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CONTACT INFORMATION:

Leo’s Market and Eatery

Rorye Hatcher

317-468-2515 ext. 228

[email protected]

 

Release date:

April 28, 2021

 

GREENFIELD, INDIANA – Local business Leo’s Market and Eatery recently donated $4,000 to support Hancock County’s soup kitchen.

Kenneth Butler Memorial Soup Kitchen kicks off its Feed the Future campaign May 1, an effort to grow its financial bedrock to maintain its mission of providing hot meals to those in need. The soup kitchen currently holds an endowment of $75,000 through the Hancock County Community Foundation and aims to raise an additional $25,000 during the campaign, which ends Dec. 31, 2021.

Leo’s Market and Eatery is one of four groups or families to donate dollar-for-dollar matching funds in advance of the Feed the Future campaign, to help make sure the organization gets to its $100,000 goal.

Leo’s stepped up to support the soup kitchen because it is an integral part of the Hancock County community, said Stephanie White-Longworth, president of Leo’s Market and Eatery.

“The soup kitchen is an amazing organization that we are proud to be able to support,” she said. “The volunteers and staff who prepare those meals and care for everyone who comes through the door are a blessing to the community, and one of Leo’s Market and Eatery’s core values is to give back to the communities we operate in.”

Leo’s Market and Eatery has contributed to the soup kitchen in the past, including donations of kolaches to the kitchen’s pantry, White-Longworth said.

The soup kitchen, which opened its doors in December 2008, faced unique challenges last year through the pandemic, said director Jill Ebbert. Social distancing restrictions forced the kitchen at 202 E. Main St. in Greenfield to move to takeout only. The organization adapted, building a tent within the building to allow clients to pick up their meals in a warm area instead of standing outside through the winter months, Ebbert said.

Despite the limitations imposed by protecting clients, volunteers and staff from COVID-19, the kitchen in 2020 provided 23,491 hot meals, an 18 percent increase from 2019, Ebbert said.

And with the soup kitchen facing shortfalls from canceled events, the community stepped up in a big way, making generous donations that gave the organization its best financial year since its inception, she said.

“It was the right time to build on our endowment,” she said. “We are extremely grateful to the donors who are matching the funds, because with their help, we are hoping to surpass that $100,000 goal.”

Leo’s Market and Eatery, which opened in Greenfield in July 2019, is a hybrid market and eatery focused on providing fresh and local food options to customers to help them conquer their day. Visit yourleos.com for more information.

 

Left: Leo’s Market and Eatery employees present a check for $2,900 to Mental Health Partners of Hancock County; right: Leo’s Market and Eatery employees present a check for $2,900 to The Landing Place.

GREENFIELD, INDIANA – Employees of Leo’s Market and Eatery on Tuesday donated some $5,800 to two local nonprofits through a paycheck contribution program.

Through compiled weekly donations, employees provided $2,900 each to The Landing Place and Mental Health Partners of Hancock County during the second-annual “Pride’s Purpose” presentation. Their weekly contributions into the Leo’s Community Enrichment Fund are matched dollar for dollar by parent company Pride Investment Partners.

A few weeks ago, managers at Leo’s Market and Eatery, 2212 W. Main St., Greenfield, asked employees to help decide where their money should go back into the community. Employees submitted their votes from a list of nearly 20 entities serving Hancock County and the surrounding area.

Leo’s Market and Eatery encourages employees to donate part of each paycheck to support its core values, including community mindedness. Leo’s and Pride Investment Partners also pursue sponsorships, dine-to-donate events, volunteering and making donations to local nonprofit organizations.

Leo’s Market and Eatery boasts a tremendous team, said Tami White, Pride Investment Partners board member.

“Our employees truly care about our community and their customers, so when they are given a chance to support Hancock County, it just comes very natural for them,” White said. “This is one of many perks of being in a small-town community.”

Last year, during the inaugural Customer Appreciation Day at Leo’s Market and Eatery, employees presented checks of $750 each to the Landing Place and the Hope House homeless shelter.

Employees this year again chose to support The Landing Place, a Greenfield nonprofit organization that provides a place for teens age 13-19 to meet and learn real-life strategies and principles to break the cycle of addiction, dysfunction and destructive behaviors while learning healthy patterns of living and maintaining lifelong sobriety.

Founder Linda Ostewig said it’s heartwarming to receive continued support for the youth-oriented organization, which has maintained an attendance of about 20 young people to its Wednesday evening events despite Covid-19 lowering turnout.

“I love that people love our youth,” she said. “Things like this help us stay sustainable.”

