06 Dec Community Services of Starke County Awarded
Jimmie Howard (Food Pantry Manager), Cecelia Moroni (Program Coordinator), Cindy Benke (Executive Director), and Shannon Mengedoht (Transportation Coordinator)
The Community Services of Starke County is the recipient of the James R. Hardesty Leadership in Philanthropy Award, created by the Starke County Community Foundation to honor outstanding individuals and organizations that positively impact the community through philanthropic efforts.
Since 1977, the Community Services of Starke County has provided dependable, quality services to low-income residents, elderly, and citizens living with disabilities. Transportation, health screenings, as well as food and housing services are amongst the many critical community services they provide.
“We are very honored to receive this wonderful surprise,” said Community Services of Starke County Executive Director Cindy Benke. “The staff has been through a lot of transition this year. However, they have remained dedicated to their jobs and persevered through it all.”
Community Services of Starke County is the eighth recipient of the annual award, which was established to honor James “Jim” Hardesty’s legacy of giving back to the community in which he 
lived. Hardesty, who resided in Hamlet, stated his philosophy of giving simply and poignantly: “If you can’t do a lot, do what you can.” Jim passed away on May 24, 2014 at 92 years of age. His contributions to the SCCF make up the largest gift to-date from a single donor in any of the three counties served by the Northern Indiana Community Foundation.