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.

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.

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..

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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!