he sees a need he wants to fix it and doesn’t let obstacles slow him down.

Wright is very involved with the Kiwanis Club of Tecumseh, serving on the Board of Directors and several committees. He revived the Canoe Race and chairs the Canoe Race committee, putting all he has into this community effort to bring everyone together for a family-friendly event.

He takes risks and puts it all on the line. He enjoys the challenge and strives to make things better. He feels fortunate to be born and raised in Lenawee County and strives to make it even better where he can so his daughters can grow up with the same pride in the Lenawee community.

There is so much to celebrate in Lenawee County! Join the Lenawee Community Foundation’s Annual Celebration breakfast on Thursday, April 17, from 7:45-9:15 a.m. at the Adrian Armory Events Center. Tickets are $20 and include breakfast. Reservations and payment are due by April 8 and can be made by contacting the Foundation at 517.263.4696.

Join the Foundation in celebrating our community, its members, and businesses. Connecting people who care with causes that matter for the love of Lenawee. Now and forever.

To donate, volunteer, or get involved with one of the Foundation’s many community programs, call 517.263.4696 or visit: lenaweecommunityfoundation.com/

The post 2025 Annual Celebration appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.

***** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *****

Media Contact: Kirsten Stiver 

Email: kirsten@lenaweecf.com

Phone: 517.263.4696

ADRIAN, Mich., Feb. 3, 2025 – Hunters Helping Lenawee, a program of The Lenawee Community Foundation (LCF), announced today a record year of venison donation into the Lenawee community.

As of January 31, 2025, a record 5,185 pounds of venison had been donated to Lenawee food pantries and community meal programs. This was more than twice the amount in the same period last year and equates to nearly 21,000 meals. More than 80,000 meals have been provided to help lessen hunger in Lenawee County through the Hunters Helping Lenawee program since its inception.

Hunters Helping Lenawee began in 2010 with initial funding from individual donors and grants from local foundations, including the Lenawee Community Foundation, along with funds received from a federal grant.

Just over 1,200 pounds of venison was donated that first year, an amount that has more than quadrupled over the life of the program. In Lenawee County, one in six people receive food assistance – about 16,000 people every day. With the ability to feed at least four people with each pound of venison donated, Hunters Helping Lenawee is providing lean, quality protein to help fight hunger here in our community.

“Hunters Helping Lenawee is one of the ways the Lenawee Community Foundation connects people who care with causes that matter,” said Bronna Kahle, LCF President and CEO. “We’re grateful for the hunters who donate deer, and also for the local processors, food pantries, meal programs, volunteers, and donors who make this program possible — providing nutritious meals to local families, individuals, and seniors in need, helping to build a healthier, stronger Lenawee, now and forever.”

In Lenawee County, hometown pride runs deep and taking care of our neighbors is a way of life. Donating financial gifts helps cover the deer processing fees to ensure more healthy meals can be shared across our community.

For more information or to make a donation, please visit lenaweecommunityfoundation.com/

About Lenawee Community Foundation:

The Lenawee Community Foundation is a charitable organization created by and for the community. By collecting donations and investing them for lasting impact, the Foundation funds grants, scholarships, and local initiatives to address community needs, support nonprofits, and enhance the wellbeing of Lenawee County. More than just an organization, the Lenawee Community Foundation is an opportunity for individuals, families, and businesses to leverage the power of collective giving to make sure their community stays strong and supported for years to come.

###

The post Record Year: Hunters Helping Lenawee Donates over 5,000 Pounds of Venison to Lenawee Food Pantries appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.

Without a will or trust, your assets and intentions could be distributed without regard for your specific desires. This means that the causes and communities you care about might not benefit from your lifetime of hard work. Without proper planning, your estate may incur higher taxes, diminishing the value of your lasting legacy and impact.

The caring and trusted team at your Lenawee Community Foundation understands the deep meaning and incredible importance of creating a personal and meaningful legacy. We are here to help you make sure your goals for giving are not only met, but also have a lasting and “forever” impact. Each of us has the power to make a real difference; whether your passion is education, the arts, health and wellness, veterans, senior citizens, parks and recreation, housing and hunger initiatives, family support, or youth development, you can help shape the future of Lenawee County and beyond through your legacy.

