Fund Story

Mark E. Essling was a local businessman who passed away in 2014. A lifelong resident of La Porte, Mark was the president of Essling Funeral Home, a business his parents founded in 1958. Mark loved his children, his community and his church. He had a gift of compassion which was a great comfort to the families who were mourning a loss. Mark was a very kind and generous person, serving on several boards and supporting numerous charities. If Mark saw a need, he was there to help.

Mark’s children, Stephanie and Michael, are honoring their father’s memory by starting the Mark E. Essling Community Fund. This fund will annually benefit a project or persons in our community, keeping Mark’s philanthropic spirit alive.

  • Your gift is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
  • You will receive a tax receipt electronically for your records once your donation is processed.
  • Gifts by credit card incur a processing fee for each transaction which will be deducted from your gift. The current fee is 3.5% per transaction. When donating online, we invite you to select the option to increase your gift to cover this fee so that your charitable intent can be fully realized.
  • If you would like to make a one-time or recurring payment from a bank account, please contact the Unity Office at (219) 879-0327 or unity@uflc.net.
  • If you prefer to donate by check, our mailing address is 422 Franklin St, Suite C, Michigan City, IN 46360. Please include the fund name(s) you wish to donate to in the memo line.