The Martin Luther King Community Center has a long history in the Indianapolis area. It was first…read moreestablished in 1972 under Mayor William Hudnut III. Operations began at 4155 Boulevard Place in January 1973 as the Butler Tarkington Multi-Service Center. In 1977, it was relocated to 3951 N Illinois. In 1981, the name was changed to Martin Luther King Multi-Service Center and the service area was expanded. In 1984, a building was purchased at 3909 N. Meridian and, finally, in 1997, the current location at 40 W. 40th was acquired. Around 2014, the organizational structure was struggling quite a bit. If I remember right, the center was briefly closed to allow for a sort of organizational reset. This led to the hiring of Allison Luthe as executive director, a position she continues to hold to this day and she's most certainly massively rejuvenated the organization and its effectiveness. The MLK Center currently offers youth, family, and community programs. Youth programs include an after school literacy lab, the Best Buy Teen Tech Center, Tarkington Teen Work Crew, and 40 West Digital (training and work in video production). Family programs include wellness coaching (financial, employment, life), a parent support group, and loss and grief support group. Community programs include Midtown Get-Around (low-cost transportation within defined boundaries), Rent and Utility Assistance, shared lease program, a seniors program, mental health counseling, non-violence training, and loss/grief. The MLK Center will also rent space for gatherings (amazingly affordable). The MLK Center continues to be guided by six key principles from King's life: Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people. Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding. Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, not people. Nonviolence believes that unearned suffering is redemptive. Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate. Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice. Having encountered the work of the Martin Luther King Center several times over the years (I used to be even more supportive when there was an oratory program), I continue to regard it as one of Indy's best kept secrets for area children and youth and it has super blossomed under Allison Luthe's leadership.

Shortly after the shelter-in-place order due to the pandemic went into effect, a friend of mine…read morereposted on Facebook a request for volunteers to deliver meals to families in need. I realized very quickly that this is something I could do to help give back to my community and give me a sense of purpose when all of my other volunteering opportunities were on hold. I quickly followed the links that took me to the Sign-Up Genius and secured my spot for that week. I arrived at the MLK Center headquarters with my face mask and gloves, and went inside to collect my bags of meals for that day. [COVID-19 UPDATE: That was just for that first week. They have since changed procedures to keep everyone as protected as possible. Now volunteers just line their cars up outside and other volunteers/staff load your car for you.] Inside the building, the office is clean and modest. There's a large meeting room, an even larger common area, a kitchen, and a separate activity room. Once my truck was loaded with my meals, I simply plugged the addresses from each sheet into my Google Maps app and followed my route. With each drop-off, I rang the door bell and stepped away. If no one answered, I called the number on the sheet, to let them know that the delivery was there on their porch. The staff is polite and hard working. I overheard that they're teaming with Second Helpings to put these meal bags together. I've often heard mention of the MLK Center in the news over the years, but until this pandemic, I've never had the chance to see up close and personal the impact them make on our community.

I have had the pleasure of volunteering at this organization to pack back to school bags for kiddos…read moreand have also dropped off food donations for their food pantry. They are located on the near east side and offer a variety of wraparound services for the neighborhood. Most notably, they offer several hot meals throughout the week and have a food pantry for families to pick up necessities. I was pleased to see that the food pantry has a variety of healthy options available versus the typical canned food limitations. It's very easy to get engaged with this organization and lend a hand. Highly recommend connecting with them if you're looking for a way to get back to the Indy community. I'm hoping to bring my son to volunteer with me in the food pantry in the months ahead.

This organization of 200+ volunteer members operates Operation School Bell which provides a duffel…read morebag of clothes and shoes to Indianapolis Public School children and the surrounding township schools each year. In addition, they provide assault survivors with a new set of clothing to wear home after their trauma. A third program is Bears which provides grieving children with a stuffed teddy bear to provide comfort. The nicest and most dedicated members striving to make Indianapolis a better place to live!

This is a great group whose main activity is helping students in Indy Public schools. This is the…read moreIndy branch of a large national group. We are an all volunteer, no paid employees, very low overhead, group that provides school uniforms for Indy Public school children. But it's not just the clothing. The students come to a "store" we have set up and select the items they need for school and a couple that they want. We provide the standard uniform pieces but students also get a choice of a new winter coat, hat, mittens and books. Everything goes into a brand new duffel bag. And students have had an opportunity to "shop" for their things, having a fun time choosing for themselves. We also work with the schools to provide extra uniform pieces to the school social workers to keep in their offices for emergencies. Students are chosen by the school social worker based on need and come to the store on a "field trip". We also provide shoes for about half of the students who get uniforms. Additionally we provide assault survivor packs to area hospitals. New sweats, sweatshirt, socks and underwear for women/girls who must leave their personal items as evidence after an assault. The hospitals give these packs free to those in need. It's a And ALI bears which gives new stuffed bears to first responders to give to children whom they encounter. And we visit two senior living facilities to play bingo, celebrate birthdays and life and bring some joy to residents.

Last night the Ronald McDonald House had an event where they had a list of items needed for the…read morehouse. Paper towels, dish soap, hand soap, etc. If you brought some to the house you could help "pack the pace car" and get your picture taken in it. This was a great idea and I was so glad to see so many people donated. It was a two day event from 3-6 pm. You just pulled up at the circle and drop it off. They said they will most likely do this event next year because they had a great turn out. Years ago Yelp had event here where we baked cookies for the families at the Ronald McDonald House. It was a great way to help out the families that are going through so much. We got to see Mac the therapy dog and they took us on a tour of the house. All the families receive a bag full of items upon arrival. Some of these families live out of state while some are in state but maybe live far from Riley Hospital. They have volunteer opportunities as well as lists of items they may need periodically at the house. I hope Yelp does another event here again. I guess they had one a couple of years before I did the event during Christmas time. This is a great organization that I will definitely donate to again!

