I've been a volunteer with Starfish for over 2 years now, and it has been the most rewarding…read morevolunteer experience I've ever had. The program matches college graduates with high school students who are typically going to be first generation college students and whose families' income falls within a range similar to the requirements for the 21st century scholars program. I was matched with a wonderful scholar who needed a rematch in her sophomore year because her previous mentor had to withdraw from the program. We took art classes, visited colleges, explored some parks, museums and ate out at fun restaurants. We also worked on college applications and stressed waiting to hear back...and I'm thrilled to say my scholar just started this summer at IU!! I'm looking forward to exploring Bloomington with her on my upcoming visits! If you're looking for a volunteer experience that will give you the chance to build a relationship and help make a difference for a young person I highly recommend Starfish! Time commitment needs to be regular, at least twice a month face to face with texting and calls in between, but can be anytime and anywhere that works for you and your scholar. I'm signed up to be matched with a new freshman in addition to staying on as a mentor with my now post Starfish college student. I'm hoping some other Yelpers will join me!

Great organization. They have really made some strides and do some great work for high school…read morekids. Plus a beautiful uplifting well decorating facility.

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.

On this beautiful #ThankYouThursday, I want to share some gratitude for Random Acts of Flowers!…read moreThis nonprofit accepts fresh flower and used vase donations, then creates pretty bouquets that they deliver to people in healthcare facilities. They're making peoples' days all around the city and I think it's such a rad mission. If you have a wedding or big event, you should definitely donate your florals to RAOF instead of tossing them afterwards so they can continue to spread joy. If you don't have flowers or vases to donate, you can volunteer to make the bouquets or create an event for your office or friend group to craft bouquets while you chat. Super fun and simple!

Random Acts of Flowers(RAF) is an amazing non-profit started by a guy named Larson who saw a need…read moreand immediately took action. This random act of kindness turned into Random Acts of Flowers... This organization has since grown to have locations not only in Indianapolis but also in the Knoxville and Tampa Bay areas. Over the years they've aided in the improved well-being of over 481,000 bouquet recipients nationwide!! This.is.AmAzInG!! Yesterday, through work, I had the opportunity to help create bouquets to be delivered at Eskenazi Health. Our goal was 125 bouquets, we surpass our goal and I couldn't be more thrilled! Feeling extremely blessed to have been apart of something that makes such a positive impact! Being a nonprofit they rely heavily on donations. Please up cycle your extra vases and unneeded floral arrangements. Together we can make a huge impact on someone recovering!

The Indiana Children's Wish Fund grants wishes to Indiana children ages 3-18 who have been…read morediagnosed with a life-threatening or terminal illness. They were established in 1984, a year after my graduation from high school, and children are referred by parents, nurses, social workers, doctors, etc. To date, they've granted over 3,200 wishes with most wishes costing an average of $8-10,000. As someone who has, quite literally, grown up with a life-threatening illness that was considered terminal when I was born, I've long admired the work of Indiana Children's Wish Fund and even presented an award from my own charitable efforts to one of their active fundraisers. It was at that time that I became increasingly aware of their work and aware of local media personalities who are involved in supporting it. Fun facts - the most common request is a Disney World trip for the entire family. However, other wishes have included meeting former Presidents, the Pope, bringing a relative all the way from Ethiopia for a visit, and one young wish recipient even ended up being an extra in a Tom Cruise film. These Wish coordinators are really quite amazing and creative. When I was young and not expected to survive (I'm in my 50s now - I guess they were wrong), I sort of had a pre-wish (since the organization didn't exist) when it was arranged for me to meet my idol - Mario Andretti. It's an experience I've never forgotten and I still cheer for an Andretti in every race where there is one. I was in awe of this experience and I'm in awe of and strongly believe in this organization's mission to provide some light and love for children facing life-threatening illnesses and/or terminal illnesses. The Indiana Children's Wish Fund is a 501c3 non-profit organization and they're constantly fund-raising. While the pandemic has certainly impacted wishes, they do continue and children continue to be in need. Terminal illness doesn't really slow down for a pandemic. They are known as a fiscally responsible organization and, perhaps most importantly to me, also a truly sincere and compassionate one. They're undeniably one of Indiana's true non-profit gems. They are based in the Castleton area, however, they grant wishes statewide.

From the owner: Indiana Children's Wish Fund is a single-entity statewide wish-granting organization, that grants…read morewishes to Indiana children, ages 3-18, who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening or terminal illness. We are not affiliated with any other wish-granting organizations. Indiana Children's Wish Fund was founded in August of 1984 and is celebrating 31 years of wish granting. Wish Children are referred to our organization by their doctors, nurses, social workers, parents, etc. Our most requested wish is trips to Disney World for the whole family, along with meeting celebrities, shopping sprees and family vacations. Some of our unique wishes have been to meet former Presidents, the Pope, working with Mother Theresa and bringing a Grandmother to the United States from Ethiopia to visit her grandchild. We have even had a wish child who ended up being an extra on the set of a Tom Cruise movie!

I brought my suit to ZIPS Cleaners with one simple request: remove a visible spot. They tagged it,…read moreacknowledged it, and assured me it would be taken care of. When I returned to pick it up, the suit was pressed--but the spot was still there, untouched. No explanation, no follow-up, just a suit that looked slightly crisper but still had the same issue I came in with. If you're looking for basic pressing, ZIPS might suffice. But if you need actual garment care--like stain removal or attention to detail--you're not likely to get much beyond the bare minimum. This is the second time this has happened. Zips feels like a volume-driven operation, not a service-oriented one. I expected more accountability and quality control.

