Ever wonder how Porter County stacks up against the rest of Northwest Indiana in how it takes care of the environment? Here’s your opportunity to find out. Join the Duneland Chamber of Commerce for a luncheon on Wednesday, May 22 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Chesterton, and enjoy a “State of the Environment” presentation by Save the Dunes Executive Director Nicole Barker. Registration begins at 11:30am, and tickets may be purchased by calling the Chamber at (219) 926.5513 or visiting www.dunelandchamber.org. All are welcome.

“We’ll be taking a look at conservation through a national and regional lens, and then drilling down into what’s going on here in Porter County – the goals we’re setting; the projects we’re moving forward; and the metrics we’re hitting. And then we’ll explore specific steps that everyone can take to contribute,” says Barker.

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It has been an eventful spring for the members of the Purdue University North Central Electric Vehicle Research Club (EVRC). The vehicle that they engineered, programmed and crafted by hand recently earned second place in the Purdue University evGrandPrix race - an adaptation of the storied Grand Prix race for electric vehicles and took third place in the 3rd Annual International Electric Vehicle Grand Prix, held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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Dunes Learning Center will offer families an exciting day of outdoor fun at no cost in celebration of National Get Outdoors Day on June 8. Trail hikes, river exploration, kayak demonstrations, camp crafts and lunch on the lawn will be supplemented by art exhibitions and live music at this annual event.

Located in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore on the site of the former Good Fellow Youth Camp, Dunes Learning Center is not generally open to the public. Thanks to local partners, families will have a great opportunity to sample a wide range of outdoor activities among the park's wetlands, rivers, prairies and woodlands.

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Officials who lead nonprofit programs in the sectors of arts and culture, children and youth, community and economic development, health care, and social services will find more than 1,800 funding sources for operating costs in a newly published directory.

Schoolhouse Partners LLC has published the eighth edition of Operating Grants for Nonprofit Organizations. It can be purchased directly from Schoolhouse Partners, Amazon, Baker & Taylor, EBSCO Information Services, Ingram Books or YBP Library Services. The information also is available on Grant Select, Schoolhouse Partners' subscription-based online database.

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We need volunteers; Our ground breaking ceremony is this Saturday, May 18th. Please contact us now to reserve your spot in welcoming our new partner family as we begin the construction of their new home.

This unique wall raising event will begin at 8:30 am.

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The Caring Place is proud to announce that we have been selected as one of the nonprofits for the 2013 Influential Women of Northwest Indiana Banquet.

Please join us in celebrating the success of women in 11 different categories, while benefiting The Caring Place.

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People volunteer for many reasons, some may surprise you. The life of a volunteer at the Portage Resale Shop in an interesting and unique experience, filled with adventure some days, and tedium the next.

On an average month, about 30 volunteers will log hours ranging from about 10 to 80 hours a month, each for a total of about 900 hours each month. We have had a few months with individuals logging more than 160 hours, equivalent to a full time job.

Read more: The Life of the Volunteer