For Wil and Kristi Boren, serving others and being involved in their community are principles that have been passed down to them from their parents and are legacies they are now leaving for their own children and the Kosciusko community.
Wil and Kristi have raised their four children, Jordyn, Wil, Nicholas and Grant, in Kosciusko County. Wil received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University and a fellowship at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. After almost two decades in orthopedics, the majority of the time at Biomet, Wil now works for Baxter in Chicago but still resides in Warsaw.
Kristi has spent the majority of her life in Kosciusko County and has been the owner of the Downtown Eatery and Spirits since 2001.
Both Wil and Kristi have brought positive impact to the community by volunteering with multiple nonprofit organizations. Wil has served on the CASA board and the Kosciusko Community Hospital board. Kristi served on the Baker Youth Club Board of Directors, served as a CASA representative, is a member of Tri Kappa and has helped organize fundraisers for the high school
and various athletic teams. As a family, the Borens have several favorite pastimes they enjoy together. They love to travel, but while visiting new places is important to the family, the small town feel of Kosciusko County is home for them. “We love that we can go into a restaurant or small business and see people we know,” Wil stated. “There is so much trust in our community.” The Borens are very involved in their home church, Warsaw Community Church, and cooking and eating meals together are also family favorites.
Serving on the finance committee was Wil’s first introduction to the Community Foundation, and he and Kristi felt starting an endowment fund would be the perfect opportunity to give back to the community. Wil and Kristi hope that the Boren Family Fund will help develop long term sustainability for nonprofit work in Kosciusko County. The Wil and Kristi Boren Charitable Fund allows their family to support charitable causes and organizations that are important to them. Wil and Kristi would encourage future generations to live for others first and be actively involved in the community.
More recently, the family created the Reach Higher Scholarship Fund to benefit Kosciusko County graduates who have overcome learning challenges, especially those with an Individualized Education Program (IEP).