THE CARING CENTER
Lebanon-Based Company Helps Those in Need Writer / Trisha Turner Photography Provided
In the 1980s, when members of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lebanon started a phone service to assist Boone County residents in whatever way they could, most callers reported that they needed help just making ends meet. Food and clothing were the most requested items. Today the nonprofit organization that grew from that phone service continues to provide food and clothing at no cost, as well as a variety of other basic needs. That organization is the Caring Center. “We’ve changed, but I think the heart of the organization always has been to meet people where they are, and not just say, ‘Well shame on us. Look at where we are,’” says Executive Director Theresa Hanners. “Instead we say, ‘Here we are. Where do you want to be?’”
Hanners has served as executive director for approximately 25 years, currently overseeing the organization with a board of directors. She’s been affiliated with the program since becoming a volunteer shortly after moving to Lebanon more than 30 years ago. In the decades since Hanners got involved, the program has expanded to provide personal care items, furniture and other household materials, transitional housing, and a community garden. Trucks from the Caring Center pick up food from schools, restaurants and grocery stores through a food rescue program, and they collect furniture donations from individuals and businesses. The Caring Center also presents food and budgeting classes, and hosts a cooking club. Its representatives conduct exercises in the community that educate groups about the challenges of living in poverty.
22 / ZIONSVILLE MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2020 / atZionsville.com
The center steers families toward choices that will aid their success - choices like selecting healthy foods at the pantry, even foods they haven’t tried in the past. “Breaking the cycle of generational poverty - they’re doing it,” Hanners says of families who seek help from her organization. “One of the things we talk about in our ‘Getting Ahead in a Just-Getting-By World’ program is understanding the power in the choices we make every day.” The center offers much of its assistance at its main location on Ransdell Court in Lebanon. The 5,500-square-foot facility houses a food pantry, furniture and household items. A separate thrift shop called Classic Reruns, located on Indianapolis Avenue in Lebanon, offers discounted merchandise like clothing and furniture, with sales helping to support the Caring Center. The center’s transitional housing is on Main
