Dayspring Women's Center, Inc. was recently awarded its non-profit 501(c)3 status thanks to the help of Paul Kolhoff and his team of students and professionals and the Valparaiso University Law Clinic. The Valparaiso University Law Clinic, a licensed law firm, offers students the opportunity to represent clients during their third year of law school. The Law Clinic is dedicated to providing free or low-cost legal services to disadvantaged members of the community. Each year the clinic handles more than 700 cases. Dayspring, as one of their non-profit clients, was thrilled not only about receiving low cost legal support, but was also impressed to receive their IRS determination so quickly thanks to the level of professionalism and knowledge demonstrated by the Law Clinic.
There is also one entity that Dayspring Women's Center could not have existed without in its first year as an organization and that is Neighbor's Corporation (Project Neighbors). "Neighbor's was kind enough to take us on as a project until we secured our own non-profit status," stated Rachel Niemi, the Executive Director of Dayspring Women's Center, Inc. Project Neighbors is dedicated to providing affordable housing for low-income families. Project Neighbors is committed to flexibility - examining the community in which we live and actively seeking to improve the lives of the people within it. In addition to providing affordable housing, Project Neighbors has been the catalyst for the development of Hilltop Neighborhood House, a local eatery, Healthlinc, and most recently, Neighborhood Educational Opportunities (NEO) - an adult education program. It has also been the sponsor of Valparaiso's own WVLP community radio station (98.3) which provides a forum for debate, commentary, and an eclectic selection of music.
The staff, volunteers, and Board of Directors at Dayspring are so grateful for these and other organizations who support individuals and businesses in our community. "It is great that our community is so invested in collaborative efforts," said one Dayspring volunteer. "Without collaboration, Dayspring would not have been able to thrive in its first year as a non-profit providing services that are desperately needed in our area."