AT THE SPEED OF INDY. JOY
Photo: Monument Circle Lights / Credit: Michael Durr via Life In Indy Library
4 DECEMBER CALENDAR
6 TOY-TASTIC
The Toy Pit Buys, Sells and Trades Action Figures, Games, Memorabilia and a Lot More
November 1, 2 and 3, Lucas Oil Stadium
PUBLISHERS
MICHAEL & LINDSAY DURR michael@townepost.com (630) 853-1142
KEY CONTRIBUTORS
SARAH BROWNING DEVON DEAN
CHRISTY HEITGER-EWING
RYAN GABBERT
JULIE YATES
Taylor’s Bakery Has Your Sweet Holiday Cravings Covered
The Sharing Place Food Pantry Assists Those in Need Throughout Marion and Hancock Counties
TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC. FOUNDER, CEO TOM BRITT tom@townepost.com (317) 496-3599
PRESIDENT JEANNE BRITT jeanne@townepost.com (317) 810-0011
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR ERIN TURK
CREATIVE DIRECTORS VAL AUSTIN TONI EADS
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL SERVICES
DEVON DEAN
COPY EDITOR JON SHOULDERS
TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC. 8800 North Street, Suite 117 Fishers, IN 46038 Phone/Text: (317) 810-0011 FOR FRANCHISE INFORMATION, VISIT FRANCHISING.TOWNEPOST.COM
CONTACT THE PUBLISHER
Have a story idea or suggestion for the magazine?
DECEMBER
1
PHOTOGRAPHER GEORGE JESSE DEBUTS “LIVE, IN PERSON, AND PERSONAL”
NEIDHAMMER COFFEE, 2104 E. WASHINGTON ST. 8 AM-4 PM
Indianapolis photographer George Jesse debuts his first release of fine art prints. idlemediaanddesign.com
4
WEDNESDAY NIGHT TRIVIA
GUGGMAN HAUS BREWING CO., 1701 GENT AVE.
Join us every Wednesday for Trivia Night at 7:30 PM! Hosted by Hambone’s Trivia, it’s free to play - the top three teams will receive gift cards.
13
TRIPPIN BILLIES
THE VOGUE THEATRE, 6259 N COLLEGE AVE. 8 PM thevogue.com
14 & 15
STRAIGHT NO CHASER
MURAT THEATRE AT OLD NATIONAL CENTRE
SATURDAY 2:30 PM & 8 PM
SUNDAY 2:30 PM & 7 PM
17
“ELF THE MUSICAL”
CLOWES MEMORIAL HALL OF BUTLER UNIVERSITY, 4602 SUNSET AVE. 7-9 PM
“ELF The Musical” is the hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole.
Gifting Can Be a Piece of Cake.
Shipped to 49 states. Just waiting on you, Nebraska.
Searching for the perfect holiday treat to send employees, clients, business partners, friends or family? Our recipe is so good it’s remained unchanged for almost 40 years. All cakes are lovingly crafted in our family-owned bakery in Fishers, IN, giving them a special, thoughtful touch that your recipients will appreciate and ask for again year after year.
THE TOY PIT BUYS, SELLS AND TRADES ACTION FIGURES, GAMES, MEMORABILIA AND A LOT MORE
Photographer / Michael Durr
Rekindling the joy of childhood through toy collection is a gratifying experience. The Toy Pit, now situated at 3827 North College Avenue in Indianapolis, stands out as a unique haven for toy enthusiasts. Spanning a vast 13,000-squarefoot area, it boasts a largest assortment of ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s toys, action figures, games, apparel, and other pop culture artifacts.
Michael Schott opened The Toy Pit in his garage in Fort Wayne in 2009 as a hobby, selling collectibles. He moved the business to Indianapolis in 2014, and the talk of toys spread quickly. The company has since moved as word of mouth grew.
Michael Schott (left), Owner Stockton Repischak (center), General Manager Marc Church (right), Store Manager
Stockton Repischak says his father instilled the idea of collecting at a young age. He says his dad lined his bedroom with “Star Wars” figures in the original packing since Repischak’s birth.
“I actually met Mike when I was 15 or 16 years old at a toy show,” Repischak says. “That’s how I learned about the store and started going there with my dad. Eventually I realized I wasn’t happy doing what I was doing for work. I saw an ad for The Toy Pit and reached out persistently.”
Repischak’s unwavering passion and expertise in sourcing collectibles, selling them, and leveraging social media played a pivotal role in securing his current role as the store manager. He attributes his success to his partnership with Schott and the shared enthusiasm of the small team of employees, all of whom are avid collectors with diverse interests ranging from “Star Wars” and Marvel to Godzilla, hip-hop, heavy metal, Dragon Ball and more.
