Jim Fredwell Receives GEICO FastPitch Grant Supporting Adaptive Kitchen at ISBVI

By: Seth Johnson

The image shows a man standing at a podium giving a presentation. The podium is decorated with a garland of baseballs. Behind the person, there is a large screen displaying a slide with the title "IBCF Mission." The slide includes text and several small images, but the details are not clear. The room appears to be a conference or meeting room with a plain wall and a tiled ceiling.As the son of a longtime staff member at Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ISBVI), Jim Fredwell has always had a strong passion for giving back to the school however he can.

“Just seeing the relationships that the staff and the students have with one another is really big for me,” says Fredwell, whose father Joe retired from ISBVI in May 2024.

For this reason, upon learning of the FastPitch campaign at GEICO (where he’s employed), Jim reached out to Indiana Blind Children’s Foundation executive director Laura Alvarado to see if there was a project he could pitch to support.

“GEICO sent out an email saying that the FastPitch was coming up, and if you were interested, to respond to the email and they’d send more information. I said, ‘Well, I’ll reach out to Laura Alvarado and put a pitch together,’” Fredwell says.

After reaching out, Jim learned that Alvarado was in the process of raising funds to build the first-of-its-kind adaptive kitchen at ISBVI — an initiative that Fredwell was excited to pitch as part of GEICO’s program.

“It gives these kids a unique opportunity to be independent, and that was the thing that struck me,” Jim says of the adaptive kitchen.

Upon advancing to the GEICO FastPitch finals, Jim gave a presentation in front of a panel of judges who ultimately decided his adaptive kitchen pitch was the winning pitch, resulting in a $15,000 grant from the GEICO Philanthropic Foundation in support of the adaptive kitchen.

“Jim’s pitch was very well aligned with the mission of GEICO’s FastPitch program,” says Lona Montgomery, Head of Agency Operations at GEICO and a judge at the Indianapolis FastPitch Finalists Presentation Event. “It was clear that Jim and his father were passionate about their support for the organization, which is an important element of the selection process. When selecting the winners, we’re always looking for charities that will have a direct impact in our local community and where the contribution will truly make a difference.”

In reflecting on what impact he hopes the adaptive kitchen will have on students going forward, Jim says MasterChef Season 3 winner Christine Ha comes to mind.

“Christine Ha has her own cookbook and won MasterChef, so the sky’s the limit,” Jim says.

 The image shows a kitchen area. The kitchen has a modern and clean design with white countertops and dark blue cabinets. There are two large tables with white surfaces and dark blue legs. On one of the tables, there is a set of kitchen utensils in a holder and a small potted plant. There are also two cutting boards in packaging. In the background, there are shelves with some items on them, and a large potted plant with a tall white stand. The room has a tiled ceiling with fluorescent lights, and there is a door with a window and an exit sign above it.       The image shows a kitchen setting. In the kitchen, there is a countertop with various items on it. On the left side of the counter, there is a metal utensil holder containing several kitchen utensils like spatulas and spoons. Next to it, there is a round wooden tray with some packaged food items on it. To the right, there are two cutting boards stacked on top of each other. In the background, there are blue cabinets, a built-in double oven, and a microwave on the counter. There are also some pots and pans on the stove. On the upper shelf, there are some decorative items, including plants and bowls.

 

 

 

Sorry, this website uses features that your browser doesn’t support. Upgrade to a newer version of Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Edge and you’ll be all set.