Why Dreamers Love Indianapolis

Why Dreamers Love Indianapolis

Last Friday, I walked into the old City Hall, an imposing edifice downtown built from Indiana limestone.  Now transformed into The Hall, the building has played an important role in Indy’s history.  Constructed in the early 1900s to symbolize “the stability and achievements of the city,” the Hall housed government offices, the State Museum, and Central Library.  It was an essential building until 2008, when after almost 100 years of use it sat vacant.  Thanks to a local nonprofit, in 2014 old City Hall became The Hall and now serves as a meeting space for community-based initiatives.

Now, I am a city girl through and through.  I have a Vonnegut doll, a penchant for eating too much Bazbeaux pizza, and a passion for promoting progress in Naptown.  That's how I found myself at The Hall for Indy 5X5 – re:Purpose, an event that's part of a bigger plan to strengthen the community.  

Here's the rundown: Indy 5X5 chooses five presenters to share their ideas for “repurposing urban waste into assets,” community members vote for a favorite, and the winner walks away with $10,000 toward his/her project.  Sounds riveting, right?  As much as I thought this was an awesome way to spend my Friday evening, I was hardly expecting a large crowd. 

Boy, was I mistaken.  Every folding chair on the expansive marble floor was occupied; small groups stood along the back wall and in doorways leading to halls under construction.  Around the room, community members networked and spoke of Indy's potential.  When it was time for 5X5, we all squeezed into the dense rows of flimsy chairs and held tight our voting tickets for the end of the evening.

The presenters’ projects varied in size and scope, but shared a common vision of community collaboration.  The winning park project, E.N.G.I.N.E, centers on repurposing a Bonneville into artwork that celebrates the community’s Hispanic heritage.  This park project fills a spot that has been long empty, and will allow youth in the Near Westside to have both a safe place to play and a space that embraces culture.

When I got home, I sat at my small kitchen table, looked at my limestone Indiana paperweight, and began to dream up my own projects for the city.

So why do dreamers love Indianapolis?  Because when I walked into The Hall on Friday, I saw a community gathered together for a noble cause.  I saw The Hall repurposed from a vacant building into a haven for innovative pursuits.  Finally, I saw a start-up group with a great idea given the opportunity to benefit its neighborhood in a big way!

Our vast network of nonprofits and committed government officials allows community members with great ideas to uniquely repurpose Indianapolis. 

I am proud to be part of one such nonprofit that is encouraging and innovative in its community pursuits.  As we speak, MCCOY is working on some very exciting stuff including a revamped Youth Advocacy Council, the Family Access Network services center, and of course much, much more!

For more information, visit www.mccoyouth.org :)

City Hall References:

Historical information regarding Old Indianapolis City Hall retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/indianapolis/oldcityhall.htm National Park Service. "Old Indianapolis City Hall." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 01 July 2014.

Photo Credit:

People for Urban Progress website: http://www.peopleup.org/right-now/tag/indianapolis "The Hall-- New Life for Old City Hall." People for Urban Progress. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 July 2014.Indy 5X5 website: http://5x5indy.org/index.php/repurpose/ "5×5 Indy » Re:Purpose." Arts, Innovation, 5X5 Indianapolis. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 July 2014.

Child Hunger in Schools

It is all about the children. Is it really? No matter how many times you’ve seen this statement in America’s classrooms or license plates this universally holds truer than any other time in our history. One in every five children in the U.S. is living in poverty. The rate of households without sufficient access to food is rising. If a child suffers from hunger then how is anyone to become an active citizen? Even more relevant to their hunger is their inability to focus on academics when they’re worried about their stomachs eating themselves. Unfortunately our actions as a seemingly just society and the world’s wealthiest nation have fallen short of good intentions for children. We have dropped the ball continuously when it comes to the welfare of our country’s youth. Our countries reactionary legislation and policies to combat ongoing societal issues such as child hunger will destroy any hope for a better future. Preventative programs and policies should be enacted right now on all levels of government and communities to ensure that food is reaching hungry kids.  The research is there and the facts are laid out. Too many kids are starving. One area of great significance and opportunity is hunger in America’s schools. Many children qualify for federally reimbursed programs for free meals but many children and families do not apply or even know this. Many public schools have taken on the responsibility of serving free breakfast before school commences and getting the word out to kids’ families about free or reduced price meals. Principals and school staff are even starting programs that help kids take food home at the end of their school days to help them and their families get through the weekend. Other ideas stem from schools creating after school supper programs and bringing in farmer's markets to schools whose children do not live near any source of food. Defeating hunger has become a focus point for schools this day and age. This is a glimmer of hope. We can only hope that other U.S. schools are taking charge to do what is right for their children in supplying them with food. Shouldn't ensuring kids a healthy start and successful education deal not only with test performance but also the necessities of living such as clothing, a safe place to be, food, health care? This is not a problem that is new yet the majority seems to be surprised and uneducated about this issue. We need to start living like it is all about the children. I've provided a link to Share Our Strength, a leading organization in fighting child hunger. Please visit this site and think about what is happening in your community schools and the ways you can contribute to eradicating child hunger in America and hopefully someday the world. Donate, educate, and be part of the solution.

