I went with my son to Asset Recycling yesterday to purchase a couple things he needed. I honestly…read morehave no idea how people find things here without an employee. Items are organized but nevertheless it took a bit of time to locate what we needed. Asset Recycling houses over 30,000 square feet of new and ready-to-use resources. My son has been here often so he's becoming familiar with certain areas and found what he wanted. I, on the other hand, was overwhelmed. Asset Recycling is a division of Youth Fair Chance, Inc., and in operation since April of 2003. They are a non-proft organization who works to divert usable building materials from landfills while offering donors all allowable tax incentives for their contributions. The charity's focus is to provide today's youth with a fair chance for a safer and more environmentally friendly future by eliminating usable building materials from landfills.  It provides neighborhoods and individuals, especially the ill, needy, and youth, new and affordable building materials for home projects. While the Asset Recycling warehouse primarily contains windows, doors, paint, plumbing supplies, flooring, and lighting, you can also count on finding interesting deals, arts and crafts items, holiday and party supplies, home decorating items, fabrics, and more. Asset Recycling is open to the public with a focus on serving those most in need of assistance with safe and affordable housing.  Inventory changes often, so frequent visits are encouraged. Asset Recycling is located on Holt Road with entrance and parking in the very back of the building. Stop in when you're in search of building supplies and have some time.

Buyer beware! Yes, you may find some good stuff here, but the prices are high, especially…read moreconsidering all the merchandise has been donated. **Carefully consider** what you buy here, because it was donated for a REASON--may be of questionable integrity!! There is NO return or exchange policy, even if it's defective. So if the tape doesn't stick like it should, or the paint is bad halfway down the can, or the tile cracks when you install it...was it worth the small discount? Not in my book.

NEGATIVE 10 due to the rudeness and lack of respect by the executive director…read more Rude to workers and customers. The store is a nice little place but I will never step foot in it again due to exe director. I will give my business to other more worthy non profit organizations. Goodwill, Salvation Army, wheeler mission, habitat for humanity. Even if I have to pay more..

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.

Wheeler is a much better place to donate than Goodwill because they value what you donate and treat…read moreyour items with respect. They do not run big outlet locations like Goodwill where they dump donations in huge bins for people to root through and damage. You can drop off items behind their store, or in off hours bring them into the store. They so not spend tons of money on fancy TV commercials and fancy stores. Their profits go to directly serve homeless people and those with substance addiction problems. I personally know one of the people they helped to turn their life around. Please make the little extra effort to go to their thrift store which is east of the super Walmart on 96th to shop and donate. Help this small organizarion continue to do good work in our community.

The Wheeler Mission Store is one of my go-to thrifting spots. Is it the cheapest? Naw. Is it…read moreclean and well organized and have a good variety of things to choose from? YES! This location is on the same side of the road as the Walmart and in the same plaza as the Petco, Platos, and the Autoparts store. The staff are super nice and there are a lot of volunteers walking around as well. I have found several things that are new with tags (priced accordingly), tons of name-brand goods, and there is rarely that funky thrifted smell that permeates everything you get from the WMS. They have everything from clothes to furniture/household goods to really nice jigsaw puzzles. Everything is super easy to find. Prices here at the Mission Store are a little higher than places like Goodwill, but every purchase supports the Wheeler Mission by providing meals and funding for training to their residents. There are also hand-made candles and other wares that the residents make while staying at Wheeler for purchase. Once while shopping I noticed it was busier than normal and the associate explained that they allow Wheeler residents to come and shop for what they need to get back on their feet. COOL!

I love bringing my "nice" donations here knowing that there's no middle man! Donations go directly…read moreto those in need locally.

Great place to take donations that will truly help others in need. Profits go to those in…read morerecovery.

