Indy homeless students up by 26%, Salvation Army offers help

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.

Mrs. Lewis, Shoe Carnival help kids in need get ready for school

This morning, thanks to Mrs. Lewis and the team at the Lafayette Road Shoe Carnival, nearly 120 kids from The Salvation Army’s Summer Day Camp programs in Indy got the tools they’ll need to start school on the right foot.

According to Huntington Bank’s 2010 Backpack Index, the average cost for a family to send a child to elementary school (with all the school recommended supplies and necessary clothing) is about $475. With the first days of school quickly approaching, parents are no doubt feeling the pressure of providing new shoes, back packs and school supplies. But, thanks to the generosity of long time Salvation Army donor, Mrs. Laura Lewis, 120 children are set to go.

JCP.com lets you adopt an Angel this Christmas…in your pj’s

JC Penney and The Salvation Army are joining forces this Christmas season to give joy to families in need through a national online Angel Giving Tree program. From now until December 14, for the first-time ever, customers can adopt and shop online for Angels at www.jcp.com/angel, providing tens of thousands of children and seniors facing hardship in communities across the country with Christmas gifts.

“In a year when so many need help, the new online Angel Giving Tree program will extend our reach and make it easier for our customers and Associates to give back this holiday season,” said Mike Boylson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for JCPenney. “By leveraging the strength of jcp.com, we are helping to modernize an American tradition – the Angel Tree program – and creating an innovative way to help families in need in our communities across the nation. Launching this program with The Salvation Army allows us to elevate our support for a cause that is extremely important to our customers and Associates, underscoring our focus on the ‘Joy of Giving’ this holiday season.” Read more

Hoosiers help raise $352,000 for newly unemployed

Hoosiers all over the state (individuals and businesses) opened their hearts and wallets to help their neighbors in need. And, although the grant application period for matching funds has now ended, you can always make a donation to The Salvation Army online, anytime here.

Our partners donated generously across the state. Here’s how it broke down by county:

• Anderson / Madison County: $6,000
• Kokomo / Howard County: $9,000
• Marion / Grant County: $10,581
• Muncie / Delaware County: $9,200
• Richmond / Warren County: $500
• Terre Haute / Vigo County: $9,000
• Indianapolis / Marion County: $7,340
• Statewide other: $77,970

“Doing the Most Good” with your support

Everywhere you turn there’s talk of the economy – who’s cutting jobs, who’s being bailed out, who’s profitting and who’s not. But who’s helping, really HELPING who? Maybe the government – to some extent. More often, it’s the non-profits and their communities meeting the needs. But with so many organizations out there, how do you know where to give and who’s doing the most with what you’re able to give?

We realize we’re just one of the thousands of options out there. In fact, the number of charities and non-profits INCREASED by more than 5% in each of the past two years – to nearly 1.2 million in 2008! With so many choices (and good causes), it’s important that you know that “doing the most good” for our neighbors in need isn’t just a slogan at The Salvation Army.

Efficiency and effectiveness make it possible for more than 84 cents of every dollar donated to The Salvation Army to be used to provide assistance to those who are struggling. In 2008, through the support of our partners here in Indiana, The Salvation Army…

• served 66,392 people by providing shelter and care
• provided 192,937 meals
• gave winter coats to over 4,000 kids through Coats for Kids
• played Santa to over 900 families through our annual Toy Shop
• assisted 1,286 people with substance abuse care
• sent 546 at-risk youth to summer camp
• shipped nearly 7,000 care packages to our troops through Operation Compassion
• provided $2.5 million in assistance as well as 10,000 meals and 4,000 clean-up kits to Indiana flood victims

We appreciate the vital role our partners play in keeping our doors open and the assistance available. Right now the need is greater than it has been in some time (go here to help). But, Hoosiers have been generous no matter how turbulent the economy has been.

Thank you for your continued support! It’s amazing how much we can do when we work together.

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