http://www.strength.org/childhood_hunger/hunger_facts/

Indiana United

Our nation was founded on principals of immigration. In some way, all of us have friends, neighbors and relatives who immigrated to this country. My great-grandparents immigrated from Slovakia and Slovenia to seek a better life for themselves and their children. I feel grateful for the wonderful opportunities that this afforded me and my family.

Indiana is part of this great nation and today it is facing the possibility of dramatic immigration changes that can affect all Hoosiers. If Immigration Bill SB 590 passes it could jeopardize Indiana's economic development and families. Therefore, members of the community from all sectors need to rise against Immigration Bill SB 590 to maintain our reputation as a welcoming and friendly state. A rally will be held next week to speak out against this legislation. Please be sure to share this information with your friends and colleagues.

Indiana United

Location: Indiana State House (south steps)
200 West Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Time: 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

MCCOY Early Intervention & Prevention: WISH TV Channel 8

Scott Sander interview with Shanna Malott, Early Intervention Community Coordinator, about the EIP Community Roundatable, EASY Book, Youth Activity Directory and ROY: Resources Online for Youth. (Broadcast 2-24-2010)

Family Fun in April …Art, Outdoors, Baseball & Rainy Days

Indianapolis is full of great opportunities for families to explore, learn and have fun together. Here are a few of my favorite things to do.

ART
Art may sometimes seem inaccessible to kids, but it doesn’t have to be. The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is always a good place to start. Most of the exhibits are free, and both the indoor and outdoor spaces offer hours of education and entertainment. Let the kids lead the way and be sure to ask them questions about why they like certain pieces. The Contemporary Art collection, with its interactive exhibits, is usually a big hit with kids.

I’ve also found that many of the local art events have kid-friendly opportunities. The First Friday Art Tour, April 2nd, offers a wide variety of artistic experiences and is an excellent way for kids to see local, professional artists. Plus it's FREE! Galleries, open studios and alternative spaces are open for your family to explore. While most of the artwork is acceptable for all-ages, provocative pieces or art using nude figures can be good starting points for discussion on such topics as body-image and sexuality. My favorite regular First Friday stop is the Murphy Arts Center in Fountain Square (1043 Virginia Ave.). This month, drop in at Big Car Gallery for Ploplop – a selection of paintings, drawings, ephemera, objects found and transformed, flyers, posters, and documentary video clips. Other highlights this month include nature-inspired artwork created by VSAI artists at the enRoute Gallery in the Harrison Center (1505 N. Delaware) and the INFiber exhibit at the LCi Gallery (158 East 14th Street). Also, the Indiana Humanities Council (1500 N. Delaware) is hosting a pre-party featuring art on loan from the National Art Museum of Sport.

The Stutz Artists Association Open House (1060 N. Capitol Avenue) on April 23 & 24th is a great way to see where artists work and how art is created. Artwork ranges from paintings, drawings and photography, to sculpture, jewelry and furniture. Advanced sale tickets are $10, $12 at the gate, with a special $8 Saturday re-entry (with Friday's ticket stub). On Saturday only, kids 16 and under are free.

Stuck at home, but want to explore art in Indy? The Indianapolis Museum of Contemporay Art (iMOCA) has a series of videos from local artists explaining their art and inspiration. Watch the clips with your family and use them as a spring-board for discussion about inspiration, art and career.

The Earth House and IndyFringe are partnering for Spark a Revolution on April 9 (237 N. East St.) for a interactive experience of theatre, music and visual arts. It begins with Fringe Storytelling -- local actors will recreate your favorite childhood stories as you never imagined them before. "There's a lot of activity in the performance art that would be fascinating to all development stages," says Jordan Updike, Executive Director at The Earth House Collective. "The event is going to be fantastic and I recommend it for all ages."

The Intermedia Festival, April 23 - 25, at the Central Library explores the qualities of art related to technology. The festival will feature artists, musicians, videographers, dancers, actors and writers from around the world. While some will travel to Indianapolis, others will participate by performing online interactively with festival collaborators. Live drama, dance, music, visual arts, videography, scientific presentation, commentary and multi-tiered discussion platforms will come together to create a provocative and compelling set of experiences. Performers who will appear locally include Pamela Z, R. Luke Burtner, Bora Yoon, Big Robot, and Dance Kaleidoscope. Plus, it's FREE!

