Was able to connect a Family with this affordable Summer Camp in the Irvington community. After…read moregetting the kiddos signed up, the staff directed them to the cafeteria for a hot breakfast.The staff was very attentive to the children and welcomed them with bright smiles and Good Mornings. It is Faith based, so the children are required to participate in praise and worship before engaging in the fun activities. The kiddos were pumped this morning for their field trip to the Zoo!

This is a wonderful place that has turned lives around for many individuals and families. The…read moregentlemen who started Shepherd did not buy a home for his family in some affluent neighborhood, instead they purchased a home right in the heart of the people they work with to have a close relationship with the people in the area. Today I am receiving the royal tour with Phil Edwards who is in charge of Champions Of Missions. There is a great need for volunteers here. If you have a heart for children and have thought about volunteering some time, you might want to look into Shepherd Community. You can spend as little as an hour a week or as much as you desire. Working with the children will require passing a background check. They have school for kindergarten through high school although not all classes meet here. Some of the high school graduates are the first in the family to graduate. There are classes for adults too. They can learn English, get a GED, learn to sew, and a list of many things. Since poverty is rampant food donations are always needed and appreciated. Shepherd makes sure the children have three meals a day which is a rarity. Churches make up baskets at Christmas time full of makeup and other things women would like and the children are taken to shop and pick out a basket for their mom for a Christmas gift. They are always so excited. Volunteers are needed in many capacities.Volunteer somewhere. You won't regret it. Helping others is one of the greatest feelings and rewards you will ever experience. The pantry is very low on peanut butter, Mac and cheese, Milk, and personal hygiene products. Anything a group or individual can donate is helpful. Go during their open hours or if you have a lot to donate, call them and ask when and where at the building would be best for the delivery. Thanks for reading and thank you if you pass this on to gain volunteers and donations for the children at Shepherd Community! God Bless You

An outstanding charity organization with a unique, effective modus operandi!…read more The mission of the group primarily involves combating homelessness by encouraging an active lifestyle, including regular group walks & runs. Other support methods are given as well for those in need, such as workshops on employment or financial topics. I have volunteered with BOMF for at least five years now. Over time, I have seen how the program changes and improves lives. The personnel and volunteers have changed some since I've started volunteering, and everyone is excellent at what they do! A fun, fulfilling way to volunteer!

Such an incredible organization. The team at BOMF go above and beyond to support the city's…read morehomeless with positive programming and wraparound support that truly educate one's body, mind, and soul. The reason I love this charity so much is because you can truly give with your time, talent, and treasure. If you like to walk or run, commit to being there once a week for the morning runs. Do you have a skill that the program members need? Offer to have a class or training session. Want to sponsor a table for the BOMF Breakfast Bash? They'll gladly use your financial support! It's a great place to meet good people and put your talent to good use.

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.

Horizon Christian Fellowship is a very important church to us. This Church is kinda nestled up on…read morea hill, the drive is so pretty from the snow, to the fall and even the summer time its a great conversation starter about how God makes it so beautiful. The church has added on sense I was a child. The main doors open up in to a lobby and a welcome center. They have a infant program as well as and grades preschool- 6th. 7th and older attend with there parents in the main church which also doubles as basketball court. During the week they host AWANA for children 3 years - 6th grade. The church is also a school during the week. The classrooms have the grade posted on the door for the school is the same grade for Sunday morning. All the posters and books in the classrooms are Christian based and are uplifting to the Lord. The service is great from the worship team leading in praise to the King, and Bill the Pastor speaking from the word of the Lord, you can tell that there is just a passion and a humbleness. After church there is a cafe that has great snacks and drinks. There is time to fellowship in the lobby and in the main sanctuary. There are bathrooms as well in the lobby that are easy to find and have step stools for the littles. The Pastor Bill Goodrich and his wife Vi are very welcoming. Pastor Bill dedicated my younger sister to the Lord with my parents. My parents and them have been good friend for many years. We don't live close now, but when we come back and say hi we are always welcomed with open arms and warm smiles. Horizon will always be home for us. Can't wait till we can go back and say hi.

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.

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!

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.

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.