Creating your legacy through our community’s local Foundation not only provides peace of mind but also offers tangible benefits. Thoughtfully planned charitable gifts can reduce the tax burden on your estate and maximize the impact of your contributions. By structuring your giving, you can ensure that your support for cherished causes endures and that your memory lives on through tangible, beneficial projects, and initiatives.

Take a moment to consider how you would like to be remembered. Imagine the potential of your generosity to foster lasting change. The Lenawee Community Foundation is ready to assist you every step of the way. We invite you to discuss how your vision through giving can be transformed into a lasting legacy.

As we observe Leave a Legacy Month, consider making a decision that will resonate for generations. Contact the Lenawee Community Foundation to learn more about creating a legacy that reflects your dedication to our community for generations to come. What legacy do you want to leave behind?

#

Bronna Kahle serves as the President & CEO of the Lenawee Community Foundation.  Your Community Foundation partners with individuals, corporations, and organizations to fulfill their charitable goals and dreams for Lenawee.  For information about how your business, any group, your family, or you can help build a better community for today and forever, call 517.263.4696, contact forlenawee@lenaweecf.com , or visit lenaweecf.com.

The post Leaving Your Mark: How Will Lenawee Remember You? appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.

All year long we celebrate donors, volunteers, community members, past award recipients, and all of you who may have shared your hearts, assets, skills, or time to build a better Lenawee community.

The annual celebration brings together local individuals, organizations, and businesses while recognizing award recipients and the work of donors, volunteers, and community partners. On Thursday, April 4th, we will celebrate three individuals, and a business that excel beyond community expectation.

The Lenawee Leadership Award honors a person or couple, who exemplify the underlying principle that the future of our county will be determined by the quality of its leadership. Formerly known as the Maple Leaf Award, previous recipients continue to be recognized and are listed on the Foundation’s website. The prestigious award has a county-wide focus that mirrors the Lenawee Community Foundation’s mission to enhance the quality of life in Lenawee and increase health, happiness, and hope for us all.

Harry “Dusty” Steele was selected to receive the 2024 Lenawee Leadership Award. Steele is active in many areas of advocacy throughout Lenawee County. He has shown exemplary community leadership and volunteerism through his participation in city government and nonprofit organizations. In addition to running his business, HB Steele Interactive Financial Planning, Steele gives of his time, talents, and treasures. Steele’s Board of Director seats include Siena Heights University where he currently serves as the board chairman, City of Adrian Downtown Development Authority (Adrian Main Street), Kiwanis Club of Adrian (also the Finance Committee), Lenawee Development Finance Authority of the City of Adrian and Tecumseh, and Kiwanis Regional Trail Authority, where Steele was a prime mover and leader of the effort to connect the County’s leadership on the completion of the Kiwanis Trail, connecting Adrian and Tecumseh. Steele’s leadership has helped the growth of Siena Heights University’s campus and student body, the YMCA of Lenawee County’s capital campaign success, adding bike lanes to the Downton streets, the establishment of Launch Lenawee and so much more. Steele has an innate ability to help businesses and organizations realize their vision as an organization and, in many ways, becomes a part of that vision and work. Steele has a passion for our community, the heart for our community and the tenacity to make good things happen.

