After 35 years, Foundation still makes an impact

Brandon Wells

The concept of time is a funny thing. When you are bored or waiting for it to pass, boy does it seem to slow down to a crawl.

But when we think of the highlights of our life, the truly great moments like the birth of a child, a wedding day or laughing with loved ones until you cry, those times seem to pass like lightning.

As the Putnam County Community Foundation celebrates its 35th year, for those who have been a part of our story by serving on the board or a committee, donating or receiving a grant or scholarship, the years have likely come and passed in seemingly no time at all.

As they say, time flies when you are having fun. But, when we reflect on the stories we’ve made in our first 35 years, the friendships formed and the loved ones who have since passed, we come to realize that we’ve packed three lifetimes of memories into that brief window in time.

The first chance the Community Foundation had to impact our community came to Fillmore residents in the amount of $150, which helped them officially incorporate as a town.

As I said, time is a funny thing; so perhaps the timing is fitting that our most recent grant, just days old in fact, is again to the town of Fillmore. This time, to cover the expenses of a new bulletin board to hang outside of the town hall. Neither of those grants came with the same price tag as some large ones, like the founding of the Ivy Tech campus in Greencastle or the Knoy Center in Cloverdale. But for the people of Fillmore, the grants are just as impactful.

For the past 35 years, Fillmore has stood proudly as an independent municipality. The road to get there likely started with a group of individuals several generations ago that had the foresight to see the benefits their labor would have on their descendants today. Some of those same descendants may find themselves soon gathered outside of Fillmore Town Hall to learn of the latest events or discuss future bulletin board material in their community.

When I reflect on what I enjoy most about my role as executive director, it is these not-so-little things that come to mind: The group of like-minded citizens planning for the future together, the small town dreaming to be just a little bit bigger and the small role I get to play in those moments.

So, what will we be up to 35 years from now? Your guess is as good as mine, and that time will arrive before we know it.

But we will be here. Because of our donors’ generosity and the work of our volunteers and staff, your community foundation will be here to meet Putnam County’s needs forever.