Dec-O-Art gives $75,000 to three local nonprofits on Donation Day

Dec-O-Art marked its fourth annual Donation Day on Sept. 18 by closing operations for hands-on volunteer work at three employee-chosen nonprofits in Northern Indiana. The company also gave each group $25,000, totaling $75,000 to support services for children, families and food-insecure residents.

Why it matters: - Dec-O-Art paired employee volunteer time with direct grants to three local nonprofits, adding immediate support for community services. - The $75,000 total donation helps organizations serving medically fragile children, families needing essentials and residents facing food insecurity. - Donation Day also reinforces employee choice in community giving, which can deepen local engagement and support.

What happened: - Dec-O-Art held its fourth annual Donation Day on Sept. 18 and closed its doors for a day of hands-on service. - Employees volunteered at A Rosie Place for Children, Angels in the Attic and Cultivate Food Rescue. - Dec-O-Art gave each nonprofit $25,000, for a combined total of $75,000. - Marketing Director Angela Marazita said Donation Day reflects who Dec-O-Art is as a company. - Marketing Coordinator Amanda Buchanan said the event is one of her favorite days of the year and a meaningful way to support the community.

The details: - A Rosie Place for Children, founded in 2005, is Indiana's first and only specialty hospital dedicated to respite care for medically fragile children. - A Rosie Place serves families from all 92 Indiana counties. - Dec-O-Art volunteers helped prepare for the nonprofit's annual “It's A Wonderful Life” Christmas party. - The team painted canvas panels for a Christmas craft and assisted with other event-prep tasks. - Angels in the Attic, founded by Kristine Kuroski, provides clothing, food, hygiene products and other essentials to individuals and families across Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan. - Some volunteers helped with furniture operations, including pulling furniture and loading moving trucks for local deliveries. - Other volunteers sorted, organized and stocked the main facility. - Cultivate Food Rescue, founded in 2016, rescues surplus food and provides nutritious meals to families facing food insecurity in St. Joseph, Elkhart and Marshall counties. - Volunteers sorted frozen meals, packaged them for distribution and worked assembly-line style to fill meal trays, seal meals and stack finished products. - Dec-O-Art invited people to learn more or donate through the nonprofits' websites: A Rosie Place for Children, Angels in the Attic and Cultivate Food Rescue. - Dec-O-Art said it serves local and global manufacturers with labeling and branding solutions. - Dec-O-Art's contact information included sales@dec-o-art.com and the company website, www.dec-o-art.com.

Between the lines: - The event blends philanthropy with employee engagement, giving staff a direct role in deciding where company support goes. - Choosing nonprofits focused on children, basic needs and food rescue points to local demand for practical, day-to-day assistance. - The hands-on format suggests Dec-O-Art wants the giving effort to go beyond a check and create visible community impact.

What's next: - The three nonprofits can use the donations to strengthen ongoing services and prepare for upcoming needs. - Dec-O-Art is likely to continue positioning Donation Day as an annual community tradition. - People interested in supporting the organizations can visit the nonprofits' websites for more information and donation options.

The bottom line: - Dec-O-Art turned its annual Donation Day into both a volunteer effort and a $75,000 cash boost for three employee-selected nonprofits.