The number of homeless youth has been on the rise for the past two years, and many are unable to receive assistance because of their situation. Homelessness can happen to anyone because of tragedy, struggling with addiction, or many other reasons.
One of the most disheartening reasons is what often makes most children and teenagers homeless…broken homes due to marital discord and divorce.
“First, his parents, whose marriage had imploded, disappeared. A few days later, Brewer came home from school to an eviction notice posted on the front door.” (Washington Post)
Many homeless youth are forced to the street, not by their own choice, but by the people they should naturally be able to count on and trust – their parents. According to a report done by First Focus, federal data shows that the number of homeless children and youth identified in public schools has increased for the second year in a row, and by 41% over the past two school years.
Homeless students enrolled in Indiana schools has risen by 26% in these past two school years.
This statistic is only able to capture the number of youth who are enrolled in school. Assistance for students is hard to find because many students enrolled in school are couch surfing with friends or family. Youth who do this do not qualify as homeless under the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition.
There are a few resources that do help Indy’s homeless youth - HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program, Outreach, Inc., and Schools on Wheels. The Salvation Army here in Central Indiana also offers after-school programs at our Fountain Square and Eagle Creek Corps.
Do you know of other resources for homeless youth? Let us know and we’ll share that too!
Doesn’t a cookout sound good right now? You know the kind where the entire neighborhood comes together to spend time eating hamburgers, talking, listening to music, and playing games outside? We think so… That’s why we’re hosting our very first Red Kettle Cookout on May 12, 2011 and inviting you to join the fun!
One of the wonderful things about cook-outs is that everyone who comes brings a little something different. The Salvation Army is a bit like that, too.
When people like you and organizations like yours contribute to The Salvation Army, we’re able to put your unique contributions to good use by helping people and families with diverse needs. Thanks to you, children who need homes are given shelter; families which need a financial burden lifted are given support; adults who struggle with addictions are given a chance to overcome them; and people escaping abuse are given protection. The Salvation Army is a church and a social service organization–all of your gifts are used to serve others. This means everything we do through you helps bring hope and lasting change to the people we serve. That’s quite a powerful cookout!
The Red Kettle Cookout provides us with an opportunity to share what we’ve done together in Indiana for the past 128 years and what we continue to do with your support 365 days a year. It also gives us a chance to invite more people to get involved. And, yes, it also gives us a chance to enjoy good music, delicious food, and our wonderful community! Admission is free and food and drink tickets are available for purchase.
This event takes place rain or shine from 10 am to 2 pm at University Park downtown – right across from the Indianapolis Star building.
The number of homeless individuals in our community appears to be holding steady yet subject to increase due to rising unemployment, evictions and home foreclosures. However, the face of homelessness has changed over the years and according to The Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention (CHIP), there was a 78% rise in family homelessness between 2008-09. In 2010, nearly 40% of our community’s homeless population were members of a homeless family.
Homelessness bites for central Indiana families. It’s unfortunate that many of those affected by homelessness are women and children who are escaping abusive and sometimes violent situations. Last month, we assisted nearly 300 children and 200 women at our Shelter for Women and Children.
In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be implementing some exciting new initiatives to help combat one of the issues associated with children and homelessness – childhood hunger. Our first events will kick-off with Global Youth Service Day – April 15-17 and culminate with Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week November 14-20. With over 17 million children in the US living at risk of hunger, we know this is an important issue. Hopefully, with so many of our homeless population being children, we can at least educate them to be able to lead more healthy and productive lives.
Check back soon for more details on how you can get involved.
Comedian Mike Polites at the annual Comics That Care, 2010.
IUPUI’s Communication Department is kicking off their Communications Week by sponsoring the annual Comics That Care show – to benefit The Salvation Army’s Homelessness Bites campaign.
Join us and the featured comedians for a hilariously good time on February 28th, to support a good cause!
We’re excited to partner with ComedySportz Indianapolis who is providing the venue for this year’s Comics That Care!
It’s a great happenin’ spot in downtown Indy – located at 721 Massachusetts Ave.
This year’s featured comedians are:
- Mike Polites
- Marques Bunn
- Stan Chen
- Troy Davis
- Jon Stites
Tickets:
- $8 – students with ID
- $10 – at the door, all others
Monday, February 28th – Doors open at 7:00 PM and showtime is 7:30 to 9:00 PM
Hope to see you there!
Questions? Call Crissy Testa at (317)224-1017
We know the holidays are over, but January is such a let down – we’ve come up with our own fest. It’s a Bite Back Fest. Don’t worry, it’s not all fun and games. Helping the homeless is what we do best – and we need YOUR help!