Leo’s employees chose Mental Health Partners of Hancock County as the second recipient of this year’s donations. Mental Health Partners is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people affected by mental illness through advocacy, education, and support services. Some of the programs MHP oversees throughout the year include connecting county residents to resources in their communities; counseling and support groups; providing backpacks to people experiencing homelessness; and an addiction recovery program.

“I am so surprised,” said executive director Kim Hall. “This is wonderful news for the year we’ve had.”

She said her organization has received more requests for assistance in getting mental health help than ever – helping get 15 people into addiction recovery houses and dozens more find counseling or psychiatric resources.

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Leo’s Market and Eatery in Greenfield is a hybrid grocery and restaurant, serving delicious fresh-baked kolaches, salads, soups, and much more, and providing fresh, local produce, meat and groceries to the community. Two additional locations are under construction in the McCordsville and Noblesville areas.

 

For more information, please contact: Rorye Hatcher| Marketing and Communications Associate | [email protected] | 317-468-2515 x. 228 | c. 618-731-8256

Check out this wonderful photo feature in the Indianapolis Star!

Click here to see the photo gallery!

Check out this feature in the Indiana Business Journal about our next location!

“A Greenfield-based convenience store is bringing its hybrid fresh grocery, restaurant and fuel station concept to Noblesville and McCordsville by the end of next year.

Siblings Stephanie White-Longworth and Keith White opened the first Leo’s Market and Eatery a little over a year ago at 2212 W. Main St. in Greenfield using proceeds from an earlier venture. The brother-and-sister duo had previously grown their father’s company, Gas America Services, to 88 locations before selling the chain to Speedway in 2012. Now, they’re branching out to launch Leo’s second and third locations and establish the chain in Indianapolis’ northern suburbs.”

Indiana Business Journal’s North of 96th Blog

 

Created Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

GREENFIELD – Two local nonprofit organizations are heading into the holiday season with a better bottom line.

During the inaugural Customer Appreciation Day at Leo’s Market and Eatery, associates from Pride Investment Partners, Leo’s parent company, presented checks of $750 each to the Hope House and The Landing Place through the Pride’s Purpose community enrichment fund.

When a new employee is hired at Leo’s Market and Eatery, 2212 W. Main St., one of the first things they do is decide whether to make a charitable donation of a portion of each paycheck into the Leo’s Community Enrichment Fund, or “Pride’s Purpose.”

Leo’s Market and Eatery matches 100% of each of those donations, meaning for every dollar donated by employees, Leo’s also contributes a dollar to the fund.

It’s gratifying to be able to make a donation to two nonprofits only four months after opening the new concept market and eatery, said Pride Investment Partners board member Tami White.

“I was excited so many employees chose to make contributions,” White said.

Twice a year, Leo’s Market and Eatery employees will be asked to help decide how to put that money back into the community. Employees were asked to submit four nonprofit organizations to be put into the running for the funds from a list of nearly 20 entities serving Hancock County and the surrounding area.

The Hope House (hancockhopehouse.org) is Hancock County’s sole homeless shelter, which also serves Shelby, Henry, and Rush counties. The shelter aims to help individuals and families become self-sufficient by providing not only shelter but job training and financial counseling.

It’s encouraging to see Leo’s employees choosing to support the mission of the Hope House, said executive director Andrea Mallory.

“It’s neat that they left choosing the nonprofit up to the employees,” she said. “It sounds like the employees are philanthropic and connected to the community.”

The donation of just over $750 will go toward a $65,000 plumbing project recently completed at the shelter, Mallory said.

The Landing Place (thelandingplacehc.com) provides a place for teens age 13-19 to meet and learn real-life strategies and principles to break the cycle of addiction, dysfunction and destructive behaviors while learning healthy patterns of living and maintaining lifelong sobriety.

“It’s one of the most honoring awards we’ve had, because it comes from the people,” said Linda Ostewig, Landing Place director. “It feels good that the community sees us as valuable and important.”

Leo’s Market and Eatery encourages employees to donate part of each paycheck in an effort to follow its core value of community mindedness. Leo’s and its parent company, Pride Investment Partners, also pursues sponsorships, company fundraisers, volunteering and making donations to local nonprofit organizations.

The Hancock County Food Pantry was the runner-up for the donations, said Stephanie White-Longworth, Pride IP chairwoman and president. After Thanksgiving, a donation tree will be set up at Leo’s Market and Eatery to benefit the food pantry, she said.

 

For more information, please contact: Rorye Hatcher| Marketing and Communications Associate | [email protected] | 317-468-2515 x. 228