Katie Mattison is the 2024 recipient of the Stubnitz Award. The Stubnitz Award is presented annually to a person or couple demonstrating exemplary commitment to Lenawee Cares, our community, and volunteerism in Lenawee. The award is named in memory of Lenawee’s philanthropist and businessman, Maurice Stubniz. Giving Back should not be a phrase you hear but a lifestyle you live! Mattison has strived over the years to instill this, not only into her lifestyle, but also in how her and her husband Josh have raised their family. In 2006 Mattison and her family moved to Lenawee County. From the beginning Mattison’s family were involved with her volunteer activities, spending numerous hours learning how important our communities are. Mattison feels extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to be a part of Lenawee organizations like Adrian Symphony Orchestra, Community Learning Connection, Tecumseh Public Schools, Hospice of Lenawee, Tecumseh and Adrian Chambers, ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital, St. Elizabeth Church, City of Tecumseh Bicentennial Committee, and the Lenawee Community Foundations Lenawee Cares Advisory Board. Whether she is serving on a board, or boots on the ground with an organization’s project Mattison enjoys giving her time, talents, and treasures to each of these organizations and is honored to be a part of them. Lenawee County is a better place with her in it! Kemner Iott Benz is the 2024 recipient of the Community Pillar Award, which is presented to an individual, couple, or business to recognize outstanding impact on our community through Lenawee Cares. The Pillar Award is a testament to Kemner Iott Benz unwavering commitment to making a positive impact through Lenawee Cares. As an innovative insurance agency with a remarkable 35-year legacy in serving the Michigan area, Kemner Iott Benz has consistently demonstrated a profound dedication to community welfare. Generosity and community support are ingrained in the agency’s ethos, propelled by a dynamic team that actively engages with local organizations. Numerous employees of Kemner Iott Benz contribute to various boards, embodying a culture that goes beyond business to prioritize collective well-being. Since the inception of Lenawee Cares in 2016, Kemner Iott Benz has consistently ranked in the Top 10 for campaigns, with several team members contributing at the prestigious Pillars Club Level. Moreover, their involvement extends to key roles within the Lenawee Community Foundation’s Lenawee Cares Advisory Board, highlighting a commitment to shaping a better tomorrow through initiatives like the Tomorrow’s Pillars program. Kemner Iott Benz stands as a beacon of community service, epitomizing the essence of the Community Pillar Award.

The 2024 Incito Award recipient is Jacob Cooper. The Incito Award was established in 2011 to recognize a young person, age 40 or under, who has emerged as a community leader and demonstrates a commitment to volunteerism, philanthropy, and leadership with Lenawee Cares and other organizations in our community. Since 2018, Cooper has been a part of the Lenawee Community Foundations Lenawee Cares Advisory Board, assuming roles of Secretary, Campaign Co-Chair, and presently, the position of Advisory Board Chair. In addition to his contributions to Lenawee Cares, Cooper serves as Treasurer for the City of Adrian Downtown Development Authority (Adrian Main Street) and as a Board Member and Public Relations Chair for the Adrian Noon Rotary Club. Cooper is a young leader who illuminates the path to positive change, inspiring the community with passion, vision, and a relentless drive to make a difference right here at home.

So, you can see there is much to celebrate in Lenawee County and at the Lenawee Community Foundation’s Annual Celebration Breakfast. Would you like to join in the celebration? If so, do not miss our annual meeting breakfast on April 4^th, from 7:45-9:15 a.m. at Adrian Armory Events Center. Tickets are just $20 and include breakfast. Reservations and payment are due by March 26^th, by contacting the Foundation at 517.263.4696.

Thank you for helping to celebrate our community, its members, and businesses. Your collaborative spirit in working with us exemplifies a shared commitment to construct a brighter today and tomorrow for the residents of Lenawee County.

The Lenawee Community Foundation works to assist people in creating legacies and investing in Lenawee. You can donate $30 to send Imagination Library books to a preschool child for a year; volunteer; leave 10% in your will or trust to benefit Lenawee; endow annual gifts to your favorite nonprofits or make gifts or bequests for your hometown. Contact the Foundation for help in creating your legacy. Gifts and legacies work for Lenawee County. Now and forever.

To learn more about the Lenawee Community Foundation or any of its programs or services please contact us at 517.263.4696.

#

Cynthia Heady is the Director of Development & External Engagement of the Lenawee Community Foundation. Your Community Foundation assists individuals, corporations, and organizations in fulfilling their charitable goals for our community. For information on how to get involved with the Lenawee Community Foundation and help to build a better community, call 517.263.4696 or contact cynthia@lenaweecf.com. We look forward to collaborating with you.

The post 2024 Annual Celebration appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.

2023 was a remarkable year for our community’s Foundation, marked by significant milestones that have furthered our mission to connect people who care with causes that matter. Our Foundation’s impact is a direct reflection of the generosity and spirit of the people of Lenawee – a community characterized by its friendly, caring way of life.

We witnessed the profound impact of collective giving with the opening of the Canopy Walk at Hidden Lake Gardens, supported in part by our Community Project Fund. Similarly, the completion of the Kiwanis Trail extension, also supported in part by a Community Project Fund, has provided a scenic and accessible route for our community to connect and stay active.

