Coats for Kids provides 9,300+ coats to Indy families in need

We’ve all heard the saying, “it takes a village” and that was certainly true this October. The Salvation Army has been priviledged to partner with Tuchman Cleaners and Bob Gregory and our friends from WTHR-13 for the past 24 years to gather, clean and distribute coats to kids in need. Hoosiers are a generous group of people donating enough coats (and dollars to buy more coats) to clothe all of the kids who attended Saturday’s distribution day at the Fairgrounds.

So, we’d like to take a moment to thank all the people and businesses who make this event a success. Read more

Sponsors make Apple Fest success

The Salvation Army’s 7th annual Apple Fest was easily our best to date. And we couldn’t have done it without our most successful partnerships yet. Applebee’s, GFS Marketplace, Ricker’s and Kroger provided all the food and beverages so lunch dollars really could do the most good for the women and kids at our shelter.

Thanks to all of our community parnters who supported us with booth, table and promotional sponsorships as well – the Emmis family of stations (93WIBC, 1070 The Fan, B105 and Hank FM), WTHR-13, Complete Office Supply, Adrian Orchards, Two Men and a Truck, Huntington Bank, ComedySportz, Cartridge Specialists INK, Graphicon, Unique Home Solutions, the American Legion, Avon, HVAF and Indy Custom Cornhole. Bandwagon put on a great show, too!

And thanks to our community for coming out and putting those lunch dollars to work for a good cause! If you’d like to learn more (or buy one of those great t-shirts) about our programs that support our neighbors struggling with homelessness and abuse, go to HomelessnessBites.org

Kroger scoops up chance to support Apple Fest

With just a few weeks to go until Apple Fest, we were still missing a key ingredient – ice cream for our GFS Marketplace apple cobbler. Thanks to our friends at Kroger, we’ll be serving it up a la mode!

Just yesterday, we reached out to Kroger, and like their slogan, we could count on them to come through for us. This isn’t a small act of kindness. We’re anticipating a great crowd this year, so we’re talking about 1,000 or so scoops of ice cream. So, a big thanks to Kroger for stepping up to help us raise funds for our Homelessness Bites campaign that supports our Women’s and Children’s Shelter here in Indianapolis.

And don’t forget to grab lunch with your dessert….Applebee’s will be serving up roast beef or freshly grilled chicken sandwiches and chips on the side for just $5! Stop by the Ricker’s pop trailer and grab a soft drink for just $1. Thanks to our generous partners, all the proceeds from this event will help us provide shelter, life skills classes and support for women and kids who are homeless due to financial hardships or abuse. What a great motivation to ‘Eat in the Street’ on Thursday, October 7!

We’ll have plenty of booths to stop by including Adrian Orchards, Two Men and a Truck, Indiana Pacers Fan Van and more. Live music will be provided by Band Wagon. And don’t forget that coat for Coats for Kids – we’ll give you a FREE apple cobbler as your sweet reward!

We still have booth space available for just $50 or join us as a participating sponsor at our table displays for just $75. Call Kristen at 224-1019 to join us! And to learn more about how you can help us Bite Back, go to HomelessnessBites.org.

Emmis signs on for Apple Fest

It’s a perfect fit since we’re planning to “Eat in the Street for homeless kids” right in their front yard on Monument Circle! All four Emmis stations – WIBC 93.1fm, B105.7fm, Hank 97.1fm and ESPN 1070 The Fan will be teaming up with us to spread the word about this lunchtime event on Thursday, October 7.

Mark your calendar to join us for freshly grilled food and warm apple cobbler. There’s lots to see and do at this event, so stay tuned for the details. And go here to find out how you can get involved this summer even before the first lunch-goer is served.

Interested in participating in the event as a booth sponsor? Call Kristen at 224-1019.

First Annual Victory Dinner Honors Salvation Army’s Champions

There were champions among us this past Wednesday evening, at the First Annual Salvation Army Victory Dinner held at Riverwalk in Broad Ripple. Attendees gathered on this beautiful evening to celebrate the efforts of a few fine citizens and businesses who had sacrificially earned that title through a variety of ways. Focusing on the 2009 Christmas season, these volunteers and supporters of the Army’s programs really were what made this year’s Tree of Lights events successful. In spite of not reaching the monetary goal, countless lives were significantly touched by these people and their service. Keeping in mind the mission of The Salvation Army, it was an honor to recognize these special individuals for meeting human needs on behalf of the Army.

Major Richard Amick, Indiana’s Divisional Commander, started off the evening with some encouraging words while directing our attention to the many ways the Army has been blessed this past year. This was followed by a video, “A Year in Review” highlighting the Army’s work throughout 2009.  Continuing with the theme of “The Power of One”, inspirational speaker for the Colts, Josh Bleill gave an outstanding talk. Bleill, an ex-marine who lost both legs from an explosive device while serving in Iraq, uses his experiences as a platform to share with others about how they too can make a difference.

Saving the best for last, the night culminated with the presentation of awards to the champions, whose hard work served men, women and children. Of special interest was Zionsville Middle School student, Jake Iery, who was recognized as Youth Champion of the Year. Learn more about what Jake did for children in need on the volunteer blog, www.savolunteer.org/. Also honored individually was Iris Bouchez, as Volunteer Champion of the Year, in addition to Northwest Kiwanis Club, Two Men And A Truck, Reach USA/ValPak and Response Church. Salvation Army staff was excited to be able give each award recipient a specially handmade plaque, created by some of the kids who reside at our Women and Children’s Shelter.

If you’d like to join the ranks of champions and/or for more information, call Elizabeth Wilhelm- Volunteer Coordinator at 224-1010.

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