Big finale for National Salvation Army Week – ‘Eat Outside the Box’

Indy knows how to put lunch dollars to work for a good cause and you proved it at our second annual ‘Eat Outside the Box’ picnic on Friday. We were out there to spread the word about a major need in our city – shelter and a future for the 1,500 kids and their moms who find themselves without a place to call home. Whether from domestic violence or economic struggles, these moms and kids find their way to our shelter each night looking for care, compassion and a fresh start. Because of you, we can continue to provide just that.

Without the generosity of our partners, we couldn’t do what we do to help our neighbors in need. Thanks to our food sponsors at All-American Picnic for firing up their new locomotive grill (above, picnic guys with our development director Jeff Stanger in front of their hard-working showpiece), GFS for donating all the chips and to Ricker’s am/pm stores for bringing plenty of 2-liters and ice. And we couldn’t forget the ladies who baked all the tempting treats for the Doughnut Girls to offer for donations. Read more

Eat Outside the Box: event to end homelessness

As part of the Homelessness Bites campaign, a campaign to raise awareness and money for Indianapolis’s homeless, The Salvation Army put together the second annual Eat Outside the Box event. A lunch was served from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Friday, May 14 at the Veteran’s Memorial Plaza. Numerous people had the $5 lunch which included a hamburger or hotdog, chips, coleslaw and a drink, while 67 homeless persons ate for free.

About 7,500 Hoosiers in Indianapolis are homeless each year. Many times these individuals are single mothers and their children. The Salvation Army provides for homeless mothers and their children at the Women and Children’s Shelter in Indianapolis. Julia Sipes, special events coordinator for the shelter, says that raising money for the Homelessness Bites cause “means they (shelter residents) can eat. Every cent helps.”

Sipes says that a major benefit of The Salvation Army’s Women and Children’s Shelter is that it’s a safe haven. Some of the women and children at the shelter are escaping domestic violence. The shelter provides more than just a bed, but also life skills classes that include parenting courses, nutrition courses and guest speakers.

Homelessness Bites spokesperson Mel McMahon was looking for a way to help others when Jeff Stanger, Development Director of The Indiana Salvation Army, asked her to join the Homelessness Bites campaign last August. “I could not turn it down,” says McMahon.

One of McMahon’s main focuses for the Homelessness Bites campaign is to reach out to young people and make them more aware of the services that The Salvation Army provides.  

Volunteering their time and providing music for the event was Band Wagon. The band is a familiar participant in these events, performing at The Salvation Army’s Apple Fest event last October.

“It’s just a great honor for us,” says Band Wagon singer Lisa Kopczynski. “We’ll do it every time they ask us to.”

There were many supporters and participants in this year’s Eat Outside the Box. Hot dogs, hamburgers and chips were provided by All-American Picnic Company and GFS Marketplace, and drinks were donated by Ricker’s Stores and Noodles and Company. Other participants included Two Men and a Truck, ampm, ChaCha, 107.9, WISH-TV, Ivy Tech Community College, Comcast, Avon, Indy Star, The American Legion, The Indianapolis Colts, The Indiana Pacers, Indy Custom Cornhole and HVAF.

‘A better place’ for the ‘most good’

Today you can celebrate National Salvation Army Week at our Dine to Donate at Max & Erma’s at 5899 E. 86th Street. When you bring in this flyer from 11a-8p, your server will credit us with 20% of your purchase. You were planning on eating today anyway, right? Why not choose to put those lunch and dinner dollars to work for your neighbors in need? The proceeds will help us provide services like food and utility assistance, shelter to the homeless, refuge for abused women and children, after school and senior programs and emergency disaster services. (Thanks to  Larissa and all the folks at Max & Erma’s for supporting us through this event!)

And don’t forget, the fun’s not over yet. Tomorrow marks the end of our National Salvation Army Week events, but we’re going out with a bang! Join us for ‘Eat Outside the Box’, our picnic to end homelessness tomorrow from 10a-2p at Veteran’s Memorial Plaza at Meridian & Michigan Streets in downtown Indy. Just $5 gets you a boxed lunch of a hot dog or hamburger, chips and a drink. Bring a little extra to purchase a homemade dessert from our volunteers – Evelyn’s fudge is AMAZING! Enjoy live music, throw a game of cornhole and check out our partners’ tables. And there’s still time to be a booth sponsor – just $50 to reach about 500 prospects! Call Kristen at 224-1019.

BD’s Mongolian Grill, Guest Grillers help us ‘Bite Back’

Indy took a big ole ‘bite out of homelessness’ last night at BD’s Mongolian Grill as about 60 diners showed up to watch our Guest Grillers serve up some stir-fry and entertainment. Thanks to all our Guest Grillers: the fabulous folks from WISH TV-8…Andi Hauser (Indy Style), Steve Bray (Chief Meteorologist) and Ashley Adamson (Sports Reporter) as well as our Homelessness Bites spokesperson and i94′s Marco Show co-host, Mel McMahon and our good friend Dave “the King” Wilson who donned aprons and learned how to ‘go mongo’. We even got our Salvation Army Indiana Divisional Commander, Major Richard Amick behind the grill with WISH TV-8′s Chief Meteorologist, Steve Bray to take a turn at the grill! All busy, busy people who heard about those 1,500 kids who spend their nights on the streets of Indy and stepped up to do something about it.

And we just can’t say enough about the amazing, fabulous team at BD’s Mongolian Grill in Castleton. The place has really hoppin’ and the servers and grillers kept up with the crowd. It was a fun, relaxed atmosphere and the food is fantastic! We appreciate how easytheir team made it to kick off National Salvation Army Week.

But the fun’s not over yet! Today, we’ll be down at the Indiana War Memorial Museum for the dedication of the WWI Salvation Army Doughnut Girls exhibit at 1:30. Thursday is our Dine to Donate event at the Castleton Max & Erma’s (go here to print the flyer you’ll need to present so 20% of your bill will support our mission). And then the big finale, ‘Eat Outside the Box’ picnic to end homelessness on Friday at Veteran’s Memorial Plaza from 10am-2pm. 

Speaking of Friday’s event, booth space is still available if your business or non-profit would like to join us. Just $50 will put you in front of about 500 prospects and behind a great cause. To learn more, go here or give Kristen a call at 224-1019.

Our soft drink sponsor

Thanks to our friends at Ricker’s donating all of the soft drinks for ‘Eat Outside the Box’, we’ll be able to put more of the proceeds from our ‘picnic to end homelessness’ directly into programs for homeless and abused moms and kids. So, although homelessness bites, this news definitely does not!

Want to follow Ricker’s example and join us as a sponsor? We still have booth space available for just $50! Learn more about the event here or give Kristen a call at 224-1019

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