Passionate. Advocate. Committed. Dreamer. Supportive. Hard-working. Michelle Korty embodied all of these attributes and more. As the community’s ultimate nurturer, Michelle was generous with her time and compassion towards others. After her untimely passing in October 2024, her friends and colleagues have honored her legacy through a permanent fund at the Scott County Community Foundation that will help others for generations to come.
Michelle faced significant challenges as a child, which inspired her to create safe, happy, carefree childhoods for others. Her career serving her community started after she received her master’s degree in social work from Spalding University. She began working at the Indianapolis Senior Center as a social worker, and the senior citizens adored her.
Her work in Scott County spanned multiple organizations and collaborative efforts. She worked for the Center for Women and Families, serving clients and providing trainings on domestic violence. She was extremely passionate about the prevention of domestic violence. Michelle had a private clinical practice for some time, and allowed this space to house the first 12-step meeting in Scott County. She worked as a therapist for Lifespring for several years, before becoming the Connections Program Manager for New Hope Services. This support program helped pregnant and parenting young adults. She was also actively involved in Worth the Wait, an all-volunteer program in the schools that taught about healthy relationships and abstinence.
Michelle and colleagues attended multiple trainings to improve the well-being of our residents.
Michelle was involved in CEASe of Scott County, serving as secretary until she passed away. She served on the Get Healthy Scott County Leadership Team and Coalition, attending multiple trainings so that she could share the information she learned with others in the community. She founded A Place to Be in 2013, a nonprofit that offered support services that were funded through food catering sales. She was most known for her work with CRADLE Pregnancy Resource Center, where she and LuAnn Yandow were committed to helping families.
“I remember when Michelle said she was closing A Place to Be because she was offered the executive director position at CRADLE, and the pure excitement she had about this opportunity,” shared colleague Heather Law. “She couldn’t wait to love on the moms and babies.”
Michelle talks about CRADLE’s mission to members of the Scott County Youth Grantmaking Council, which helped CRADLE every year as a community service project.
Michelle was a fierce advocate for Trauma Informed Care and for creating awareness about how Adverse Childhood Experiences affect people. She helped bring the Community Resilience Initiative to the community, resulting in 100 community members being trained in Trauma Informed Care. Michelle was actively involved in Prevent Child Abuse and helped coordinate the annual luncheon hosted by the Scott County Prosecutor’s Office.
“I could always count on Michelle to be the positive force in a meeting,” shared longtime colleague Dr. Shannon Mount. “She would always have the room dreaming about the next big thing – the future positives. Michelle taught me to embrace change gracefully and even look forward to the process.”
“She moved our community beyond education on adverse childhood experiences to healthy outcomes from positive experiences,” shared colleague Carissa Miller. “The services she provided to the community and the love and support she provided to those of us in social services created a community of compassion, warmth and support where no door is the wrong door and all people are seen as valuable individuals within our society. She always found ways to make everyone feel seen, heard and loved.”
Friends fondly remembered their time with Michelle throughout all the travels for training, times together spent planning, and just enjoying each other’s presence. Community work can be challenging, and sharing struggles, joys, and challenges was something Michelle enjoyed.
“Michelle just relished our time together,” shared Lori Croasdell, who worked closely with her on community collaborations. “She would always say ‘I love it when we travel together to learn from other communities in order to help our community.’”
“She provided a lot of love, support and encouragement to her fellow social service friends,” added Heather Law. “I always felt that I had a cheerleader in Michelle. When we would get discouraged, I feel like she was there to push us along.”
“I will always remember her as a hard worker who balanced so many jobs to make ends meet because she was so passionate about her work,” shared Heather. “She had told me that there were times CRADLE couldn’t afford to pay her but she continued the work. Her servant’s heart radiated.”
“She worked so hard – so many hours for the community,” said Dr. Mount. “She was always a dreamer and a visionary. It is one of the things that I admired about her. I will work hard to honor her by remembering to balance out my preference of leaning towards the negative with her positive and forward-focused spirit.”
“Michelle, while having no children of her own, was ‘Mom’ to so many of us,” said Carissa. “She was the one to make sure that everyone felt seen, heard, and loved. So much of her time was spent holding babies (even the grown ones) and creating safe spaces for anyone and everyone. She made sure that we were taking care of ourselves and one another.”
Just a few months before she passed, Michelle had shared on social media how aware she was about the preciousness of life. A young woman she had been working with had passed away, and Michelle was facing some health struggles.
“I keep thinking about the words and feelings that often go unspoken,” wrote Michelle. “There’s so much I want to express to the people who have touched my life. I want to tell some that I see and hear them, that their words and actions haven’t gone unnoticed. I want to let others know how much of a difference they’ve made, how special and gifted they are, and the profound impact they’ve had on me. The words are in my head, but I haven’t yet found the way to bring them to my lips or fingertips to share.”
Michelle was never afraid to show vulnerability or share her feelings. After she passed away, her colleagues wanted to honor the selfless and sacrificial nature of their dear friend who touched so many hearts with her unwavering kindness, empathy and deep care for others. A permanent unrestricted endowment fund was created at the Scott County Community Foundation. Aptly named the Michelle Korty Cuddle Fund, not only does the name evoke warm feelings of Michelle, but it will continue to do what she has always done, help the community.
“Through this fund, we aim to support those in need,” said Lori Croasdell. “Just as Michelle was always there for anyone who needed a comforting word or a listening ear, this fund will provide resources, and serve as a reminder of the importance of human connection. We hope to inspire others to embrace the values that defined Michelle’s life: generosity, compassion, and the willingness to go the extra mile for others without expecting anything in return.”
“The Michelle Korty Cuddle Fund is more than just a way to remember a dear friend – it is a means to create a ripple effect of kindness, nurturing a community that thrives on empathy, support, and unconditional love, just as Michelle did,” added Lori.
“Michelle was always great about listening to the community and coming up with creative ideas to fill needs,” said Carissa. “Our hope for this fund is to continue that legacy. We want the fund to help future social service providers to address community needs, even as the landscape changes, in new and creative ways.”
“Her focus was always on others and this community because that is who Michelle was,” said Dr. Mount. “Scott County is a better place because of her. I hope this fund can continue her legacy of dreaming about the next big thing to help Scott County residents and embracing the change to make it happen.”
The Judges of Scott County have proclaimed Oct. 25 as “Michelle Korty Day.” They invite the community to celebrate Michelle’s legacy by sharing memories and stories of Michelle at a reception. Guests are invited to the Circuit Court on Friday, Oct. 3 at 8 a.m. for refreshments and a group photo. Please wear blue or purple in honor of the work Michelle did throughout her life.
For those who would like to donate to the Michelle Korty Cuddle Fund, you may do so online at www.scottcountyfoundation.org – click on “Donate Today” and specify the name of the fund. You may also mail your donation to the Scott County Community Foundation; PO Box 25; Scottsburg, IN 47170. Donations are being matched two dollars for every one dollar donated through a grant opportunity from Lilly Endowment Inc., through Dec. 31. For more information, call 812-752-2057 or email info@scottcountyfoundation.org.
