Today’s Indy Star reports that IPS has seen a 26% increase in the homeless students. The article is pretty sobering – Indiana is tied for 27th in the nation for homeless enrollment – nearly 10,000 students.
Our state has certainly felt the brunt of the economic downturn. And the trend continues in 2010 as unemployment hovers in the 10 percent range. About 43 percent of homeless schoolchildren in IPS are in kindergarten through third grade! These kids have difficulties concentrating, not knowing where they’ll sleep or where dinner will come from. In fact, these students are suspended from school at a rate of about twice the state average!
But thanks to our supporters, The Salvation Army’s Women’s and Children’s Shelter* can offer these kids some stability. Kids who stay in our shelter can count on healthy meals, warm beds and even homework help from our partners at Indy School on Wheels. The shelter isn’t a permanent solution – our counselors work with moms to get help with life skills, school or job placement and all the other resources they will need to break the cycle of joblessness, domestic violence and homelessness.
You can help us continue to provide these services to our littlest neighbors in need through the Homelessness Bites campaign. Find out how to get and fill a Bite Back box, donate online, sign up for our mobile VIP list or mark your calendar now for Apple Fest this October. For 1,500 kids in Indianapolis, homelessness bites. Bite back!
*nearly 1,100 women & children have been cared for in our shelter in 2010. Of the 204 who came to us in June, 76 were kids.
Tags: Apple Fest, homeless kids, homelessness, Homelessness Bites, Indianapolis Public Schools, Indianapolis Star, Indy School on Wheels, Salvation Army, Women's and Children's Shelter
Bite Back!, get involved | Kristen | 
July 29, 2010 11:10 am | 
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In case you haven’t heard, we’re celebrating our 56th annual National Salvation Army Week this May 10-16, and we’ve got some fun events planned. We’ll be sure to tell you more about them soon, but this is where we talk about homelessness in our city. So we’ll start there…at the big finish!
We’re wrapping up the week by having a picnic with a purpose. Join us on Friday, May 14 (10am-2pm) at Veteran’s Memorial Plaza for our 2nd annual ‘Eat Outside the Box’ picnic to end homelessness. We had a really great turnout last year and we’re hoping to continue to spread the word about our Homelessness Bites campaign. You can join the cause in two ways:
1. Become a booth sponsor – A great location and about 400 picnic-goers means prime exposure for our partnering non-profits and businesses. Partnership is super affordable – booth space is just $50! You’re welcome to have displays, giveways and even sell non-food items and you keep the profits! Interested? Call Kristen at 224-1019 and reserve your space today to get in on early promotions.
2. Come out for lunch and take a bite out of homelessness! The central location at Meridian & Michigan is super convenient for the employees of dozens of downtown businesses to just walk over and join us. All-American Picnic Company will be grilling hamburgers in addition to hotdogs. And we’re thrilled to have live music from BandWagon again this year! Lunch and tunes beats leftovers at your desk, right?
The 1,500 kids who spend their nights on the streets of Indy think Homelessness Bites. Do you? We hope you’ll help us Bite Back.
Running late from work and need the number for the local pizza delivery? During a chat with friends at the coffee shop, you decide that a movie’s a good plan – do you know what’s playing? Working on a little spring cleaning this weekend and need a place to take donations? ChaCha’s got your back…and now you can use ChaCha to ‘Bite Back’ too.
Starting April 16, when you call in (1-800-2ChaCha) or text a question to ChaCha (242242), you’ll probably see a message about how you can help the thousands of Hoosiers who spend their nights on Indy’s streets. The Salvation Army, in partnership with ChaCha, is helping you stay connected to those in need with the new Homelessness Bites Mobile VIP List. Text HBITES to 242242 to join the list and learn how you can make a difference in the lives of homeless and abused women and children right here in Indy.
Comedians Troy Davis, Mike Polites, Mel Fine, Marques Bunn, and Stan Chen perform at Comics That Care 2009.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – IUPUI students and the Indianapolis community will be laughing for a good cause next week. The Department of Communication Studies along with the Department’s Communication Club in the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI have partnered with the Salvation Army to present Comics That Care, a charity event to benefit Central Indiana’s Homeless Children. The show will be held on Monday, March 8th at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center at IUPUI. Some of the area’s funniest professional stand-up comedians are donating their time, including the headliner, a Bob and Tom Show favorite, Auggie Smith. Smith is original and very hysterical. He’s been doing comedy for over 15 years visiting clubs and colleges all over the nation. Other comedians performing are some if Indy’s funniest folks including: Troy Davis, Mel Fine, Marques Bunn, and Mike Polites.
In addition to performing stand-up comedy, Polites is also a Lecturer in Communication Studies at IUPUI. Polites says that “as faculty members at IUPUI, we pride ourselves on getting our students to realize the importance of helping out the community. With all of the comedians graciously donating their time, proceeds from the comedy show will assist in bringing much-needed resources to the growing homeless population in Indianapolis. I’m so proud of the efforts that my students have put forth in coordinating this very special and very funny event. In these tough times, everyone can use a laugh, so we hope to pack the house!” Tickets can be purchased by visiting the JagTag office in the IUPUI Campus Center, or at the door. The event organizers invite the entire Indianapolis community to join them for a night of fun and laughs!
