MARQUETTE — Lakestate Industries understands the challenging times we are all living in, but are hopeful that the community is willing to support its annual endowment fund campaign. Blue Envelopes can be found in today’s newspaper with information on how to make an annual donation.

According to Executive Director, Cheryl Ohman, “the endowment fund was created as a source of funding to help Lakestate continue to serve individuals with barriers to employment long into the future. The plan has always been to use only the interest from the fund and to continue to grow the corpus. This is the tenth year of having the Annual Campaign and we have been very blessed with many generous donations in the last nine years. We are hopeful that the community will continue to support the work of Lakestate and make a donation this year.”

Many of the individuals we serve have not been able to earn a paycheck because of the pandemic so Lakestate is working on helping them by offering virtual services to help them stay engaged. All donations are appreciated and every dollar allows us to grow the fund.

Lakestate has provided services in Delta County since 1969 and in 2014 expanded to Marquette County. The goal has always been to help people with barriers to employment succeed as individuals, and as contributors to the larger community. Employment for people who have a disability is sometimes a major challenge. Having a job offers people the opportunity to feel value, self-worth and earn a paycheck. Your donation will help us teach individuals with disabilities work skills, work related skills and help them find employment in their community.

Throughout the years, the programs have evolved to meet the needs of those we serve as well as the various federal and state laws that must be followed. Lakestate Industries is a 501c3 Private Non-Profit organization governed by a board of directors. Ohman also said, “As a mission driven organization, we are always looking for ways to meet the needs of the people who need our services as well as help our communities be a better place to live for those with barriers. We are focused on operating a sound business that is always looking for new opportunities to help us grow. We also celebrate all of the community employment opportunities afforded to our clientele. The business communities of both Delta and Marquette counties have been supportive of the work we do and have hired many people with barriers to employment over the last 10+ years. Our ultimate goal is to be able to do this for many more years into the future.

Please complete the form on the envelope with all information requested. Insert your check made out to Lakestate Industries in the blue envelope. Be sure to stamp the envelope and mail it. Your donation is greatly appreciated and is tax deductible. Thank you for considering Lakestate Industries when doing your holiday donations.