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.

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!

Dear Girls Inc, You…read moregive me warm fuzzies and we're still just in the beginning stages of our relationship. All throughout college I thought to myself, "One day. One day, Brittany, you'll step up to the plate to be a Girls Inc volunteer like all those other cool professional ladies out there. One day." 'Tis the day where I get to hang out with teenage girls and talk about things like money management, being independent and doing your own damn thang. Fortunately, for my roller coaster of a schedule, you are not only extremely organized but manageable for those of us who fear taking on more than we can chew. You even have your own custom shoulder bags. How much more official does it get than that? Consider this a thank you note. A "thank you" for the opportunity and a "thank you" for all you're doing in the city. Yours truly, Britt

From the owner: Girls Inc.® of Greater Indianapolis inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. We provide…read morehands-on programs that address the challenges that girls face today, such as self-esteem and bullying. We want girls to be healthy, educated, and independent. Girls Inc. partners with schools and community organizations and utilizes volunteers to deliver programs for girls.

I first learned about Dotted Line Divas via my involvement with the Yelp Community and through Yelp…read moreCM Niki's support of the organization. Both personally and professionally, I filed it away in my "good to know" file and was pleased to learn about a dependable community resource meeting a unique, often unfulfilled need. As someone who has been homeless on two occasions in my life, a by-product mostly of having a significant disability that can create chaos at any moment, I've been in the position before of basically doing anything I can to survive. While it has been years since I've faced such challenges, having done so gives me a deep appreciation for those who address those needs and for those who find themselves in such a situation as it can truly happen to anyone. Dotted Line Divas is a faith-based non-profit organization (501c3) that utilizes extreme couponing methods to purchase personal care and hygiene items at a significant discount then turns around and gives these items to families in need. We're in the middle of a pandemic. There are a lot of families in need. Dotted Line Divas operates out of Mercy Road Church Northwest at 96th & Michigan Road. While the pandemic has impacted their once monthly pantry day on the third Saturday of each month, the pantry days go on but are treated as a "drive-thru" with people remaining in their vehicles when they arrive. The organization, which also teaches extreme couponing, opened its personal care pantry in 2016 and has grown in terms of families served and community awareness of the organization. They utilize at least 20 volunteers for each pantry day and are always seeking bilingual volunteers (especially Spanish and Burmese). Yes, Indy has a high Burmese refugee population. While I have donated to Dotted Line Divas, my review is actually based upon my experience helping a family access a pantry day and being able to successfully do so in a way that met the family's needs and did so with much love, respect, and dignity. While processes are in place for a reason and are incredibly necessary, I was impressed, and more importantly the family was grateful, with the kindness and compassion they received at a time when they'd found themselves in a serious financial challenge due to the pandemic and unable to meet their needs. By offering both goods and education about couponing, a nice combo undoubtedly designed by the founder who'd been through the experience herself, this organization offers more of a hand-up than simply a hand-out. This family needed some temporary support and, yes, it worked out ideally because with these hygiene items they were able to continue self-care, continue job interviews, and re-enter the workforce. I'm grateful that the founder has taken her own life experiences and is paying the good forward and I'm also grateful for the volunteers who support the organization and who gather to serve with their own individual gifts. I'm grateful that Indy is blessed by the presence of such an organization - as a community, I believe we're all responsible for one another and I'm absolutely certain Indy's a better community with Dotted Line Divas in it.

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!

This is such a great space!…read more I don't have a membership, so I'm writing from the event space perspective. This facility has a great rustic/industrial vibe, and is perfect for small to midsized events. Thoughtful consideration has been given to the design and the space is both roomy and intimate. The wood tables, comfortable variety of seating, and design accents just WORK. There's a really cute loft that could be used for a VIP area, staging space, or simply expanded space for event guests. The bar area is perfectly sized, and the conference room space makes a perfect prep kitchen. Overall score 12/10, would recommend

A pretty good co-working space. Great wifi, coffee, and overall vibe. It is a big open space to…read morework in, and a bit more quiet up in the loft. Good active Slack channel for members too. The breakout rooms and conference room are handy. Knocked off a point because: a couple of members have long loud video chats in the common space (not cool), and they seem oblivious to those around them (and as far as I can tell, mgmt does not clue them in to go move their calls to a room). Also, too many days where the space is completely closed to members.

If you are looking for volunteering opportunities, Gleaners is Wonderful!! I've volunteered here a…read morefew times and it's very well organized, and fulfilling. Just go to www.gleaners.volunteerhub.com to get started, sign up for a shift or a few. I've done the front of house and gotten hugs from some of the recipients that walk through, and yesterday I tried doing the back warehouse area. The magnitude of food that comes through is astounding. In the few hours that I was there we sorted through about 500 pounds of food? I enjoyed helping with the warehouse to see where it all begins just as much as I've enjoyed helping in the front of house. A common task in the front is taking food to vehicles since you can't take the shopping carts in the back, and there are quite a few elderly that come in. If you have extra time, they have more than 26,000 volunteer visits each year. Check it out, it seems to make me think my problems are not that bad whenever I do a shift.

I really enjoyed volunteering here. It was very impacting. I've never worked in a warehouse before…read morebut I would imagine that it's similar to the assembly line we had. I was at stop 3 so I handed out salad, peppers, or brocolli along with a pack of Starry and a bag from Starbucks. I didnt give 5 stars because some of the bags had old dates. I asked what the dates meant and was told not to worry about it. Many of the families driving through were very grateful and thanked us while the others looked away or didnt say anything at all. I was really happy to serve the community and would enjoy going back.