“I
THINK BECAUSE WE’RE ALL SO PASSIONATE, WE’RE ABLE TO GUIDE OUR CUSTOMERS TO THE NEXT PIECE IN THEIR COLLECTION. THERE ARE THREE OF US WHO ARE ALWAYS HERE, AND THEN WE HAVE SOME FRIENDS WHO HELP US OUT DURING BUSY TIMES.”
- STOCKTON REPISCHAK
“I think because we’re all so passionate, we’re able to guide our customers to the next piece in their collection,” Repischak says. “There are three of us who are always here, and then we have some friends who help us out during busy times.”
Customers can buy, sell or trade items at The Toy Pit. Repischak says they see customers bringing in items they find when cleaning out an attic, or a parent cleaning out an adult child’s old bedroom. He says it’s like an episode of “Pawn Stars” every day.
“We see a lot of people who are just trying to get rid of items they’re cleaning out of their house,” Repischak says. “But, we also see many people who might have been into collecting ‘Star Wars’ figures and then develop an interest in Dragon Ball or ‘Transformers’. We’ll trade items out. We never know what we’re going to have on any given day.”
In addition to collectable toys and figures, The Toy Pit also sells vintage rock and roll and hip-hop records, rare comic books, vintage pop culture T-shirts from the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s, and vintage video game and music memorabilia like T-shirts and posters.
“We work hard to keep a selection of items that are hard to find in this area,” Repischak says.
Even with a 13,000-square-foot building, Repischak says they have a huge separate room filled with items that haven’t hit the sales floor yet. They have so much inventory that they could fill a larger space, but he says they like keeping their team small.
The exterior of the building is as unique as the collector’s items housed inside. Repischak says the building needed beautifying when the group found it. It previously served as a Dollar General store and sat vacant for several years. The group reached out to local artists to see if anyone was interested in making over the outside.
“We really wanted to see if there were several artists who wanted to work together on a large, collaborative piece of artwork,” Repischak says. “Unfortunately that didn’t work out, but it turned out well for us.”
Local visual artist Kwazar Martin adorned the whole building with different well-known, collectible toys. Repischak says Martin’s work drew interest from the local community well before they officially moved in and opened for business. He says it drew online speculation about what was moving into the old Dollar General store.
Repischak says acquiring and collecting unique toys is a great source of joy for many customers. However, collecting is also a great source of income for many of their clientele. He says the team works hard to be fair and honest when pricing items customers bring in to sell.
“We try to keep our environment fun but happy and laid back,” Repischak says. “We never want anyone leaving here unhappy.”
If you’re feeling nostalgic for a time when things were a little easier and more fun, visit yourtoypit.com.
A TASTE OF TAYLOR’S
TAYLOR’S BAKERY HAS YOUR SWEET HOLIDAY CRAVINGS COVERED
Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing
Photographer / Michael Durr
It was just another day for the crew at Taylor’s Bakery when an order for 3,000 cookies came in, with a request for an afternoon delivery.
“It was all hands on deck, and there was flour everywhere,” says Yolanda Malott, president of Taylor’s Bakery.
It’s always about teamwork, every day, no matter what.
“There isn’t one person on our team who won’t jump in to help, from mixing the batter to putting the dough on pans, placing the cookies in the oven, re-traying and packaging the cookies, wrapping and boxing them, and getting them on the road,” says Malott, who has been part of the team for 36 years.
When she was first hired at 23 years old, she knew nothing about decorating. Like all employees, she learned via on-the-job
training, getting trained in every department like the other employees, so everyone can fill in at whatever role might be needed.
“Because we cross-train, there’s always someone here to fill another’s shoes,” Malott says. “This way we are never in crisis mode if someone can’t make a shift.”
employees told their customers, “Wow, I remember when you were little, and look how you’ve grown!”
Through the years Malott worked her way up to manager, then later became vice president, and is now president of the company. She’s been thrilled to be a part of this special 111-year-old business because of the people she gets to work with and the customers she gets to serve.
When Malott first started working at Taylor’s, she laughed at the way older
Now she finds herself saying the same thing.
“I’ll be like, ‘Gee, you were just this big when I first started waiting on you, and now you’re a lawyer!’” she says. “It’s crazy.”
Having worked at Taylor’s for nearly four decades, she has seen customers come in as little kids, then grow up and return with
children of their own. She’s also had loyal customers pass away, and she’ll attend their funerals because she’s grown to love them. It’s common for customers to bring in Christmas cards or other holiday-themed gifts for the staff, which now consists of roughly 45 employees.
Not surprisingly, this is their busy season. It’s not unusual to see lines out the door in Indy and Fishers. Customers tend to be patient as they understand the tasty treats are well worth the wait. Plus, the team at Taylor’s makes the experience fun.
