Virginia has worked for 14 years with Lake City Bank and is currently in Commercial Banking as a Loan Administrator. Having lived in Granger for 23 years while raising her daughter Shelby. Within a two year time span Virginia lost her father in 2014 and her husband in 2015 now sees her return move back to Elkhart “like coming home”. She loves to invest her volunteerism for the needs of children having been a board member of Patchwork Dance Company, JA in A Day education, is a member of the Elkhart Kiwanis Club where she assists with the club’s newsletter and is a board member. In addition has been a volunteer reader and a sous chef for 100 Men Can Cook both benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of Elkhart. Always wanting to make a difference for those need it most: children. Since her return to Elkhart in 2017, Virginia wants to give back to the town which gave her so much growing up and finds dancing for the Samaritan Center the perfect vehicle to not only help raise much needed funds for such an amazing organization but shine a light and help those in our community who need this invaluable mental health organization. Virginia would like to thank Laci (for reminding her which foot is right and left) and her dance partner Jeff for teaching her that HE leads the dance. To her fiancée’ Kevin Wirt for the dance shoes, the band aids, the encouragement before each practice and the foot stool AFTER practice. Finally to my daughter Shelby, thanks for telling me I’d regret it if I didn’t do this and for encouraging me tonight after the five million dance performances and rehearsals I did for you over 12 years. In January, Virginia returns to college to finally finish her dream of getting her degree at Ivy Tech, noting,          “Every day you have a choice: you can make it chicken poop or chicken salad – you choose. “ Like Jon Bon Jovi sang…Who says you can’t come home?

Still Dancing in Elkhart is in its 11^th season raising funds to support The Samaritan Center in Elkhart.  The Center was founded by the First Presbyterian Church of Elkhart in 1972.  It is the founding Center for the Solihten Institute (FKA The Samaritan Institute) and a network of 44 other Centers around the country.  Still Dancing in Elkhart started during the Great Recession in 2009.  It has brought financial healing to the Center and subsequent growth in serving the community. 

The Center’s mission is to be the expression of the love of God by helping people under stress.  The Center provides high level, spiritually integrated, mental health counseling to people of all ages, whatever their faith background might be. 

This event will provide fee assistance to help ensure access for those who could otherwise not afford services.  The success of this event is directly responsible for the Center growth in size and ministry over the last 10 years.  In 2019 we expect to work with over 500 individuals, couples, and families and almost a third of them will have some level of fee assistance to support counseling hours.

Thank you for helping us make a difference in the lives of our neighbors.