They do wonderful work. Rescuing food and at the same time feeing those in need and simultaneously…read moreproviding training in the service industry for individuals who could benefit from it. I call that a perfect trifecta. All the folks here are just really friendly and upbeat. I have never encountered a rude employee/volunteer here. Got leftovers from a company catering, or bought too much groceries, or run a business that may generate food waste? Bring what you cannot use to Second Helpings. No donation is too small or too big. Rest assured no food goes to waste. What they cannot use, they will pass on to other organizations. They do have guest speakers available if you want to do a food drive for them or inspire others. I try to attend their events like the Souper Bowl... Be prepared, this event is a mad house, but so much fun... Soup stations all around the building, try one, try all and then vote for your favorite. Some soups are also available for purchase. Non-alcoholic drinks are usually provided. So next time you don't know what to do with food, your time or money, consider donating or volunteering for this organization. Well worth it.

It provides so much for Indianapolis and beyond. Food at no cost to over 200 agencies plus at many…read moreparks. The training program is valued at over $8,000 free of charge. Anyone completing the program can get an excellent paying job in the culinary industry. Second Helpings has an employment specialist on site. There are so many perks! Everyone there is happy! Anyone over the age of 18 can volunteer for as little or as much as they want to with very few exceptions.

I really enjoyed volunteering here. It was very impacting. I've never worked in a warehouse before…read morebut I would imagine that it's similar to the assembly line we had. I was at stop 3 so I handed out salad, peppers, or brocolli along with a pack of Starry and a bag from Starbucks. I didnt give 5 stars because some of the bags had old dates. I asked what the dates meant and was told not to worry about it. Many of the families driving through were very grateful and thanked us while the others looked away or didnt say anything at all. I was really happy to serve the community and would enjoy going back.

While, I appreciate Gleaners efforts to help. My first experience has been dulling by the lack of…read moreitems that I can use to add into or create meals.

After parting with the vinyl shop we turn the corner and come across books outside noted FREE... we…read moreimmediately made a b-line over to take a look and see what they had to offer. There were alot of books to choose from. we were all able to find something . After which we went in to take a look around. They had a wonderful selection of childrens books, rare books as well. Its a medium sized spot but they fit a childrens corner in. I was pleased to find vintage Richie Rich and Sugar and Spike comic books for 1.00. This was certainly a wonderful place to stumble upon which had alot of gems inside. The vintage type writers were a really cool touch as well. Everything about this place was inviting and warm. At the cash register I came across an assortment of stickers and if you know me, you know I love stickers..Of course I grabbed a couple to complete my purchase. There is a space right by the door that has a sitting area, the leather chair was so comfortable but it was thw huge leather ottoman for me and the chess set that makes you wanna learn to play, if you do t already no how too. I could spend hours sitting and reading. Finally it was time to go but I will most certainly be back to see what other treasures I can find. Until next time Indy reads!!!

I have heard of indy reads, but had never had the chance to visit until recently, it is a well…read moreorganized space with an impressive selection of books! The shop embraces a cozy and welcoming feel, and the staff was very friendly! Can't wait to go back, check them out if you are in the area!

