As a busy mother who put her children before herself for many years before realizing her need to replenish, Catrina Brown felt the need to offer a special evening of pampering to the ladies who live at The Salvation Army’s Women and Children’s Shelter in downtown Indianapolis. Many have ended up there as a result of domestic abuse and negligence, having nowhere else to turn and leaving their old lives behind. Some come to the shelter with a few belongings in trash bags, stripped of joy and hope.

For these ladies, Catrina envisioned an evening of dinner, motivational speakers and a fashion makeover. Clothing, jewelry, nail polish and shoes were collected along with a group of fellow Salvation Army employees who were delighted to help organize and serve at the event. To make it even more special, the makeover was kept secret.

As the speakers gave testimonies of victories over tragic situations, the room resounded with many amens and hallelujahs. It was much needed encouragement for these ladies as they begin their process of healing and renewal. Just as the butterfly sheds its old skin and is a new creation, it was then revealed to the ladies that they would be stepping behind the curtain to shop for a new outfit, complete with shoes and accessories. Judging by the smiles and squeals, it truly was a night of success for these ladies and one that will hopefully be a step towards a brighter future.

In February she found a job at a daycare supervising infant care. Francine found an apartment in March and moved into her own apartment with rental assistance from The Salvation Army. She was enrolled in our Continuing Support Program and had been doing great.

Now she is doing even better than before! She was contacted for a new job for customer service in the insurance industry. She works with the State of Indiana answering questions about the variety of health insurance plans and now is a great resource for me when my clients have questions. I am so proud of her and look forward to working with her in the future. Francine is truly a success story!

*Names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the clients

Monday, May 10 – Dine to Donate at BD’s Mongolian Grill (3838 E. 82nd Street, Castleton) $15 for all-you-can-eat stir-fry, soup and salad. Click here for more info.

Tuesday, May 11 – WWI Salvation Army Doughnut Girls exhibit dedication, Indiana War Memorial (431 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis)

Thursday, May 13 – Dine to Donate at Max & Erma’s (5899 E. 86th Street, Castleton) 4-10pm. 20% of dine-in and carry out proceeds will benefit The Salvation Army. Don’t forget to take the flyer with you (we only get credit for your meal if you present the flyer).

Friday, May 14 – Eat Outside the Box (Veteran’s Memorial Plaza, 550 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis) 10am-2pm. Just $5 for a hot dog or hamburger, chips and a drink! [Thanks to our partners for donating lunch: All-American Picnic Company for the 'dogs and burgers, GFS for the chips, Noodles and Company for the water and Ricker's for the soft drinks] Come enjoy lunch and throw a game of cornhole for a great cause – helping Indy’s homeless and abused moms and kids.

We hope to see you there!

Susie is also a recovering alcoholic.  She has been sober for a little over a year and goes to NA meetings each Tuesday.  She took advantage of every opportunity that the shelter had.  She attended the domestic violence support group, life skills classes and anything else available to her.

After being at the shelter for a little over a month, Susie found a part time job as a waitress.  She worked as many hours as they gave her at the restaurant.

In January, Susie found an apartment and moved in with the help of The Salvation Army.  She is continuing to work with the shelter and still meets with her case manager weekly.  She is continuing to go to work and school.  She is getting used to being alone and on her own.  It is so very obvious to that her self esteem has risen tremendously since the first day she walked into the shelter.

*Names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the client.

Residents sat excitedly in the lobby of The Salvation Army’s Social Services Center Feb. 13, 2010 to await a Valentine’s Day party. In the room down the hall, 12 members of the Indian Creek Christian Church were setting up the last minute preparations to make this a day that would brighten the spirits of those who have endeared so much. In the room were tables for making cards and picture frames, a table for icing cookies and a gift table.

Different groups throughout the year put on such events as this one. It’s a way for residents to be able to get out of their rooms and associate with other residents.

“I think it shows clients that people care”, said Julia Sipes, special projects coordinator for the shelter. “It gives them something to look forward to.”

Indian Creek Christian Church member Lesa Caldwell has helped with events for the shelter before. Her bible study group thought of the idea of a Valentine’s Day party for the shelter. They wanted to make this a positive day for the residents.

Caldwell’s 8 year old son was helping at the party by wrapping the gifts at the gift table, where kids could select a Valentine’s Day present for their moms. The church members realized that some mothers didn’t currently have photos of their children to be put in their decorated frames, so they were taking photos at the party for the frames as well. The church also brought several bags of clothing and supplies for the shelter.

Caldwell said that this event has been a way for the group to “move outside the walls of the church to serve God.”