Starting right now, you may stop by our building at 3100 N. Meridian St. and pick up your very own Bite Back Box (if you don’t already have one). Then, fill it up with your spare change and bring it back to us anytime from January 24 – 28th.
Here’s why it’s Bite Back Fest…
Every 5th person to drop off a box – all week long – will receive a $20 giftcard!
It gets better…
At the end of the week, the person whose box (or boxes) have the most money, will receive a $200 Walmart Giftcard!!!
Stop in and pick up your boxes, or, if you have a group of 5 or more people who want to participate, we’ll hand-deliver the boxes to you.
During the week of the 24th, you may drop your box off on Monday and Tuesday from 8am-4pm, and Wednesday – Friday from 8am-6pm – Yup – we’re staying open late for this!
All donated money will go directly to our Homelessness Bites Campaign and will be used to help those in need in our community.
So remember – stop in for your Bite Back Box anytime starting today from 8am-4pm – fill it up – bring it back for your chance to win a $20 Giftcard (and to get some refreshments!) – and fill it super-full to win the $200 Walmart Giftcard!
Everyone is eligible – invite your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers – everyone – to participate with boxes of their own!
Can’t make here in person? No problem! Turn your change into something good on our cause page!
Apple Fest attendees enjoyed a variety of apple treats from Adrian Orchards on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2010.
We couldn’t have asked for better weather for our 7th Annual Apple Fest today on Monument Circle. You never know what you might get for the first week of October in Indiana, but it proved to be a beautiful day, for a worthwhile cause. The lunchtime crowd filled the tables and many could be seen enjoying a break in the sun on the monument’s steps with their warm apple cobbler and ice cream. New this year to Apple Fest was our 22-foot Red Kettle bounce house. One excited young boy was heard exclaiming, “It’s FREE!” That’s right, it’s free and you can expect to see our bounce house at many upcoming events!
Apple Fest is an event we look forward to each year because it’s a fun way to raise money to help combat a serious issue – homelessness. The Salvation Army’s Homelessness Bites campaign was formed to serve the men, women and children in our city who find themselves homeless for whatever reason. The number of homeless in central Indiana has grown during the past couple of years, due to the economy, loss of employment and a general downward trend in the security of families. The Salvation Army is passionate about serving these families and individuals in their time of need.
Each year during Apple Fest, there are a number of folks who share with us their stories – stories of how they ended up homeless, living in tents or on the streets, unable to find work due to drug and/or alcohol related offenses and have basically lost hope. Our goal is to reach out to these people and let them know we care and that God cares. It’s the perfect opportunity to at least feed them a warm meal and listen.
Offering hope and assistance to these people would not be possible without the involvement and support of all the individuals and business who have committed to being a part of events such as Apple Fest. It really does take the effort of staff, volunteers, sponsors and patrons, all combined. The success of today’s event could be seen in the way that the Applebee’s team worked together to prepare, grill and serve a quick and delicious lunch. Volunteers served dessert – warm apple cobbler from GFS Marketplace with vanilla ice cream donated by Kroger. Rickers joined us this year, providing a beverage truck with sodas and water. Our friends from Bandwagon were back with lead singer Lisa Kopczynski belting out those familiar tunes for our listening pleasure. And it wouldn’t be Apple Fest without red, green and yellow apples from Adrian Orchards along with those cute little bottles of fresh apple cider. Other sponsors, such as WIBC, Indy Custom Cornhole, Two Men And A Truck, Comedy Sportz, and more, made for a great turnout.
A big Thank You goes out to everyone who participated in Apple Fest. We’ll have the total for how much was raised for Homelessness Bites in the coming days and if your business would like to be a part of this great event or any of the upcoming events with The Salvation Army, call Kristen Grills at 317-224-1019
Mel McMahon and the Comedy Sportz team at the Homelessness Bites fundraiser, Sept. 30, 2010
It was a hilariously good time Thursday night in downtown Indy as the ComedySportz team, with special guest Mel McMahon, helped us raise money and awareness for Homelessness Bites. Lights, stage, sound effects and fast-paced improvisational comedy made for a fabulous evening laughing ourselves silly for a good cause.
Who knew that comedy was a sport? For those who have never been to a ComedySportz show, it goes like this: two teams made up of “actletes” compete for laughs and points as they make up scenes and songs on the spot. The audience makes all the suggestions and votes for the winners, and the referee calls the fouls. If you love “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” then you’ll love ComedySportz! There are family friendly shows as well as those designed specifically for kids 12 and under. For more information about upcoming shows and classes, visit indycomedysportz.com.