Downtown Indy, the nonprofit is located in a neighborhood which is unsafe after dark…read more I got mugged around the corner from the Downtown Indy Headquarters. I wrote to Downtown Indy asking them to create outreach programs that improve safety and consideration towards tourists, but they don't care. The entire crew of Downtown Indy pretend to care about people but are only selfishly interested in promoting their nonprofit organization. Downtown Indy may now call itself Downtown Indy Alliance. Downtown Indy doesn't have any oversight or accountability. Either way, this organization is insensitive towards ordinary people. The president of Downtown Indy , Taylor never made any effort to answer me besides an automated email which mentioned "she was out of town". Nobody within Downtown Indy or most of its Board of Directors made any effort to contact me. After one year of waiting, I got a short email from someone on the board of directors from Downtown Indy, who mentioned they will bring attention to my concerns! The whole process of communicating with Downtown Indy is inadequate. Often, nobody answers the phones at Downtown Indy. Downtown Indy is an insincere nonprofit organization. Downtown Indy has done an awful job of helping visitors to downtown Indianapolis. None of their security teams were even outside the night I got mugged around the corner from Downtown Indy. The streets were all dark, whatever improvements the Downtown Indy organization claims to have brought about to their city were not noticeable. To make matters worse, I had been mugged on the first night of Indy 500, the most important event in Indianapolis. Awful Service! Awful Quality! Awful Value! Avoid Downtown Indy HQ and its area! Downtown Indy is both inconsiderate and unhelpful. Downtown Indy or Downtown Indy Alliance under their "rebrand" is still insincere and apathetic towards ordinary citizens. Crime in downtown Indianapolis is a topic which Downtown Indy hasn't resolved. Downtown Indy has no real motivation to resolve the problems of downtown Indianapolis. It was my first time in both the state of Indiana and the city of Indianapolis, I was booked to stay at the hotel across the street from Downtown Indy HQ. The hotel tried to pull a bait and switch on my room rates. I argued with the clerk who then threatened me with security. I ran out of the hotel in fear. I got mugged around the corner from Downtown Indy headquarters. One of the upper level crew at Downtown Indy works for Yelp. I fear that there is a potential conflict of interest concerning Yelpers posting positive reviews towards Downtown Indy. Yelpers may feel obliged to post positive reviews of Downtown Indy only because they know upper management is a Yelper too. NOTICE: they just changed their name to Downtown Indy Alliance, it's the same arrogant and pretentious organization filled with hypocrisy! I repeated this message twice because getting mugged around the corner from Downtown Indy Alliance and getting ignored traumatized me, especially since they posted annoying YouTube videos a few months afterwards which mention that they want "public feedback". Everything I have mentioned about my mugging near Downtown Indy Alliance really happened. Anybody who tries to discredit me is a real liar and should go stare into a mirror to reflect on the evil within their own heart!

Put your hands in the air if you're thankful for Downtown Indy!…read more From hosting incredible events that involve our whole city, to beautifying the streets we walk everyday, Downtown Indy works tirelessly to make our city the beautiful gem it is. They're responsible for the Circle of Lights, partnered with Lyft for discounted rides around Indy in a program called "Safe Summer Nights", put on a film summer film series on the canal, and recently executed a project that allowed local artists to decorate potholes covering the Cultural Trail. Those are only a handful of recent projects, and nothing compared to what they do throughout one year. Show them some love and support by writing your review too!

Let's be honest…read more There are certain non-profits and certain businesses that are simply 5-star organizations. Anything else is unacceptable. It's so true that if you see someone bash the organization, you immediately think to yourself "This is not someone I want to know." It's true. You know it's true. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful is such a non-profit. It's hard to describe everything Keep Indianapolis Beautiful does. Truthfully, I'm probably not even aware of everything Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (also known as KIB) does. I just know that when it comes to keeping Indianapolis a wonderful place to live, KIB seems to always be involved. I first became aware of KIB years ago when longtime friend David Forsell led the organization. If you haven't met David (and his wife Shannon), they are, in my estimation, one of "Indy's Couples." That's an official designation now, I made it up. Okay, back to KIB. KIB has programs in three areas: Clean Neighborhoods - Adopt-a-Block, Great Indy Clean-Up, Plogging, and Busy Roads/Waterways. Trees & Native Habitats - Project Greenspace, Habitat Restoration, and Community Forestry. Engaged Citizens - Urban Naturalists, Tree Tenders, Youth Tree Team, and KIB Ambassadors. It seems like whenever there's a community event, KIB is involved (I'm currently working alongside a KIB staff person jurying a film festival). It seems like if there's a community partnership to be had, somehow KIB is engaged with it. Their events are well-run, well-led, richly beneficial to our community, and remarkably empowering. Their office on Fletcher Avenue In 2009 became the first civic nonprofit in Indiana to have a building LEED Gold Certified by the US Green Building Council! KIB has wind turbines, a cistern to collect stormwater, rain gardens, a pervious pavement parking lot (which lets water filter through), and a sunny atrium filled with native plants. They also have a green roof and are dog friendly! In other words, KIB lives its values. As a non-profit, they have the highest possible ratings from both GuideStar and Charity Navigator. In short, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful is one of those non-profits I consider to be "Indy's Non-Profits." These are organizations that truly make Indy a fantastic place to live (and it is). I love KIB and I love everything they do.