Professionally cleaned clothes that look like new. Fast and friendly service with a great price…read more What more could you ask for? .

I was looking for a tall lamp, I didn't have any luck, but! I did take the time to browse around…read moreand see if I could find anything, I'm glad I did! I found a great black purse for five dollars! It really fits a lot, but it's the perfect size! I'm glad I decided to stop in! This is a nice location with a good selection! Check them out if you are in the area!

I've brought clothes and shoes consistently to this goodwill over the last few years. When I…read morebrought my clothes the last time, I made a mistake and gave them a laundry bag rather than a donation bag. The man who was dealing with pickup was a bit rude and standoffish. Once I realized the mistake I made, which was a couple hours later, I tried to reach out and no one answered the phone. I then tried to go back but they had ended up closing right before I came. The next day, when I attempted to go back to the facility as soon as they opened, they had claimed they had already dispersed my clothing onto the floor and gave some to the outlet. When I was told that I could look around for my stuff, the manager followed me around even though I stated that I would buy my clothes back if I seen them. It seemed a bit racially driven to follow me around the store. Though it was my fault as far as giving them the wrong bags, they weren't helpful, and they were a bit careless. I've decided I won't be giving anymore donations to Goodwill, which saddens me. I'll have to take them to Plato's closet or something of the sort instead.

If it's related to the arts in Lawrence, there's a pretty good chance that Arts for Lawrence has a…read morehand in it. Started as a non-profit in 2006, Arts for Lawrence is the largest non-profit arts organization in Lawrence and Indy's northeast quadrant. The organization serves as the steward for the historic Theater at the Fort and offers a remarkably diverse array of affordable arts programs at Theater at the Fort, Fort Ben Cultural Campus, and the Visual Arts Campus. VERY often, these activities are provided at no charge to the community. This was the case for this past weekend's Shakespeare at the Fort: A Midsummer Night's Dream directed by longtime Indy radio personality Matthew Socey. At one point, I was contemplating placing a memorial for children lost to violence in the Fort Ben area - It was Arts for Lawrence that responded and had some dialogue about the idea. Essentially, I've found the organization pretty amazingly responsive when it comes to exploring ideas for creatively improving the lives of Lawrence residents. The musical chairs at Fort Ben? Arts for Lawrence is behind this wonderful, family-friendly installation operating daily from 9am-10pm. (I do agree with some who've observed it would have been ideal to include at least one accessible swing). The Fort Ben Cultural Campus as launched in 2021 with the former Fort Harrison Communications Building moved to the campus and re-established as a Visual Arts Center with monthly exhibitions, a ceramics studio offering classes for all ages and abilities, and upstairs area offering additional classes. Programs include festivals, theater performances, outdoor concert series, art classes, art exhibitions, poetry readings, and more. Food trucks often appear at outdoor events. Being right by Lawrence's City Hall, this area seems to have become a central locale for many of the City's sponsored community activities. Arts for Lawrence also has a strong equity statement on their website indicating a desire to ensure that arts programming is accessible to all. The Visual Arts Center is now open from 6-9pm daily and during festivals. Additional features include the Sterrett Center, Marching Sidewalk, Lawrence's public art, the amphitheater, and an app offering AR/VR experiences. Arts for Lawrence only assumed stewardship of Theater at the Fort in 2016. They began a vigorous upgrading of the 1929 theater and while it's certainly not perfectly accessible (what 1929 building is?), it's dramatically improved and there's an attitude of access. As a city, Lawrence fairly recently established a commission on disability. It took me quite a while to realize that many of the activities I attend here in the Fort Ben area fall under the umbrella of Arts for Lawrence. I'd imagine it will only improve once the currently under construction Fort Ben branch of the Indianapolis Public Library is completed. There's so much to love here and Arts for Lawrence is behind much of it and they've become a guiding player in the growing Lawrence arts scene. With friendly people, great events, and opportunities for all, I'm definitely a fan of Arts for Lawrence.

I love coming to support local artists here! I have been a few times now for Crossroads Dance Indy…read moreperformances and I love it every time. The venue feels small, but still fits an audience of 100+. The staff are always so friendly and do a good job of guiding you where to go. The restrooms are always clean as well. The parking situation isn't super great, however. I usually park in the lot across the street, but there isn't a ton of room on show nights. You'd have to find street parking if it were a busy night. Plan extra time just in case!

after researching a LOT of cleaning companies had 2 Exclusive out today to do a deep clean. they…read morewere on time and both of them were very nice & knew what they were doing. was pleased with the result & the value for the mone. Looking forward to having them out on a regular basis to keep our home looking good.

We moved into our retirement house in Fishers two years ago. The house needed so much work, I put…read moreoff having the double oven professionally cleaned until this week. What a dumb delay! I hired 2-Exclusive Platinum Cleaning (Indianapolis/Fishers) to help and within a few short hours my double oven looks brand new - and, for very little cost. WOW - is all I can say! They found a stubborn spot on a carpet and took care of it - easy peazy; no charge. They came right on time, charged exactly what was quoted, friendly and knew what they were doing! I'm hiring them again to clean the tile grout in my kitchen and bathrooms - and, are now my "go to" for any cleaning help I need. Thank you 2-Exclusive for coming into my life! Barb (Fishers, IN)