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Select Outreach Ministry Partners
Horizons @ St. Richard’s
AmySue Bacon, Executive Director Horizons at St. Richard’s Episcopal School (Horizons at SRES) is a transformative six-week, tuition-free summer program that traditionally serves approximately 150 Pre-K through eighth grade public school children from under-served families in the Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood and wider Indianapolis
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community. Currently, all of our Horizons’ students identify as BIPOC. All Horizons’ students also qualified for free/reduced lunch. This past summer, Horizons served 72 students in a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Horizons’ students spend their summers in small-group settings, learning from certified teachers. Our mission is to close the summer learning gap for Indianapolis kids from low-income families through: • Intensive academic enrichment from Pre-K to 8th grade • A fun learning environment • Lifesaving swim lessons • Year-round support for families This summer offered unique challenges for our program due to the pandemic. Horizons shifted to a remote format delivered virtually to ensure the safety of our community. Horizons teachers delivered high-quality reading, math, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) instruction Monday - Friday from 9:30am – 12:30pm to students who checked in on devices. For students without computer access, Horizons loaned out Chromebooks through a partnership with SRES. All students that wanted to take part were able to join. Additionally, Horizons assembled weekly adventure kits for students, which contained school supplies, worksheets, STEM kits, LEGO kits, books, and healthy snacks, to facilitate active learning from home. To help our students deal with the additional stress and isolation of this summer, Horizons made social-emotional learning and support a priority. Horizons utilized the RULER Social-Emotional Learning (“SEL”) Curriculum, provided students with whole-class, SEL lessons for two 40-minute sessions twice a week, and offered opt-in sessions dealing with anxiety, racial tensions, friendship, and depression. Through a Trinity Episcopal Outreach Grant, Horizons will be able to expand our social-emotional support throughout our year-round programming in 2021. Horizons’ students also benefited from direct support from Trinity parishioners’ through the annual Giving Tree. Sponsored by the generous donations of Trinity parishioners, SRES families, and the Butler Development department, Horizons students received gifts for the holidays. Through the difficulties of the past year, Horizons learned the value of maintaining our relationships with the Horizons’ extended family: students, parents, teachers, community partners, and donors. Our partnerships organizations, such as Trinity Episcopal and SRES, allowed us to continue providing summer and year-round programming when our families needed it most. Staying connected to Horizons families and offering additional supports, such as the COVID-19 food assistance fund, forged deeper bonds with Horizons families. In 2020, Horizons was led by Executive Director, AmySue Bacon. The Horizons advisory board encompasses members from the greater Indianapolis community and includes several Trinity Episcopal Church parishioners. Currently, Trinity members Jenn Dawson, Bob Marchesani, and Shelly Furuness serve on the Horizons board.
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Cathy Bridge and Kathleen Strickland Of course, the Pandemic was the pivotal point for the Pantry. 2020 Highlights • In March 2020, the Pantry moved its food distribution from the basement of the Trinity Outreach Center (“TOC”) to the parking lot behind the TOC. This was for the purpose of maintaining safety for volunteers, employees and clients while continuing to serve our neighbors in need. • While client choice of necessity became more limited, the
Pantry continues to offer choice in produce, baked goods, and other categories. • In the spring and summer months, the Pantry received donations of fresh produce from the Farm at Butler and an urban farm in Indianapolis. The Pantry’s garden also provided lovely produce for our clients. • The Purdue Extension Master Gardener program at the Indiana State Fairgrounds contributed a substantial amount of produce in the summer months. • Trinity Episcopal Church donated open anchored tents to the Pantry which provide shelter from the elements.
The Pantry donated an upright restaurant style heater to
Trinity Episcopal Church since it was not possible for the
Pantry to fit the heater in the freight elevator of the TOC.
Trinity uses this heater to provide warmth as it continues to offer some in person, outdoor services during the winter months • The Pantry received a grant from Indy Hunger Network to purchase heaters to provide a source of warmth for volunteers. The Pantry has acquired several heaters for this purpose. • As a result of the quality of its food pantry practices, the
Pantry has recently been designated as an Anchor Pantry
Partner by Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. Pursuant to this relationship, Gleaners used grant funds available to it to provide additional staff for the Pantry during these challenging times and the Pantry is now receiving donations of food from Fresh Thyme in Broadripple which are picked up by a volunteer on a weekly basis. The Pantry is pleased that its partnership with Gleaners enables it to offer employment opportunities and other support to persons who are seeking to recover from challenges in their lives such as substance abuse and homelessness.
