Donors gave more than $42,000 to support the United Way Northwest Indiana's Level Up Program since Giving Tuesday.

The Level Up Program is designed to break the cycle of poverty by providing skills development, financial literacy and mentoring.

“Our supporters’ generosity on Giving Tuesday truly exemplifies the spirit of our community, and we’re beyond grateful for the amazing outpouring of support for our Level Up program,” said Adam O’Doherty, president and CEO of United Way Northwest Indiana, in a press release. “These funds will go directly towards initiatives that uplift our communities and create sustainable change.”

Donations made by 5 p.m. Dec. 8 will be matched by an unnamed agency. Make donations to the program here.

The United Way expects graduates of the program to contribute $20 million to the economy in Northwest Indiana.

The fundraising program's “text to give” platform raised $1,730, while a special event brought in $25,550. The $15,000 matching grant resulted in a total of $42,280.

Read Rich Shields' Viewpoint about the Level Up program here. He is the chief marketing officer at the United Way Northwest Indiana.