Hilltop Neighborhood House empowers the community by providing a place to learn, grow and belong.
Be the Reason Our Community Thrives
Your support fills plates, fuels futures, and reminds our neighbors they’re not alone.
When you donate to Hilltop, you're doing more than giving—you’re creating real change. Whether it's groceries for a family facing food insecurity or early learning for a child in need, your generosity keeps our community strong. Every dollar counts. Every gift matters.
Tuition Assistance
Last year Hilltop awarded over $350,000 in needs-based childcare scholarships.
Food Insecurity
Hilltop provided 1,800 children and adults with supplemental food through its food pantry and mobile pantry van.
Working and Student Families
Hilltop’s fulltime care for 124 children allows their parents to work or complete their education.
Kindergarten Readiness Program
Hilltop's developmentally-based programs from infancy through pre-K make learning fun, including graduation to celebrate all they have learned.
Serving Porter County for 30 Years
Established in 1995 in Valparaiso’s Hilltop Neighborhood.
Hilltop Neighborhood House began as a small, community-focused initiative to support local families in need. Located in Porter County’s only federally designated Opportunity Zone, Hilltop has grown alongside the community it serves. Today, Hilltop works to remove barriers to food, education, and essential services.
Helping Hands Make a Big Impact
From preparing meals in the Mission Kitchen to mentoring students after school, our volunteers show up in big and small ways every day. Whether you’re volunteering alone, with family, or as part of a group, each contribution is essential to strengthening our community.
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See the difference you make in our neighborhood each day.
We had a great time serving lunch to Hilltop Neighborhood House’s staff, volunteers, and neighbors this week! 🍔 Thank you for having us and for all that you do for the community!
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Having so much fun at the downtown Valpo Trick or Treat event tonight handing out treats and books! 📚 Happy Halloween everyone. 🎃
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The bidding has begun! Our Vine to Village Silent Auction is now open, and everyone can participate, even if you can't attend the event! From local experiences and gift cards to themed baskets and unique treasures, there's something for everyone.🫶
Every bid helps support Hilltop's newest emergency food assistance program, Hunger Link.
Check out the auction and place your bids now: givebutter.com/c/vinetovillageauction/auction
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The sounds of service. Students assembling meals for the hungry in our community. Love comes in all forms when you walk by faith. Happy Friday, Facebook.
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One meaningful way to help at Hilltop is to make or decorate bags for our Hunger Hub. These simple and beautiful, decorated bags are used to pass out free meals daily to the hungry in our community. Your kindness—especially those small words of encouragement—can make a big difference to someone who may be feeling overwhelmed, lonely, or worn down.
You’re welcome to include uplifting messages inside or on the outside of the bags. Even simple notes of hope can feel like a warm embrace when someone needs it most. 🌈✨
This is a wonderful opportunity for both children and adults, and decorating together can be a truly special experience.
If you’d like to decorate bags as a group, please contact Ms. Katie at 219-477-4222—she’ll provide the bags and share what you’ll need (like guidance on messages and crayons 😜).
#Hilltop #HungerHub #Volunteer #CommunitySupport #ServeOthers #KindnessMatters #Hope #Encouragement #MakeADifference #FreeMeals #FoodSupport #LocalCommunity #SupportTheHungry #Uplift #WeCanAllHelp #VolunteerTogether #CrayonsAndKindness #HometownHelp 💛
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Valparaiso University College of Business held its “Day of Service” today. All their classes were canceled; instead, they attended a conference and helped in their community and as far away as Chicago. This annual tradition is a favorite here at Hilltop. They came down and cooked and served meals for Hilltop’s Hunger Hub that feeds people seven days a week, free meals out of our food pantry. Thank you to everyone who volunteered, and thank you to Valparaiso University students and staff for always being in our corner. Valparaiso University Fraternity and Sorority Experience Valparaiso University Student Life Valparaiso University Career & Alumni Network Valparaiso University Graduate School Valparaiso University
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A very special donation for the Hilltop Food Pantry.
At Westville Correctional Facility, the gardening program is more than an opportunity to grow food—it’s a living partnership between people, purpose, and community care. Inside the facility, incarcerated men and women plant seeds with patience and intention, tending rows of vegetables that eventually become a tangible, nourishing gift for families who need it most. Each season brings a sense of shared responsibility and hope: responsibility for the work itself, and hope that what they grow will reach someone’s table.
The program’s impact has been recognized at the highest levels. Westville Correctional Facility earned the Indiana Department of Correction’s Great Harvest Award for producing the most raised produce by any state facility—an impressive 17,832 pounds in a single season. That kind of outcome doesn’t happen by accident. It reflects consistent effort, teamwork, and a commitment to doing the work the right way, day after day, through every stage of planting, watering, tending, and harvesting.
But the heart of the program is the way the harvest becomes service. The vegetables grown at Westville are regularly donated to local pantries, missions, and community assistance organizations. Seeds and resources also play an important role, and the gardens rely in part on contributions from nonprofit partners such as Harvest Now, helping make the work possible and strengthening the community connections behind it.
What makes the gardening program truly powerful is what it creates for both sides. For the incarcerated volunteers, the garden offers more than hands-on skills—it provides structure, pride, and a meaningful sense of purpose. They learn responsibility through real work, experience the rhythms of growth and care, and build confidence through tangible results. Just as importantly, they participate in giving back in ways that reach beyond the prison walls.
Yesterday’s donation to the Hilltop Food Pantry was a shining example of that mission in action, and we are truly grateful. The team brought 11 boxes of fresh produce, including tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, butternut squash, banana peppers, and bell peppers. Seeing those crates arrive—filled with vibrant, just-harvested vegetables—was more than a delivery. It felt like a celebration, because for our clients, especially our seniors living on fixed incomes, fresh produce can be difficult to afford and often goes out of reach.
For the people who come to Hilltop Food Pantry, this kind of donation doesn’t just add variety—it makes a real difference in everyday meals. Fresh vegetables are a “treat” many of our neighbors rarely get, particularly when grocery prices keep climbing. On top of providing nutritious food, these gifts remind families that someone cared enough to grow it with care, package it with respect, and deliver it with compassion.
We also want to recognize the people behind the work. Thank you to Dan Palombizio, a recreation director at the Indiana Department of Corrections' Westville Correctional Center, and his entire team for putting together this annual tradition and for continuing to show up for our community year after year. Your dedication supports our pantry clients in a direct and heartfelt way, and your effort brings hope to people who truly need it.
Thank you, Westville Correctional Facility, for building something beautiful from seeds—something that grows into nourishment, dignity, and community connection. We appreciate your generosity, your hard work, and the care that went into every box you brought to Hilltop Food Pantry. We are grateful, and our clients are especially thankful for this wonderful harvest.
**A little side note: this writer was a fan of Dan's many years ago, Palombizio was one of the best high school basketball players in the nation. The 1981 Mr. Basketball from Michigan City, Rogers High School had most major programs wanting him to play for them. He originally committed to Indiana, then signed with Purdue before transferring to Ball State, where this writer went to undergraduate. Very cool to see him at Hilltop!
IDOC Westville Correctional Facility www.facebook.com/groups/327186334716
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Hold on tight, Facebook friends, it's Friday! We made it to the weekend!
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Upcoming Events
We invite you to join Hilltop Neighborhood House for our 2026 Vine to Village Fundraiser, an afternoon dedicated to supporting local families in times of need.
Proceeds from this event help pro...
Thank you to our generous partners
