Francine
May 13, 2010 by admin
Francine* came to The Salvation Army Shelter for Women and Children right before Christmas of 2009. She had lost her job in May and her apartment in June and had been living with her daughter. From the first time we met, I (her case manager) knew she would succeed because she is so motivated. She had been constantly putting in job applications and going on interviews for two and a half months without getting anywhere. However, Francine never gave up! She stayed involved in Dress for Success’ Women’s Group and consistently worked out at the YMCA, both partnering agencies of The Salvation Army.
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
It’s National Salvation Army Week!
May 11, 2010 by admin
We’ve got some great events planned to help get Indy involved in “doing the most good”. We’ll be out and about this week and we hope you’ll join us:
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!
Second Start
March 16, 2010 by admin
Susie* came into shelter seeking safety after fleeing from a violent relationship. This was not her first experience being in a violent relationship. She had been married for 16 years to her husband before finally escaping. She had never lived on her own before and coincidentally was scared and depressed when she arrived. She wasn’t able to talk without crying. Although she had worked several jobs before, she had always depended on a man to take care of her. Before coming to The Salvation Army she had started school. She felt good about this one area of her life and was determined not to let circumstances get in the way. She will graduate in December of 2011.
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.
IUPUI Partners With Touring Comedians And Salvation Army To Help Central Indiana’s Homeless Children
February 19, 2010 by admin
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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