I joined KIB last year during the height of the pandemic, when I needed a healthy outlet to channel…read moreall of the anxiety I was feeling. I would go for walks daily to calm my brain, but I couldn't help but notice litter on the ground. It kind of messed with the calm vibe I was trying to accomplish -- every disposable mask and tissue and empty water bottle I would see on the ground would make me more and more irate. So instead of getting mad about it, I started to bring a trash bag and litter picker with me on my walks. Suddenly, my walks began to feel calming again. Picking up litter gave my walks a purpose. It gave me a feeling of control during a time when so many things felt out of my control (COVID cases spiking, the crumbling of society, etc.) Plus, I felt good knowing that I was helping, in a small way, to make other people feel calm during their walks, too, by removing the litter so they didn't have to see it. Not too long after I started picking up litter on my own, I found out about KIB. I learned that they have an Adopt-a-Block program, where you can "adopt" a portion of your neighborhood and maintain it (pick up litter, plant trees, etc.) I volunteered to be a Block Captain for a portion of the Monon Trail. KIB gave me some free supplies to help me start out (a nifty KIB trash bucket, lots of trash bags, gloves, a trash picker and a t-shirt). I've been an Adopt-a-Block Captain for almost a year now. Since then, I've walked lots of miles and picked up dozens (hundreds?) of buckets of litter. I've made friends with people I see regularly who use the trail where I pick up trash. I've had people come up to me and ask me about KIB (because they see me carrying my KIB trash bucket), and I'm always happy to sing this organization's praises and encourage others to adopt a block in their neighborhood, too. And KIB makes it super easy to do so. They are very inclusive and just want people to get involved in making their communities better places to live and play. I tend to enjoy picking up litter the most when I'm by myself, because it's become a meditative practice for me. But, I've also joined several litter-collecting projects that KIB has organized. These are always very well-thought-out, and they target areas of Indy that are under-cared-for and have a lot of litter lying around. During these events, it's nice to be around other people who love Indy and are as invested in it as much as you are. KIB has lots of projects happening all year, which is great because there is always something to do. I love this organization so much, and it's become a part of me and my lifestyle now. So much so, that one time, when my kids saw a KIB sign when we were out and about, they pointed to it and said, "Hey mom, that's you! That's the thing you do."

Wonderful library! My baby and I went to the free baby story time in the community room today, and…read moreit was so fun! Lots of parents and their little ones singing and playing. Such a great community resource!

We love the White River library! Great selection of books and other materials along with a large…read moresection for kids. There's a large train table, play kitchen, fire truck, and a rotating selection of toys along with plenty of comfortable seating and a kids bathroom. The library also has several work/study areas and seating areas for bird watching, reading, or just hanging out. My only complaint about this location is that it's a little tough to access at certain times of day due to traffic patterns in the area, but that's not something the library can resolve!

It's organizations like this one that restore my faith in humanity. The Fair Housing Center is a…read morenonprofit that offers free services to those facing discrimination with housing- whether that's Race, Religion, National Origin, Gender, Familial Status, Disability, Age, Sexual Orientation, Or Veteran Status. The FHC has been influential in public policy that helps prevent landlords from unlawful discrimination. They also employ part time testers to "secret shop" to ensure housing providers around the state are practicing fair housing laws.

From the owner: The Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (FHCCI) is a private, non-profit organization which was…read moreincorporated in August 2011. Our mission is to ensure equal housing opportunities by eliminating housing discrimination through advocacy, enforcement, education and outreach. The FHCCI has two primary goals in its work to fight housing discrimination: - educate the public on fair housing laws so people recognize and report problems and understand their responsibilities, and - engage in enforcement activities to eliminate unlawful discriminatory practices. The FHCCI fights housing discrimination not only because it is unlawful, but also because it is a divisive force that perpetuates poverty, segregation, ignorance, fear and hatred. The FHCCI offers four main programs to fight housing discrimination and promote equal housing opportunity: Advocacy, Education, Inclusive Communities, and Public Policy.