Southwire’s facility in Lafayette, Ind., partnered with Project GIFT to donate more than $5,000 to the Wabash Center in support of Grant’s House.

In addition to the donation, the Lafayette Plant hosted a cookout for the employees at Grant’s House and served more than 80 hours of volunteer time. Since 2015, Southwire has donated to this important cause, resulting in more than $10,000 in total donations and more than 300 volunteer hours.

According to its website, the Wabash Center – located in Wabash, Ind., was founded in 1952 by a group of families who had children with special needs. The families were discouraged from the lack of resources available to their children, so they started support programs that did not exist at the time. Today, the Wabash Center has an established history of providing quality care for families in need, offering dozens of programs and services for those with disabilities or special needs.

Throughout its 67 years, the Wabash Center has grown exponentially and now offers many resources for local community members, such as supported living, family support, youth services, day services, employment services and community stewardship.

Grant House was a student and employee at the Wabash Center who tragically passed away in 2015 when he was just 25 years old. In honor of their son’s life and legacy, the House family and the Wabash Center joined efforts with help from the community and created a new facility called Grant’s House. According to the organization’s website, the goal of Grant’s House is to “create an outlet for young individuals with special needs and their families, so each individual has the opportunity to actively grow.” Today, Grant’s House offers numerous services, and the program helps children develop educational and social skills.

For the past four years, Southwire’s Lafayette Plant has given back to Grant’s House. Melissa Brothers, Project GIFT coordinator for Lafayette, explained that the connection between their facility and Grant’s House stems from personal relationships.

“A lot of our employees at one point in time actually went to McCutchen High School with Grant,” said Brothers. “This is one way for them to give back to Grant and support this wonderful cause.”

The Wabash Center relies on donations from partners, like Southwire, to continue doing its important work. The funds will go directly back into Grant’s House to fund the meaningful activities that take place there.

“Every year, the employees here in Lafayette look forward to being involved with Grant’s House,” said Brothers. “I think any child or any parent that has a need should have the opportunity to go and learn without being judged or criticized. By supporting Grant’s House, we are supporting that opportunity.”

If you’re interested in reading more about Southwire’s commitment to Giving Back in its communities, “Like” the Southwire Community Facebook page or visit our annual Sustainability Report
here: http://southwiresustainability.com/giving-back/