Located in the Fort Ben area of Indianapolis within blocks of Fort Harrison State Park, Village of…read moreMerici is a non-profit organization providing residential supported living and community integration services to individuals with developmental disabilities. Village of Merici has built and continues to expand upon a neighborhood village offering a continuum of supports and options in all areas of living including residential, occupational, educational, spiritual and social. Village of Merici recently acquired a second building, also located on Lawton Loop, allowing them to expand upon their residential service offerings. They renovate the buildings, most being former Fort Harrison barracks and offices, and turn them into residential settings for individuals with developmental disabilities who have a wide range of support needs. There's a strong emphasis on skill-building - many of those who live in the apartments work at nearby businesses including one of the several restaurants nearby. I've had the pleasure of touring Village of Merici on a couple of occasions and started one of my Tenderness Tour events there. The residential building itself is largely secured to ensure safety. However, as the individuals are renting (and paying for) their own apartments they do also have the ability to access the neighborhood, go outside, and participate in a wide range of activities hosted by Village of Merici. Village of Merici is an approved provider for the Family Supports Waiver and the Community Integration & Habilitation Waiver and is CARF accredited. Village of Merici encourages self-direction and emphasizes the concept of dignity of risk - essentially, people have the right to make their own decisions and to experience the risks that can go along with those decisions. While some circumstances may limit that, for example having a legal guardian, there's a strong leaning toward supported decision-making and, whenever possible, independent living with supports as needed. The building itself has been made accessible throughout. While the building is older, there's an elevator that goes to all floors and every apartment is fully accessible. There isn't a part of the building that is not accessible to individuals with both physical and intellectual disabilities. The original building has 16 one-bedroom apartments and 4 2-bedroom apartments. They are set-up for people with low-incomes. Rather than acting as segregated housing, they seek to offer individuals with varying degrees of disability who meet low-income requirements to live within the Fort Ben area. The building was built with both "green" and energy-efficient technology. Every apartment has a full kitchen and an accessible bathroom. There's a long list of ongoing activities, always voluntary, and services provided are in accordance with a person-centered individualized service plan. You do not have to be in waiver services, or even need supports, to live at Village of Merici but you do need to meet the income requirements. The staff I've met there have been friendly and helpful. The building has a relaxed vibe and has maintained many of the original features while incorporating adaptive options. Village of Merici has both paid and volunteer opportunities and it's not uncommon to see groups volunteering to help them with maintaining their facility. The Village of Merici was established as a non-profit in 2007 and was named after Angela Merici, who became St. Angela of Merici.

Awesome service and people who live there, I live there. This is my apartment, I love my place and…read morethe quality is amazing, and value too

This community center is a much needed resource and I'm thankful to have it available for everyone…read morein the city! I personally visited as part of a local business fair that supported up-and-coming business owners connect with financial, marketing and start-up needs. This center also has a partnership with IPS and helps students find additional educational help, as well as a safe, quiet place to study. They also help with housing questions, offer a fitness zone, host workshops, advocate for east-side development and more. They're truly wonderful! Currently during COVID19, you can't walk in the offices without a meeting, so I'd suggest calling beforehand to book an appointment.

I visited the John Boner Center on a weekend during COVID to get on-boarded to work for the US…read moreCensus, which means the normal goings-on inside weren't happening. But I was able to look at all the photos and posters on the walls to see all the good things that happen there during the weekday. The John Boner Center offers a variety of community services for Indianapolis residents who need it. Right now, during COVID-19, you cannot just have a walk-in appointment. Please make sure you call ahead and schedule an appointment first, and wear a mask!

I have had the pleasure of volunteering at this organization to pack back to school bags for kiddos…read moreand have also dropped off food donations for their food pantry. They are located on the near east side and offer a variety of wraparound services for the neighborhood. Most notably, they offer several hot meals throughout the week and have a food pantry for families to pick up necessities. I was pleased to see that the food pantry has a variety of healthy options available versus the typical canned food limitations. It's very easy to get engaged with this organization and lend a hand. Highly recommend connecting with them if you're looking for a way to get back to the Indy community. I'm hoping to bring my son to volunteer with me in the food pantry in the months ahead.

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!