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!

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.

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.

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.

Working at a food pantry truly gives you life perspective. If you aren't hungry and have a place to…read morego tonight, you're blessed, something I always try to keep in the back of my mind. You'd be surprised as to how many people don't have those luxuries (and yes, even people in Carmel). Families come into the food pantry all day and they're guided through the fruits, veggies, frozen food, frozen meats, breads, and dessert sections of the food pantry. Based on the number of family members they have to feed, they can select different amounts of each food item. The food pantry is often in need of those fresh fruits and veggies (especially in winter when they aren't getting the leftovers from the summer farmers market down the road). Toiletries are also always needed: deodorant, diapers, toilet paper, soaps, shampoo/conditioner, etc. Check their hours, then you can donate foods or sign up to volunteer and it's much appreciated.

We dropped off a few food items for someone in need. Great work team! I'll be back with more items…read moresoon.

Dotted Line Divas was started by an incredible woman who, while going through a hard time a few…read moreyears ago, spent every Saturday driving to local pantries to collect items for her family. She quickly realized that most food pantries had almost no personal hygiene or home items necessary to sustain a family. She redirected her attention to couponing and became incredibly good at it. She now uses her extreme couponing skills to serve 100+ families each month. She opened a personal care pantry that offers the following: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine care items, diapers, wipes, toilet paper, home cleaning supplies, detergent, deodorant, books and more. This pantry is located in the new Mercy Road church off of 96th and Michigan Road and is open for "pantry day" every third Saturday of the month from 10am-12pm. Families can register beforehand or show up and fill out paperwork. Volunteers will then call a family up, take them through the pantry and ask if there's anything our team can be praying for. If there are extra items in the pantry from 12pm-1pm, people who need it can pay $1 or $2 to snag additional items. There needs to be ideally 20 volunteers to make this nonprofit possible every third Saturday. Bonus points if you can speak Spanish or Burmese. Please sign up on their website sign up link before showing up to volunteer so they know you're coming. If you have a few extra hours, it'll mean the world to the families and you'll meet incredibly kind people that you'll feel honored to help! Everyone is so kind and sweet. I even learned a ton of Spanish thanks to the patient people who taught me while we shopped!

The founder is so passionate about her project that you can't help but get swept away…read more Truthfully this is a worthwhile project. There are so many food banks, but those do not supply any kind of hygiene articles: the shampoos, soaps, sanitary napkins, toilet paper, detergents, toothpaste, diapers... those type of things are just as necessary for your health as food. Dotted Line Divas steps in here and tries to supply at least some of the most needed items. Of course they are dependent on our assistance. So consider donating your time or money or goods to this worthwhile cause. Keep in mind that sanitary napkins, tampons and diapers are the most needed items.

The Northside Food Pantry is a food pantry that serves Washington Township residents in…read moreIndianapolis. Based out of Second Presbyterian Church, Northside Food Pantry offers food support to Washington Township residents up to twice monthly and is open three days per week. In order to utilize Northside Food Pantry, you need to take in a bill or some other mail received within the last 30 days indicating your address within Washington Township (zip codes 46220, 46228, 46240, 46250, 46260 or North of 38th Street in 46205 or 46208). Northside Food Pantry utilizes quite a few volunteers for positions such as client intake, client liaison, data entry, car loader, food delivery processing, and off-loading for Nora donations. Northside Food Pantry receives its items from a variety of sources including public donations, area residents, area businesses, Gleaners Food Bank, and others. I had the opportunity to visit the food pantry recently and was impressed with their organization and the variety of healthy foods available including fruits and vegetables actually grown by the children and youth of Second Presbyterian Church. They also offer a variety of personal care supplies including the always needed diapers. I was also impressed that they offered similar personal care items for adults in need. The process has changed due to the pandemic and individuals are actually served in their vehicles. It's an effective, efficient process that seems to work well. Church leaders are actively involved in the church pantry and it's not uncommon to see Senior Pastor Chris Henry driving the Northside Food Pantry truck. I also saw that they even had some books available for the kids! Northside Food Pantry serves approximately 17,000 people annually and over 400 families monthly.

Much of the food I received was expired or no longer edible. As the food accumulated and continued…read moredeteriorating, I spent hours sorting through it, trying to determine what was safe to eat. I continued accepting the deliveries because I was confused and was trying to do the right thing. I should have spoken up sooner, but that does not change the condition of the food I received. This got to the point last Thursday where I was picking up a pineapple that was left at my home- the result tore up my back and now I am in incredible pain! And any kind of movement hurts. I'm telling you this not only for my own benefit, but because other elderly or vulnerable people may not be able to inspect everything carefully and could become ill.

It seems unique to be able to come across a coupon for this store. I had one for a discount off an…read moreitem, so I decided to visit when school was not in session and hoped to find sale items. They shortened hours on Labor Day. From the outside, the place seems small with bigger items typically outside to grab drivers' attention. They have a variety of (new and used) merchandise including furniture. It is like a Goodwill store but more organized. I was told that the items were donated, and they do not have sales. I bought a lap desktop with folding legs and section holders; it would be so helpful especially when I tend to find writing utensils that have fallen between the couch cushions. Also, a green long-sleeve dress shirt caught my eyes so I had to go look at it, which happened to fit me; how could I resist buying this name-brand, attractive shirt! I used that coupon for the shirt, so I got more savings than for the desktop. There seem to be a couple of spots I would like to try to wash out of the shirt. So both $5 or less. Sold! When I got home, I realized that maybe the shirt was new because there was a spare button attached. I will see if the ink on the sleeve comes out. I think the store changed its name to Noble Cause (but still led by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul) and did change their hours to M, T, Th, and F 9-3 with Wed. and Sat. only to serve from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul's food pantry. I would return when and if convenient but definitely if I get a coupon.

I am a avid thrifter all across central Indiana and this used to be one of my favorite places. They…read morehave hard to come to hours for the working person, but when I did come I used to spend $100 or more but today I was really disappointed to see their prices have gone way up. As a reseller the China and dish prices were so high nobody could get them in the hands of a collector at a decent price. Please revisit that and try not to compete with goodwill. I also noticed that usually the place is packed but this time hardly nobody was there and it may be the prices. Since it's hard for me to get here because of no evening hours if it continues I won't be back on a regular basis, it's sad because money goes to a decent cause but things need to be bargain prices not boutique.