For more information about this event, please contact Mike Polites, Comedian and Project Manager, at 317-417-3246 or mpolites@iupui.edu.
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Thanks to the hundreds of you who made it down to Apple Fest yesterday. The numbers are in and Apple Fest brought in over $9,200 this year! It takes every last person who came out to volunteer or put your lunch dollars to work, so thanks for caring about our mission…and then doing something about it.
We want to be sure to thank our event sponsors. Without the generosity of partners like ours, we wouldn’t have the ability to host an event for you to be a part of. So, thanks to our campaign sponsor – Two Men and a Truck, lunch sponsor – Applebee’s, apple cobbler sponsor – GFS Marketplace, apple sponsor – Adrian Orchards, media partners – WIBC 93/ESPN The Fan 1070/B105.7/HANK 97.1, campaign spokesperson, Mel McMahon, Big Brothers Big Sisters, The American Legion, Dunkin’ Donuts, Comedysportz, Squish Designs, Indy Moms Like Me, the Indiana Pacers and their Fan Van, the Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders, and folks from each of our Salvation Army’s nearby locations. And thanks to Bandwagon for setting the mood with some great tunes that certainly called people from blocks away!
So, thanks for supporting Homelessness Bites and for donating coats to Bob Gregory’s Coats for Kids. Stay tuned to find out how much we raised for programs at our women’s and children’s shelter.
Come and join us for Apple Fest on Monument Circle anytime between 10:30am – 1:30pm and forget about brown bagging it. It’s a no-guilt excuse to put those lunch dollars to good use – a fresh Applebee’s lunch for you and a donation to our women’s and children’s shelter. You can’t beat it!
We’ll have all kinds of entertainment and surprises with live music by Bandwagon and appearances by the Pacemates and more! And while you’re there, please stop by our sponsor’s booths. We’ll be hosting our campaign sponsor – Two Men and a Truck, apple cobbler sponsor – GFS Marketplace, apple sponsor – Adrian Orchards, media partners – WIBC 93/ESPN The Fan 1070/B105.7/HANK 97.1, Big Brothers Big Sisters, The American Legion, Dunkin’ Donuts, Comedysportz, Squish Designs, Indy Moms Like Me and folks from each of our Salvation Army’s nearby locations.
Speaking of apple cobbler…remember if you donate a new or gently used coat to Bob Gregory’s Coats for Kids campaign, we’ll give you a sweet reward – a FREE apple cobbler! Help us provide a warm coat to Indy’s children in need.
See you there!
Mel McMahon will be the official spokesperson for The Salvation Army's Homelessness Bites Campaign.
The Salvation Army is pleased to introduce Mel McMahon as the official spokesperson for our Homelessness Bites campaign. Mel will lend her on-air talents to one of The Salvation Army’s largest programs in Central Indiana.
Mel is best known for her work on FOX 59, WIBC, and HANK FM. A graduate from Indiana University, Mel is currently pursuing her MBA with a concentration in Public Affairs Management. “My main goal as spokesperson is awareness. It’s women and children, moms and dads, who are being affected by homelessness, not just the people we may see on the street or around the Circle,” said Mel.
Over 30% of the homeless in Indianapolis are single moms with two or more children under 10 years old. The funds raised through Homelessness Bites will be used to offer housing assistance, resources and support to moms and children find themselves homeless due to a financial struggles and domestic violence.
One of Mel’s first official appearances will be at the 6th annual Apple Fest on Monument Circle. The annual lunchtime event supports the Homelessness Bites campaign and features, live music, hot apple cobbler, and lunch items from Applebee’s Restaurant. The event will be held on Thursday October 1, from 10:30 AM until 1:30 PM. For more information about Apple Fest, Homelessness Bites, and Mel McMahon, visit HomelessnessBites.org.
What if you could set up shop on Monument Circle for an afternoon? How much would that kind of exposure be worth to your business or organization? That’s hundreds of potential customers, clients or referrals. Would it be worth $100 and a couple of hours of your time?
On Thursday, October 1 The Salvation Army will take another bite out of homelessness by inviting those who live and do business downtown to Eat in the Street for homeless kids. And we’d like you to join us.
Booth space is only $100 for businesses ($50 for non-profits) and the funds raised at this event – through sponsorships and lunch – will be used to offer housing assistance, resources and support to moms and children find themselves homeless due to a financial struggles and domestic violence. Your donation will reserve a booth for you to showcase your items or services, and you will keep any profits from the day.
In addition to raising funds to help homeless kids, we hope to use this event to give your business/organization a little extra promotion. The event will be promoted on the Emmis stations and on WTHR channel 13 for the two weeks leading up to the event. Apple Fest will also be featured on Emmis’ websites with a link to our event site, HomelessnessBites.org, which will include logos, contact information and web links for all of our sponsors. We are also working with television, web and print media partners to promote the event. Apple Fest is a great opportunity to reach potential customers while giving back to the community.
Space is available on a first come, first serve basis through September 25. Give Kristen a call at 224-1019.
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