The Pantry agrees to continue to be a first in class distributor of food and other related services in its community. Gleaners agrees to help the Pantry expand its food distribution capacity and support the Pantry’s capacity for
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program outreach. • The oil lines to the freight elevator in the Pantry started to leak in December, causing it to become non-operational .
After an onerous period of the Pantry using the passenger elevator instead, the freight elevator has been repaired for the time being. Trinity has contracted with Oracle Elevator
Company for a full replacement in the Spring, however.
The Pantry is hopeful that the inevitable disruption of service during the replacement will cause the Pantry to be closed for a very limited period of time. • In 2020, the Pantry served 11,237 households, 35,968 family members, 14,241 children, 2,128 Veterans and 308 homeless. The Pantry received 97,641 donated poundage of food with Whole Foods and Second Helpings being the primary donors. The Pantry currently has approximately 42 volunteers and paid staff. • Volunteers and staff have been unbelievably staunch in continuing to serve in these challenging times. Susan
McMahon and Matthew Jennings, Pantry Manager, need to be singled out for their heroic and resourceful efforts to continue service to our neighbors in this most difficult time. Both Susan and Matthew are long standing members of Trinity Episcopal Church. Trinity Members and Their Contributions to the Pantry • Trinity Episcopal Church Members, Cathy Bridge, Timothy
Dorsey Nikeesha Pittman, and Kathleen Strickland serve on the Board of Directors of the Pantry. • Kathleen also serves as Vice President and Cathy serves as
Chair of the Operations Committee. • Members Ross McKenna, Jon Parker, Cathy Bridge, Nancy & John Farrar, NIkeesha Pittman, Tammy Lieber, Lisa Adler, Jen Dawson, and Outgoing MNFP Board President Erin
Vincent along with their families regularly volunteered at the Pantry during the Pandemic. • Under the leadership of Katie Simmons and in collaboration with the League of Women Voters, Jim Knowles,
Shannie Hughes, David Bacon. Jane Stephenson, Ed
Stephenson and Cathy Bridge (all of whom are Trinity parishioners) conducted a voter registration drive for neighbors served by the Pantry. • Lisa Buoy contributed thousands of Aldi bags, St. Richard’s Boy Scout Troop 180 donated food and personal care items, and with the encouragement of Kathleen
Strickland, Orchard School hosted a food drive in the fall to benefit the Pantry.
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Jill Brooks, Executive Director
The center currently serves 39 students from one-month to four-years old and continues to add new children where space is available. SNEL is an Indiana Paths to Quality Level 3 certified child care center and enrolls children from all economic levels, including children receiving state CCDF vouchers and scholarships.
St. Nicholas Early Learning, Inc (SNEL), located in the Trinity Outreach Center, offers safe, welcoming, and high-quality childcare. SNEL serves children of diverse racial and socio-economic backgrounds. Conceived by a small committee of Trinity parishioners, the nonprofit organization opened in September 2016. Now open for over four years, SNEL continues to live into its mission by providing tuition-assistance supporting low and middle-income families. The center currently serves 39 students from one-month to four-years old and continues to add new children where space is available. SNEL is an Indiana Paths to Quality Level 3 certified child care center and enrolls children from all economic levels, including children receiving state CCDF vouchers and scholarships.