Full disclosure, I've been volunteering with this group for about a year now, and my review hasn't…read morechanged. I wish I could give them 10 stars! I have volunteered there, adopted animals, and fostered animals. Everything has been a fantastic experience.

From the owner: exotic and farm animal rescue everything except dogs and cats…read moremission statement to be a voice for the animals to educate the public about animal responsibility and ensure that animals are treated humanely and given a chance to make certain that every available resource is used to find adoptive homes for domestic animal

Came here for their Ethnic (European, Scandinavian, Scottish, English, Greek, Latvian, Lithuanian,…read moreEastern European, etc) food and music event. Really laid back feel. The food was good especially the Polish pierogies stand. You can see how well handmade they were with a nice thin dough unlike the store bought ones. Most of the vendors took credit cards though oddly the only beer vendor did not. So if you want a beer you will need cash. They had "strolling" musicians which is a nice touch and not something you often see. The guy on the accordion was real good too! Same with the guy in a kilt playing the guitar. Lots of dancing demonstrations by the various ethnicities. The Italian fest was on the same day and while that event had lots of publicity on the local morning news for some reason they ignored this festival. Which is a shame as it was pretty good but it is probably not as well connected as the Italians. We bought our tickets in advance and it included parking. #357

From the owner: The Indianapolis Latvian Community Center is a non-profit organization serving the Indianapolis…read morearea and our surrounding Latvian community. We provide a venue for: Birthdays, Business Meetings, Festivals, Church Functions, Family Reunions, Retirements, Weddings, and various other Social Events. The Center houses two separate banquet halls: Riga Hall, National Hall (includes a stage with quality sound and lighting). Moreover there is a lounge and a large kitchen to serve many. The property is situated on eight beautiful acres in Northwest Marion County. Our center serves as a meeting place for our members as well as the local community to come together in celebration!

As long as I've been active with Indiana non-profits, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that it was…read moreonly recently that I learned about the work of the Indiana Blind Children's Foundation. This occurred largely due to the fact that a friend of mine serves on their board of directors and has been very proactive about supporting the organization. The Indiana Blind Children's Foundation was founded in 1993 with a primary mission of investing in children with visual impairments so that each child will thrive in school and daily life. The organization is a philanthropic foundation financially supporting the amazing work of the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired educates hundreds of Indiana's children and young adults annually. Age range is 3-22 and outreach is statewide. The school is nationally recognized and an essential resource with unique and substantial expertise. The foundation sponsors the No Limits Arts Series, Toula Oberlies Creative Arts, and other initiatives throughout the year. Just this past school year, the foundation helped to fund and install interactive Promethean boards in every instructional classroom within the school. These boards are known to massively increase student engagement. Despite being an adult with disabilities myself and working for an agency in the area of disability, I must confess prior to my friend's involvement with this organization I knew very little about Indiana's empowerment of individuals who are blind or visually impaired. I'm learning so much and I'm incredibly impressed with this organization that is providing essential support to one of Indiana's best kept educational secrets.

Last year we didn't make it but this year we made it a point to go and IM SO GLAD WE DID!!…read more It was crowded and parking was a pain, but that's to be expected. We didn't mind walking a couple of blocks to the festival. Entry is free. We walked in and there's tons of booths lined up selling lots of stuff from American Girl baby doll clothes, to homemade soaps, blankets, jewelry, clothing, art work. It was very neat to see the variety of crafts and products. You have to purchase tickets at a booth in order to get food. Each ticket is a $1 and at the booth it tells you how many tickets each dish is. My boyfriend and I both bought 20 tickets a piece and decided to share everything. Now to the good part. We started off with the seafood crepes, they were mind blowing and I'm not even kidding!!! I've never in my life tasted something so delicious. 2 crepes stuffed with shrimp and crawfish came on a plate with grapes, a piece of bread and garlic butter. I could've easily ate about 5 of them, terrible, I know. The next stop was stuffed mushrooms. They were stuffed with a cream cheese blend and topped with cheese that was melted to perfection. Super tender and juicy. After mushrooms we went and got the crawfish étouffée, it came with bread and more garlic butter. it was amazing! The rice was perfect and the étouffée had a decent amount of crawfish in it. After the étouffée we had french fries. Now I don't know what they did to these french fries but they were addicting. They were crispy and seasoned with parsley and sea salt I believe? Last but not least, the beignets. I waited in line for 15 mins for these bad boys and they were worth every minute!!! Super hot, fresh, and fluffy and dusted with powdered sugar. They literally melted in my mouth. Alcohol was being served but we did not partake, we did however see that they were selling whole bottles of wine. We were also told by several people that you can bring your wine. Not sure who the band was that was playing, but they had everyone up and on their feet. Super good band and I'd love to hear them again. There were tables but they were pretty much full, we didn't mind standing and eating. We people watched, ate, and enjoyed the band. The lines were long, but moved quickly. There's no parking lot, so you have to find your own parking. Those are the only two "negatives" and I don't really consider them negatives being that it's an outdoor festival in Broad Ripple. It's more so to be expected. We will definitely make it a point to come every year now. We enjoyed every minute of it.

The French Market hosted by ST. Joan of Arc is always a fun place to go. They have lots of vendors…read moreranging from food, art, jewelry and so much more.