Legacies were honored last year, supporting our veterans through the establishment of The Stanley Endowment, and bringing the joy of music and nature to many through the TCA Music Park, thanks to the Robert & Albert Ward Todd Endowment.

2023 was also a year of organizational growth. We welcomed new leadership, myself included, and in partnership with donors, LCF significantly grew the Lenawee Health, Happiness, and Hope Fund, securing a $1 million dollar-for-dollar match towards our $2 million goal. This initiative is a testament to LCF’s commitment to respond to immediate needs while preparing for future opportunities across Lenawee.

As we look ahead to 2024, let’s continue to embody the spirit of giving and collaboration. Every gift, no matter the size, creates ripples of change that extend far beyond its initial impact. Our collective efforts in philanthropy are not just about financial contributions; they are about the shared commitment to uplift, support, and transform our community.

I am immensely proud to be part of the Lenawee Community Foundation and even prouder of the community we serve. Together, let’s build on our achievements and continue to bring health, happiness, and hope to our community, now and forever.

Here’s to a new year filled with promise, continued collaboration, and the unwavering spirit of Lenawee! Every gift matters, and so does every member of our community. May 2024 be a year of prosperity, joy, and continued success for all.

#

Bronna Kahle serves as the President & CEO of the Lenawee Community Foundation.  Your Community Foundation partners with individuals, corporations, and organizations to fulfill their charitable goals and dreams for Lenawee.  For information about how your business, any group, your family, or you can help build a better community for today and forever, call 517.263.4696, contact forlenawee@lenaweecf.com , or visit lenaweecf.com.

The post Happy New Year! appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.

Before Marilyn Underhill, daughter of V.C. and Velma Knight, passed away, she made sure that her parents’ wishes were carried out to benefit Lenawee.  She said, “My parents came from humble backgrounds, however they did well financially and were able to help hundreds of people in their lifetimes.”

But V.C. and Velma Knight did much more than help people in their lifetimes.  Although Velma passed away in 1980, and V.C. in 2005, they recently funded $46,000 in grants.  Since their private foundation assets were transferred to the Lenawee Community Foundation, they have awarded nearly $525,000 in grants that assisted thousands of Lenawee residents with their basic needs.   Their “dedication to help their fellow human beings,” according to their daughter, is alive today because of the legacy they left.  And the exciting news is that because only the earnings are spent on grants, there is still over $1 million in their legacy fund.

Grants were awarded to:

Adrian Morning Rotary Club for Weekend Snack Sacks

Associated Charities of Lenawee County for daily distributions

Blissfield Food Pantry for pantry services

Catherine Cobb Safe House for shelter support

Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee, Hillsdale for the Child Advocacy Center & Children’s Trauma Assessment Center

Child Care Network for the Family Support Program

City of Refuge Ministries International for the Meal Assistance Program

Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County for the home repair program

Housing Help of Lenawee for Housing First programming

Hudson United Methodist Church for the Backpack Buddies program

Lenawee Department on Aging for transportation support for senior citizens

Lenawee Public Transportation Authority for transportation support for residents with disabilities

NewSong WeCare for support of pantry services

Salvation Army for support of twice weekly community dinners

St. Mary’s Food Pantry & Dire Need Office for basic needs support

We are grateful to the volunteers who spent their time reviewing the grant requests.  They had a tough job.  Volunteers who served on the committee that made the grant recommendations included: Dawn Bales, Luana Bixler, Chelsey Boss, Gerry Burg, Cindy Carver, Sarah Church, Linda Polter, Austin See, Sharese Shannon Mathis, Jamie Taylor, and Taylor Williams.  Their recommendations were approved unanimously by the Lenawee Community Foundation Board of Directors.

Leaving a great legacy is about using what you have, to improve what you see happening around you, and continuing that work on into the future.  When you leave a legacy, not only do you improve the quality of life for yourself, but all our friends and neighbors.  Now and forever.

#

Paula Trentman serves as Vice President & Director of Grants and Programs of the Lenawee Community Foundation.  Your Community Foundation assists individuals, corporations, and organizations in fulfilling their charitable goals for our community.  For information about how your business, any group, your family, or you can volunteer to build a better community, call 517.263.4696 or contact forlenawee@lenaweecf.com.  We would be delighted to be of service as you invest time, talent, and treasure now and forever.

The post Knight Grants Awarded appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.