It’s often said that it takes a village to raise a child. That is particularly true for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as community services play a key role in helping them reach their full potential and lead productive lives with dignity.

That will be the focus of Strack & Van Til’s Checkout Challenge Round Up from Monday, May 5, through Sunday, May 11, as Respite Care Services Inc. and Opportunity Enterprises (OE) will be the beneficiaries. Customers across the Region can round up their purchase to the nearest dollar when shopping at their local Strack & Van Til store. Those extra funds from Strack & Van Til Lake County stores will be donated to Respite Care, with the Porter County proceeds going to Opportunity Enterprises.

According to its website,Respite Care Services is a nonprofit agency in business since 1981 serving  people with developmental disabilities for more than 43 years. Its mission includes offering temporary relief to families from the daily care of a member in need. Dedicated to ensuring that people with developmental disabilities have full and abundant lives, Respite Care provides services that promote quality, dignity and choice. Respite Care Services helps individuals with developmental disabilities achieve independence through the support of families, staff and case managers using the person-centered planning process.

Respite Care Executive Director Elizabeth Gonzales says the proceeds from the Strack & Van Til will help fund “campships” and activities for the individuals they serve. “We provide funds for a week-long camp of their choice, where they look forward to returning each year to make new friends and experience activities they otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to do,” she explains. “Additionally, we host monthly activities such as dances, bowling, picnics and RailCats games. Lastly, these funds enable us to offer valuable services to individuals who do not have enough service hours to meet their needs.”

Gonzales adds that Respite Care currently provides services to 70 children and adults with developmental disabilities throughout Lake and Porter Counties.

 “We are extremely grateful to be chosen for the Strack & Van Til Round Up. The generosity of Strack & Van Til and their customers is deeply appreciated,” Gonzales notes. “This opportunity provides vital funding for our programs and strengthens our commitment to making a meaningful impact in the lives of those we serve.”

Opportunity Enterprises, founded in 1967, is a nonprofit with a mission of creating inclusive and equitable opportunities for people of all abilities.

Since 1967, OE has served as a cornerstone of Northwest Indiana, empowering individuals throughout Lake, Porter and LaPorte Counties. The organization serves more than 1,000 individuals through a suite of programs and services including residential services through six group homes and multiple supported living sites, community employment placement and training, on-demand transportation, post-high school transition planning in school districts across the Region, three social enterprises and respite services provided in and outside of their newly built Markiewicz Center on Lake Eliza in Valparaiso.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Strack & Van Til for the Checkout Challenge and giving our communities such a simple yet powerful way to make a difference,” says Kacie Ensign, chief strategy officer at Opportunity Enterprises. “The generosity of people throughout Porter County who choose to round up their purchases speaks volumes about their belief in our mission to support individuals with disabilities. Thanks to Strack’s, their customers are becoming everyday philanthropists — and that collective impact is truly extraordinary.”

Strack & Van Til continues its more than 95-year tradition of philanthropy by raising funds through the Checkout Challenge Round Up to help organizations in the communities it serves  throughout Northwest Indiana.

President Jeff Strack credits customer generosity and employee commitment for the success of the Round Ups.

“Our stores, with the help of our employees, provide our customers with an outlet to give to some of their favorite local organizations,” he explains. “Our customers are the ones who give back to the community, and we are so grateful for them.”

Show your support for Respite Care Services by participating in the Checkout Challenge Round Up in Strack & Van Til’s Lake County stores and for Opportunity Enterprises in the Porter County stores.

For more information on programs, to volunteer or to donate, visit Respite Care Services Inc. at respitecareservices.org and Opportunity Enterprises at oppent.org. To learn more about how Strack & Van Til gives back to the communities it serves, visit strackandvantil.com/company/community-involvement.