“We’ll start singing Christmas carols and the customers will chime in with us,” Malott says. “It eases the pain of waiting when you’re belting out ‘Here Comes Santa Claus’!”
One day recently, there were 30 customers in line, one of whom was a little girl with her mother coming to pick up the child’s birthday cake. The staff called out, “It’s Betty’s birthday!” and the whole room, customers included, began serenading the birthday girl.
“We take care of our customers and they take care of us,” says Malott, who describes their customers as “good as gold.”
“Even on our hardest days, we are laughing because our customers put us at ease,” she says. “Every day we have customers thank us for what we do, and that makes it all worthwhile.”
She’s also eternally grateful to her employees, from the decorators to the bakers to the finishing table, as well as the cleanup and front-end staff.
“We are a family, and you cannot find any better employees than at Taylor’s Bakery,” she says.
Recently a gentleman told Malott how magical he finds Taylor’s Bakery. The dedicated staff work around the clock to make the magic happen. The doughnut friers arrive at 11 p.m., the bakers at midnight, and the first decorators at 2 a.m. There are also 3, 4, 5, and 6 a.m. shifts. Malott usually comes in at 3 a.m. and leaves at 7:30 p.m.
They are long days, but they are full of sweetness - literally.
Taylor’s is a full-line bakery selling popcorn, cakes, bread, doughnuts, coffee cake, cookies, cupcakes, Danish pastries, brownies, ice cream, pies, tiered cakes, individual desserts, quiches, party trays, and even dog treats.
“Our homemade dog treats are a hot item,” Malott says. “Believe it or not, people come in just for dog treats, sometimes grabbing six bags at a time.”
As far as seasonal goods, their top sellers are their decorated cookies, particularly Santa faces, wreaths and gingerbread men. These cute cookies are buttery soft and melt in your mouth. They also make yule logs, which are chocolate cakes with mint icing swirl through them, topped with creamy chocolate icing.
“Then we have the Christmas poinsettias on top made out of our red cream icing, which is to die for,” Malott says. Pies are also a fan-favorite dessert, and they have a plethora of options, from apple and cherry to pecan, pumpkin, and Key lime with whipped cream. In the month of December, they sell peppermint angel food and homemade peppermint ice cream (sometimes they sell
these items during Christmas in July).
Another hotly requested item is their white cake, which people often refer to as their wedding cake.
“That’s what we’re known for - our white cake with almond rum flavor,” Malott says. “People always tell us, ‘That’s the best cake I’ve ever tasted.’”
For more information and location details, visit taylorsbakery.com.
THIS WAS TAYLOR SWIFT
NOVEMBER 1, 2 AND 3, LUCAS
OIL STADIUM
Photographer / Alissa Moody
GIVING IS THE GOAL
THE SHARING PLACE FOOD PANTRY ASSISTS THOSE IN NEED THROUGHOUT MARION AND HANCOCK COUNTIES
In the late 1880s, a group of church leaders in Indianapolis got together to discuss a plan to care for the growing number of orphans in the area.
What began as a mission to help youth continued to expand, creating residential programs and community programs such as case management services, 24/7 crisis intervention and family preservation services.
They’ve changed and adjusted over the years, but one of the long-standing ministries remains.
Back in the 1970s, Lutheran Child and Family Services (LCFS) began serving food to those in need under a the name The Sharing Place. They’ve always served numbers into the tens of thousands, but in recent years the volunteers are seeing an increase they would have never expected.
Writer / Melissa Gibson
The Sharing Place served 55,149 people in 2023, and this year the food pantry has served 49,553 people so far - on track to serve more in 2024 than ever before.
The post-pandemic world has created hardships for families across the globe. Jobs were lost, prices increased, and it’s harder to make ends meet.
“I think it’s the inflation we’ve seen,” said Public Relations and Communications Coordinator Kristen Livingstone. “When we look at 2021, we served just under 28,000 people, and watching that number double in two years is the result. The numbers just continue to climb.”
They operate out of the Lawrence Township School Foundation building and serve zip codes in Marion and Hancock counties. Partnering with local grocery stores and Gleaners Food Bank, which makes regular deliveries, they’ve been able to keep up
with demand for food, but they can always use donations from volunteers in the community.
Consistent needs include pasta, rice, peanut butter, toilet paper, toothpaste and laundry detergent. These can be dropped off between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on most weekdays.
Perhaps more importantly, The Sharing Place is in desperate need of volunteers. Without people, it’s difficult to serve those in need.
“Individuals can come twice per month and they don’t need a referral - just proof of residency at each visit,” Livingstone said. “We do the client choice method, which means it’s set up like a grocery store and you shop with points, based on the number of people in your household. Each person is assigned a volunteer and that person shops along with them, guiding the process.”
