Pella Corporation Honors Spirit of Giving with Over $100,000 in Community Grants
The 8th Annual Joan Kuyper Farver Spirit Awards recognizes team members leading change through volunteering and community service initiatives.
As Pella Corporation marks 100 years of impact and innovation, the company is spotlighting the team members who are making a difference both inside and outside of the organization. The Pella Rolscreen Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Pella Corporation, has awarded over $100,000 in community grants for team members making a difference in their communities through a unwavering commitment to volunteerism.
The Pella Rolscreen Foundation named Zach Dupre the 2025 recipient of the Joan Kuyper Farver Spirit Award, granting $25,000 to the organization of his choice, The Chris Norton Foundation.
Zach Dupre, 2025 winning recipient of the Joan Kuyper Farver Spirit Award
Zach Dupre was nominated by his manager for his lasting, positive impact on those around him. His passion for community service is demonstrated through his commitment to the Chris Norton Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by his brother-in-law, Chris, dedicated to uplifting individuals and families affected by neuromuscular injuries. Zach is an active board member, as well as a devoted volunteer supporting their fundraising and events.
“Community is an integral part of Pella’s culture and we take great pride in celebrating the team members who embody that spirit of service,” said Karmen Gardner, VP and Executive Director of the Pella Rolscreen Foundation. “Zach embodies this principle, and it shows through his unwavering ability to build lasting relationships with those around him and how he gives 100% not just to his work through Pella but to the different projects he supports throughout the community.”
Pella team members surpassed their 20,000 volunteer-hour goal in this year’s $100,000 Volunteer Recognition Program Challenge, marking the highest volunteer hours since the program began in 2002. The Pella Rolscreen Foundation also presented the inaugural, Spirit Award Plant Winner, granting $25,000 to our Sioux Center team’s organization of choice.
Sioux Center, 2025 Spirit Award Plant Winner; from left - right, Adam Farver (Chairman), Matt Mellema (Sioux Center Plant Manager), Tim Yaggi (CEO)
In celebration of the company’s 100th anniversary, Pella expanded this year’s Spirit Award nominations to include immediate family members of team members and retirees, recognizing three family members as finalists and two retirees as honorable mentions. In addition to the two $25,000 grants, nine additional finalists were each awarded $5,000 and 10 honorable mention recipients received $1,000 for their selected nonprofit organization.
The remaining nine finalists of the Joan Kuyper Spirit Award included:
- Joel Bennett (spouse of team member Kristi Bennett), The Well Resource Center
- Gina Champoux, Pay It Forward Christmas Charity
- Kim Nedder (spouse of team member Kenny Nedder), South East Aquatics
- Amy Nesbitt, Make-A-Wish Iowa
- Emily Van Gent, Pella Community Food Shelf
- Doug Van Gorkom (family member of team member Kim Doschadis), City of Pella Fire Department
- Jaron Vos, Pathways of Pella
- Catti Willenborg, Carroll SuperDraft
- Josh Wood, Mid-Iowa Council of Boy Scouts of America, Pack 348
To learn more about the Pella Rolscreen Foundation, visit the website here: https://pellarolscreen.com/.