Mel McMahon is the spokesperson for Homelessness Bites, The Salvation Army’s campaign in the fight against homelessness. After participating in the games, Mel shared with the audience about the plight of Indy’s homeless women and children and how the Army needs help to make a difference in those lives. To find out how YOU can be a part changing lives, visit homelessnessbites.org.
Bite Back against homelessness with some laughs and fun on Thursday, September 30 from 7:30 – 9:00 pm featuring Mel McMahon. It’s a great way to spend an evening relaxing with friends, laughing and supporting a local cause. The show will benefit The Salvation Army’s Homelessness Bites campaign.
ComedySportz is “fast paced improvisational comedy that’s fun for everyone…played like a sport, with two teams battling for laughs and points as they make up scenes and songs on the spot. The audience makes all the suggestions and votes for the winners, and the referee calls the fouls.”
ComedySportz Indianapolis is located at 721 Massachusetts Ave., in Indy’s Mass Ave Arts and Theatre District. Doors will open at 7pm and tickets are $15/adults – $12 students w/ID. Redeem your full Bite Back Box at the event and receive a free ticket to attend another ComedySportz show! For more details visit indycomedysportz.com
Homelessness Bites is The Salvation Army’s campaign to end homelessness in the city of Indianapolis. Each year about 7,500 of our neighbors find themselves homeless in Indianapolis. Even more troubling is the fact that 1,500 of these people are children. The Salvation Army is meeting the needs of our homeless neighbors each year. Find out more at. HomelessnessBites.org
Tuchman Cleaners making deliveries for Coats for Kids 2009.
Tuchman Cleaners has been the official cleaner of Coats for Kids for over 23 years. Get this: they’ve cleaned over 170,000 coats that were donated for children in the central Indiana area! Wow! That’s a lot of love being shown to kids who need it. And it couldn’t have been done without the dedication and hard work from the largest drycleaning company with continuous operations in Indiana.
Every year, Tuchman Cleaners collects and cleans winter coats donated by area residents for distribution to needy children in Indy. This year, from Labor Day until October 25th all central Indiana Tuchman stores will be accepting coats and cleaning them daily. You can find a location near you by visiting Tuchman’s website.
But wait, there’s more! Bring a gently used coat to Apple Fest on October 7, at Monument Circle, drop it in Tuchman’s Coats for Kids box and we’ll reward you with a FREE warm apple cobbler dessert! We’ll be serving lunch too and all the proceeds go to our Homelessness Bites campaign. It’ll be a day filled with ways to make a difference in the lives of women and children in central Indiana. Together, we can bring warmth and hope to those in our community who need it most! A big Thank You to Tuchman Cleaners for Doing the Most Good in a monumental way!
What goes around, comes around. And I mean that in the very best way. Here at The Salvation Army, we’re always trying to inspire you to get in the game and do your best at “Doing the Most Good.” If you’ve not been moved thus far, the following testimony of one woman’s gratitude towards the Army will inspire AND convict. Again, in a good way. You see, this woman didn’t just come to us and find help and hope. She discovered the joy of giving back – even before she was able to do so. She discovered the importance of keeping the cycle going between giving and receiving. Read her story and see how it can apply to your perspective about giving back out of the blessings that you’ve received.
My name is Donna*. My life has been saved! This is a literal statement because the abuse from my husband had progressed to the point where he was going to kill me. And even worse than that he would have done so in front of my three children. He had never abused the children before, but the signs were all present and I knew it was just a matter of time before he started on them too.
People say, “Leave him! Go!” But where do you go? There was nowhere in the area to go, no shelters. How are you supposed to get out safely? And if you have children it becomes even more complicated. You leave on the spur of the moment whenever the opportunity becomes available to you.
Then you find out all of the shelters are full, no rooms available. I left home in the middle of the night with my three children with very few personal belongings. Who was there for us? The Salvation Army was there. They had a room for us. In the middle of the night at 11:00pm they were there. My kids and I were finally safe. They first provided us with food, clothing, personal hygene items. After that they provided us with spiritual encouragement and hope. We stayed at The Salvation Army for several months until I was able to save up money for a safe apartment away from my abusive husband.
Currently I am still not at a place where I can give back, but when I am I will give generously so that The Salvation Army can be there for someone else in need. Thank you and God Bless.
Names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the client. Donna* is currently enrolled in our Continuing Support Program and she continues contact with her case manager once a week.
Coming up – an opportunity for YOU to give back, or “bite back” as we like to say here!
October 7 at Monument Circle in downtown Indy – 10am – 3pm. Your lunch purchase will benefit programs for homeless and abused women and children, just like Donna*.
Uncategorized | Deborah | 
June 16, 2011 11:12 am | 
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