Clients can choose among canned food, fresh produce, breads and meat. There are free items too - those that don’t require a point to place in the cart.
They’ve made it easier for volunteers to sign up through an online scheduling program. Those interested can simply click on the pantry and see where the gaps are in volunteer needs.
Though some might find it intimidating to volunteer when you don’t have prior experience, Livingstone said it’s easier than one might think.
“We’ve definitely seen a decrease in volunteers, and the bulk of the work is helping clients shop and pick things out,” Livingstone said. “If you’re not a big people person, there are opportunities throughout the week to stock shelves or clean and organize the pantry. There is a wide variety of things volunteers can do.”
Despite a lower number of volunteers to get the work done, The Sharing Place isn’t stopping. They are still partnering with organizations in the community and finding other ways to help. Most recently, they’ve expanded offerings through the Silver Box program, delivering pre-made boxes of food to clients’ homes. “This is in partnership with King of Glory Lutheran Church,” Livingstone said. “It’s for people with transportation issues. We deliver on the third Friday and Saturday of every month, and right now we’re putting clients on a wait list, but the more volunteers we have, the more we can serve.”
The Sharing Place team is hopeful the new program continues to expand by fostering partnerships with additional local churches and gaining volunteer delivery drivers.
Delivering to a homebound person or to someone with no transportation often sparks long-lasting friendships and community bonding.
In addition, the Emergency Diaper Dispensary is available for those individuals referred through caseworkers. If eligible, clients can submit a request and pick up the diapers a few days later. Diaper and
wipe donations are welcome, and should be delivered to: 1525 North Ritter Avenue, Indianapolis IN 46219.
The Sharing Place operates out of 6501 Sunnyside Road, Door 5 in Indianapolis. Visit lutheranfamily.org for more information.
FOUR KEYS TO CHOOSING A HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN
Writer / Matthew Kubal, Mercer Insurance Services, Inc.
‘Tis the season for holiday merriment…and fun things like open enrollment. At some point you’ve likely stared blankly at plan options, fretting that you might pay a fortune for a 15-minute doctor’s visit. Are you worried about finding a plan that covers your specific medications or health conditions? If these questions sound familiar, you’re not alone! It is easy to get lost in a wealth of options, jargon and technical terms, but with the right knowledge and support, you can find the best plan to meet your needs.
KEY 1: KNOW WHERE TO START FIRST
To find the right plan, start by looking in the right place. If you qualify for Medicare and Medicaid, those are often the best options. Next, consider employer-sponsored plans. While employer plans are usually your next best bet, don’t automatically assume it. Instead, compare your offer with alternatives like a spouse’s employer plan, the VA or the Marketplace. Families may also find value in splitting coverage.
If those options aren’t available, consider Marketplace plans (healthcare.gov). Be wary of off-Marketplace plans, as many do not meet minimum coverage standards and lack premium subsidies. Marketplace plans meet state and federal coverage standards (including free preventive care), offer premium subsidies, and do not exclude preexisting conditions.
KEY 2: ASSESSING YOUR NEEDS
Pause to consider your family’s health care needs and priorities.
Health Coverage Made Easy
As
Angie Mercer Matthew Kubal
Matthew Mundy
Consider your preferred doctors, hospitals and prescription needs. What are your expected medical expenses such as urgent care, prescriptions and primary care visits for the next year? If you want to contribute to an HSA, make sure you choose an HSA-eligible plan.
Make sure to reassess every year. When your needs change, your health insurance plan should evolve with it.
KEY 3: COMPARE YOUR OPTIONS
With your needs identified and plans before you, narrow the list by considering your unique needs against provider networks, prescription drug coverage, and how costs are shared between you and your insurance plan (deductibles, copays, coinsurance). Start with the lowest premium plan that meets all of your needs and evaluate the value of any higher-premium options.
Balance out-of-pocket costs with the plan’s premium based on your health care needs to find the best value. For example, don’t pay $40 per month to reduce your doctor visit copay by $20
unless you typically have at least two visits per month. If you have a major surgery scheduled, choose a plan with a lower outof-pocket maximum. If you have weekly counselor visits, choose a plan with a low mental health copay.
If you have expensive prescriptions, carefully review formularies and drug copays, and especially consider coverage before you meet your deductible. Factor in premium differences and explore cost-saving options like mail order, online discounts, and pharmacy comparisons.
KEY 4: SEEK EXPERT GUIDANCE
Overwhelmed or not, you can ask for help, and it’s generally free. Contact your human resources department for employer plans, or the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (Medicaid). You can also speak with a broker, the State Assisted Health Insurance Program, visit Medicare.gov, or find a local broker or navigator at healthcare.gov for questions about individual plans.
At the end of the day, one headache to navigate through benefit selection can lead to a wealth of affordable care.