The party was successful with about twenty residents attending. *Sharron and her grandchildren are residents at the shelter escaping a bad situation. “I love it,” Sharron said about the party. “We are so grateful.”

*Susan, another shelter resident, also came to the party. She’s staying at the shelter because she has nowhere else to go and has no other family with her. She calls the events like the Valentine’s Day party as a way to distract her from the situation that she’s in. “When you’re here [at the party] you don’t think of where you are,” said Susan.

For further information on how you can put on an event for the shelter, contact Julia Sipes at 317-224-1067.

 *Names have been changed to conceal the identity of the residents.

Harriett recently came back to the shelter for a second time, and she made great progress! She started to take control of her depression, and has been working on her independence and self confidence. She no longer stayed in her room, but made efforts to look for a part time job while applying for SSD and participating in the Shelter Plus Care program. Harriett also sees a counselor twice a month, which she would have never done before.

We am so proud of Harriett and the progress she has made. Even though she was nervous about moving out on her own, she knew that was the step in the right direction and that The Salvation Army was there still to support her. She has been clean for over 20 years and now has much better coping skills. She is part of our Continuing Support Program and continues to meet with her case manager once a week.

*Names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the client.

I remember November the fourth.  That was the day that I walked into The Salvation Army.  That day could have been a bright, sunny day, but at that moment everything around me was dark.

I remember the lady at the front desk asked how she could help me.  I remember trying to talk to her as I broke down into tears while explaining that I had no place to stay and I needed shelter.  I was immediately given a roof over my head, food to eat and a bed to lay my weary body.  During my stay at Salvation Army I met other ladies who were going through similar situations.  After going through a depression, I began to deal with my sadness and anger and began attending programs, classes and bible studies.  I began to start feeling more uplifted and realized that God had a real plan for me.

The shelter staff and my case manager encouraged me all through my trip to a new beginning.  I want to tell you that having caring people behind you really means a lot.  I am now working and recently started going to school.  I even found my own apartment!

I believe with God’s blessings and the Salvation Army’s help I am now on my way.  Like I said, the door swings two ways, you may walk in down, but you can walk out with your head held high knowing that you are blessed and not having to look back at the garbage you left behind.

Thank you Salvation Army.  God is good all the time!

Monday Funday is a mentoring group that was started last summer by a group of volunteers.  Originally intended to be a 14 week program, it was so successful with the residents and the volunteers that we decided to carry it over into the school year.  School nights changed what the activities of Monday Funday looked like but it surely didn’t change the positive relationships being built between our kids and volunteers!  Each week volunteers spend about an hour helping the children with their homework or an educational activity.  After that we end the night with a fun activity or craft.

This spring semester we have teamed up with one of our long time partners, School on Wheels, to make Monday nights even more effective.  School on Wheels is helping our mentors improve their tutoring skills with improved resources and approaches that have proven to be effective through their years of tutoring.

We’re excited about our new partnership and can’t wait to see what this semester will unfold!

*Names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of our clients

Photographer Stacy Able gets a hug from a grateful mother at Help Portrait.

The Salvation Army’s Women and Children’s Shelter in downtown Indianapolis was abuzz with activity on Saturday as a team of photographers, hair stylists, and makeup artists converged on the site. Help Portrait Indy 2009, a one-day event meant to coincide with the worldwide launch on December 12, was a chance for those with artistic talents to give back to their community. Katie Moon, professional photographer, spearheaded the event with the help of 40 volunteers. 234 men, women and children were photographed, which included current and past clients, and residents of the Barton Center Apartments.

On Monday, “everyone is still talking about how awesome it was” said Julia Sipes, Special Projects Coordinator for the shelter. That is exactly the emotion that would’ve pleased Nashville photographer Jeremy Cowart, founder of Help Portrait. Mr. Cowart used the internet to generate interest in his idea which was birthed during the summer and exploded into a global movement to give disadvantaged people a chance to get professional photos taken. Nearly every state and 60 countries held their own Help Portrait event which included media coverage aired on CNN. Photo editor Joel Mills, who volunteered for the event in Virginia summed up the impact – “Giving a photo to a stranger gives you a unique opportunity to speak a kind word of encouragement, value, beauty, and truth that isn’t quite as tangible without the photo to give your words context.”

At the shelter in Indy, stylists and makeup artists pampered the women while the children were kept busy decorating cookies. Participants were presented with a framed family portrait, gift bags and children’s books. Afterwards, everyone was treated to pizza on behalf of the volunteers. Next year’s Help Portrait has already been slated for December 4th around the globe. For more information about how you can give or volunteer for events at The Women and Children’s Shelter contact Julia Sipes at (317)637-5551.