The Ronald McDonald House is one of those non-profits that you're excited to get behind because you…read moreknow they're well-run. They constantly need both volunteers to make breakfasts, dinners, frozen meals, and bake cookies. They also have nightly activities such as Bingo that they love volunteers to run. Sign up ahead of time to reserve your group. They take groups on a tour of the space and explain everything. I found this to be incredibly special, as it attached our group to the work we were about to do and the heart behind the organization. The Ronald McDonald House allows families to stay as long as they need while they're child is in Riley Hospital. Families stay for either one night to a year. The homemade meals are vital to provide, as people under the stress of having a loved one in the hospital often forget to eat and need to be cared for. They also accept donations - however everything does need to be new (nonperishable food, lotions, shampoos, soaps, toothbrushes, etc). The only thing that can be donated used is books (they have an awesome library for the families). We baked cookies with our group and it was a fun, group-bonding activity in addition to being able to provide for a group that needs it. Grab your friends and volunteer here for an evening!

Tear Down the Walls Ministries is one of Indy's hidden gems. For over 15 years, the organization…read morehas served the people of Indianapolis with a dedication to being the church in action for those in the inner city. Inspired by the work of John Perkins, they focus on Christian Community Development through a variety of ministries and community outreach programs. Outreach to the homeless includes case management (counseling, relationship building, help to find housing/employment/medical care/clothing), a lunch and Bible study ministry, street outreach, and remodeling of abandoned buildings to serve as housing. They have outreach to youth that includes youth leadership, VBS, after school programs, summer camp, youth service projects (which is how I initially became familiar with them), student mission trips, internships, and youth-focused events and block parties. Community development programs include "remodeling abandoned buildings in poor, under resourced neighborhoods of the inner city to be used for housing and ministry, Urban Farming projects transforming abandoned lots into beautiful Community Gardens, teaching others how to raise small animals and produce their own nutritious foods in the inner city and working with those in the community to promote community development and create jobs, leaders, and friends. Their current CCD focus is on King Commons a neighborhood on the near northwest side of Indy near Riverside. The children and youth that I know who've worked with them have loved the experience because it's filled with much love, compassion, and tangible service with concrete results. It's remarkable to me how few people actually know about the organization. They are fiscally responsible and steadfast in their work. If you're not familiar with the work of John M. Perkins, there are a myriad of books you could read but one of my favorites is "Let Justice Roll Down." Seriously, this is a wonderful organization and a great option for churches looking to involve their youth in the community right here in Indy.

I've had the pleasure of attending the Chamber's LEX leadership program in the past and attending…read moreseveral of their events here in Indianapolis. A few stand out event offerings and resources that they offer include Conexion, Women in Business and workshops for business owners. The thing I appreciate most about our Chamber organizations compared to other cities' chambers of commerce is how they've adapted to modern networking and marketing to keep with the times and fit the needs of the community. They're quick on their feet to provide resources for businesses and collaborate with other organizations in the community to get the job done.

The Indy Chamber is wonderful! From holding think tanks for developing local businesses to hosting…read moreConexion sessions for Spanish business owners and female-biz owner meetups, they go above and beyond. They create resources to help businesses succeed and they also have events for young professionals to gather and learn (Lagers & Leaders is one of them!). I've been especially impressed with their coronavirus response guide, which has a lot of tangible tools for business owners to protect themselves and employees. Thanks, chamber!

The Center for Interfaith Cooperation is an Indianapolis-based non-profit organization established…read morein 2011 and largely rooted in earlier initiatives such as the International Interfaith Initiative and the Interfaith Alliance of Indianapolis. The center is located in the Indiana Interchurch Center, an office complex located near Butler University that exclusively houses non-profit organizations with a strong majority of them having a root in expressions of faith. The primary vision for the organization is to pursue peace through interfaith cooperation and increasing religious literacy. The organization facilitates interfaith experiences and has programs such as: Religious Literacy Interfaith Enrichment Corps Interfaith Encounters Interfaith Alliance for Mental Wellness "These Walls Speak" Art Gallery (Seriously awesome) New View Film Series Every year, the organization sponsors the Festival of Faiths (great experience) and Interfaith Banquet. If you look at the organization's board of directors, you get a sense of what it means by interfaith. Representation includes Muslim, Hindu, Catholic, Presbyterian (PC-USA), Sufi, Disciples of Christ, Pagan, Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Unification Church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Unitarian-Universalist, Sikh, Jewish, Church of the Living God, Academic institutions, IU Health Chaplaincy, and others. It's remarkable that the center gets all of these faiths together. This is one of Indianapolis's quieter yet more steady non-profit organizations. I've been genuinely impressed at any event I've attended and I regularly check out their art gallery. The Festival of Faiths is a wonderful experience, as well. As a Christian (Presbyterian specifically), I aspire to interfaith cooperation and I love the work of this organization right here in Indy.

I have gone to Anna's House for years. They always make you feel welcome. The staff and volunteers…read moreare wonderful, they treat you with respect and dignity. Produce is something that you don't normally get at a food pantry and theirs is fresher than a lot of stores. They always have a nice supply of it, among many other foods and supplies. Rebecca B.

My organization volunteers here monthly. This is an awesome place to volunteer. The staff and other…read morevolunteers are friendly and inviting. It is a busy day but it goes by really fast and you almost don't realize that you have been there for 3-4 hours. The Pantry has wonderful produce, meats, breads, and other items donated to them to give to those in need in the community. Some of the fruits and vegetables are fresher than some of the items I have seen in store. I love the fact that the food the people get is as desirable as food I would purchase in a store.