SNEL met the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic through the tireless planning and work of Executive Director, Jill Brooks, a committed Board of Directors, and dedicated staff members. In late March, SNEL closed in response to stay at home orders, the closure of church buildings to stop the spread of the virus, and a desire to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff. SNEL was able to continue employing staff through the closure with the help of Temporary Assistance Grants to Retain Child Care and a PPP loan. The Executive Director and staff used the time of closure to develop comprehensive COVID-19 plans, protocols, and procedures. The center underwent deep cleaning. Personal protective equipment and additional cleaning supplies were ordered. Staff completed training required for state re-certification. Through the help of a grant from Trinity Episcopal Church, SNEL was also able to install a warming kitchen, which will allow the center to provide healthy food options for students moving forward. When SNEL was able to reopen on June 1st, it was ready for the challenge of providing both a nurturing and safe environment for our students. The SNEL Board of Directors shifted our two main fundraising events, The Walk for Dreams and Wine Down, to virtual fundraisers in 2020. Both events successfully enabled us to grow our tuition-assistance fund and, ultimately, help more low and middle-income families in need of high-quality child care attend SNEL. This has been especially necessary in the past year due to the financial hardships families have faced due to the pandemic. More families have reached out for tuition-assistance. SNEL has learned of how costly child care is for families’ budgets and how appreciative families are of the tuition-assistance SNEL is able to provide. Seeing how our mission directly impacts our families has been very powerful this year. The SNEL Board of Directors encompasses members from the greater Indianapolis community and includes several Trinity Episcopal Church parishioners. In 2020, Trinity members on the board included Theresa Arness, AmySue Bacon, Shanna Stump, Meg Feemster, Kay Whitacker, Jan Barnaby-Kempf, and Isaac Hougland. For more good news, check us out on Facebook: Facebook. com/StNicolasEL or the St. Nicholas Early Learning, Inc. website at www.stnicholasel.org,
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Jenni White, Founding Executive Director Trinity Haven, which will be Indiana’s first and only home for LGBTQ youth at risk for homelessness, is Trinity Church’s newest mission partner. Trinity Haven was incubated and launched at Trinity Church; although it is now an independent 501(c)(3) with a gorgeous home a few blocks off the church campus, the two organizations will always have a connection that is more meaningful than words can describe.
2020 was an exciting year for Trinity Haven – full of twists and turns and new opportunities! The pandemic certainly threw a wrench into the gears we had turning, primarily as it pertained to finishing the house. Painters, contractors, and volunteers had to be scheduled so they could complete their work and, to keep everyone as safe as possible, not come in contact with each other while in the house, which meant things took a little longer than they would have otherwise. But we now have a fully furnished home, much of which was designed by Trinity Church parishioner Mike Arnold; our security cameras and alarm system are protecting the property; and we are now ready to hire staff and stock the pantries so that we can open our doors and fulfill our mission. Our Transitional Living Program is slated to open this spring and will house up to eight LGBTQ youth ages 18-21 (and those ages 16 and 17 if they are legally emancipated) for up to two years. In addition to opening our Transitional Living Program at the house, Trinity Haven will also be launching Indiana’s first Host Homes Program! The City of Indianapolis was awarded $3.88 million dollars by the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program – a division of HUD. Trinity Haven applied for and was awarded almost $250,000 to develop a Host Homes Program. Host homes are a short-term housing option for youth and young adults who are currently experiencing homelessness or housing instability. The goal of host homes is to provide a safe, temporary, welcoming space for up to six months where the young person has time to repair their relationships with self-identified family or make decisions about other housing options with the support of a caring housing case manager. This is a big step for Trinity Haven, as we will be able to house at least 10 more youth each year, including those ages 16-17 (with a waiver from their parents) up to age 24, in host homes beginning in the spring of 2021. Another exciting project that we were able to bring to fruition was the creation of a contemplative garden, designed around the young burr oak which was gifted to Trinity Haven by the Diocese in 2019. With funding from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation and the donated talent of landscape architect Kristopher May, our front yard is now beautifully landscaped, featuring native plants and flowers in all colors of the rainbow. This endeavor was also part of a young man’s Eagle Scout project: Malcolm Hembre, son of Kate Howe and Erik Hembre, helped to coordinate the installation, recruiting several of his fellow scouts and their families, as well as members of Trinity Church and the greater community. Over the course of three days, our yard was transformed, while adhering to COVID-19 protocols of wearing masks at all times, frequent handwashing, etc., even while outside. And finally, while we had hoped to have an open house to show all our supporters – especially our friends at Trinity Church – our beautiful home, the pandemic forced us to get creative. With the donated talent of videographer Gary Nelson, we produced a Virtual Open House, inviting everyone into our home from the safety of their own. The video is available on our website, and we hope you enjoy the tour if you haven’t already. We also launched an e-Newsletter, which you can subscribe to from our website as well. We hope you will continue to follow the progress of Trinity Haven and celebrate with us when we open both our Transitional Living Program and our Host Homes Program very, very soon. Thank you for your support of Trinity Haven and LGBTQ youth at risk for homelessness.
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