Inspirational snapshots of community members of Central Indiana and their stories.
These are folks who, if they didn’t have the housing we provide for them, may not have a place to live. We’re not solving homelessness, but in some ways, I think we’re preventing it.
—Andrea, outreach and fundraising manager at HAND (Hamilton County Area Neighborhood Development)
We are here every single day. This is a place of hope. We came here looking for answers, and we left with so much more!
—Dan & Judy, members at PrimeLife
I was originally born in Jordan where Arabic was my first language. I came to America when I started in elementary school. I learned English and forgot Arabic. While I was in middle school, I moved back to Jordan and relearned Arabic. I had no idea that I would be using my Arabic skills in Indianapolis. While I was a sophomore in college, I interned with Exodus Refugee. During my internship, I got called in a few times to translate. Then this led me to mentor my first Syrian family. I started to become really involved with the organization, and I learned Indianapolis was a city that welcomed refugees.
—Sara, case manager at Exodus Refugee
I was looking for a way to serve once my son left for college. As an empty nester, I’d be sitting around focusing exclusively on my hobbies, which I still do to an extent, but I’d encourage others to give back.
—Mark, Big Brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana
The first time we met it was a lot of fun, just talking about goals and learning, getting to know each other. Our first time out together we went bike riding on the Monon and went out to lunch. Bike riding is my favorite way to spend time with Mark.
—Dre, Little Brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana
We’re bringing in a bunch of community organizations to collaborate on this museum that brings together all four corners of these intersections. The museum is an attempt to bring the community together. We have Butler Tarkington, we have Crown Hill, we have Mapleton-Fall Creek, and then we have Meridian Kessler. We’re bringing them all together. We’re doing research to find all the interesting historical elements of all four neighborhoods and then bringing them all together in one exhibition to showcase the history of these neighborhoods which have a very deep, profound, and rich history.
—Atsu, communications consultant at Midtown Indy