Now that the weather is warmer, combine a walk (or bike ride) around town with some art spotting. Here’s an online guide to Indy’s public art.

OUTDOORS
Speaking of bike-riding, Bicycle Indiana is offering Bicycle Traffic Skills 101 on April 10th. The course covers bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques and includes a student manual. The fee for the class is $25 per participant and all registered participants who complete the course will receive a $25 gift card from Matthews Bicycles. For ages 14 and up.

Celebrate nature at the White River State Park on Earth Day. The Earth Day Indiana Festival, April 24th, combines 130 environmental and conservation exhibits with live music from some of Indiana's best new bands, special activities for kids and good food. (They’re also looking for volunteers age 15 and up.)

Get your hands dirty at the Indiana State Museum Arbor Day Celebration on April 30th. You’ll help plant a redbud, learn about volunteer opportunities to beautify neighborhoods, and get a free tree.

BASEBALL
April marks the beginning of the season for the Indianapolis Indians. For $15, children 14 and under can join the Knot Hole Club, which provides them with a season pass to all 72 home games. Individual ticket prices for parents range from $9 – 15. Here's April's schedule.

RAINY DAYS
April can be rainy. Very rainy. Luckily, there are many indoor activities that can be fun for the whole family. Let’s start at the library. Visit the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library website for a whole host of events for all ages. One event of interest this month is the Indiana Partnership for Young Writers Student Reading on April 21st at the Central Library downtown. Twenty area students in grades K - 8 will read poems, memoirs, fiction and other original writings. What a great way for kids to listen what other people their age are writing!

On April 25th, celebrate El Día de los Niños day with free admission to The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. While you’re there, stop in at the library’s InfoZone to create a fun maraca craft to advocate literacy among children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

The Indianapolis Children’s Theatre will present School House Rocks from April 12 – 17th. The award-winning Saturday morning cartoon series “Schoolhouse Rock” taught history, grammar, math, science and politics through clever, tuneful songs. Now, the popular 1970s TV show comes to life on stage instructing a whole new generation to “Unpack Your Adjectives” and “Do The Circulations.” Tickets are $10 for youth (18 and under) and $15 for adults.

Think that the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is for adults only? Think again. The St. Vincent Family Series concerts are designed just for kids and this month’s feature is Peter and the Wolf on April 18th, which combines the classical musical with a brand new stop-motion model animation film. Tickets range from $8 – 19 for kids and $16 - $36 for adults.

EASY (Essential Aid & Services for Youth) Book Now Available

The EASY Book is Back!
We've heard that the recession may be coming to an end. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean an end to the struggles faced by families in central Indiana. Fortunately, the EASY Book provides a directory to local organizations that can help. It includes tips, hotline numbers and contact information for central Indiana organizations that provide a wide range of family and support services – from help with basic needs to parenting-skills development to assistance with home ownership.

Reserve Your EASY Books Now:
Complete the reservation form online or download the form.

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Quick & Easy EASY Book Pick-Up
United Way Garage, August 26th: 8a - 4p
Just pull up and will load your EASY Books into your car. Our Youth Activity Directory will also be available. Just submit your reservation form (see link above) so that we have your order ready. Get map/directions.

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Help Us Get The EASY to the People Who Need it Most
Is your organization open & accessible to the general public?
If you answered yes, consider joining our distribution network. As an EASY Book/YAD distributor, you simply agree to stock the EASY Book and/or YAD so they are readily available to the families you serve and provide basic tracking & evaluation so that we can continue to improve EASY and YAD!

MCCOY provides everything you need: the books, promotional materials and tracking sheets. In addition, we'll include links to your website & location on our website and as part of our marketing efforts for the YAD/EASY Book.

If you're interested in offering the people you work with a valuable tool for accessing the resources they need to build stronger families, just email Chris or call 317-921-1286.

2009 Youth Activity Directory Now Available

Just in Time for Summer...
This year's Youth Activity Directory (YAD) contains over 20 pages of summer camps and programs that offer a wide variety of fun and enriching activities. Plus, you'll find a full year's worth of activities that support academic achievement, healthy development and positive outcomes for youth, including:

• Programs that engage and empower youth
• Educational enrichment programs
• Career exploration and work readiness programs
• Volunteer opportunities
• Fun family activities
• And much more

The YAD will be available at several community events and for pick-up at MCCOY office. Email Juli or call: 921-1266. Please complete and submit a YAD request form: Complete form online. Download the form.

Don't Let Rainy Weather Stop You from Turning Off the TV

It's international Turnoff Week. So turn off your TV, iPhone and Xbox, and say goodbye to Twitter and Facebook. Are you up for the challenge?

I don't even have cable, so TV definitely doesn't rule my life. I should be able to turn it off for a week no problem, but a rainy start to the week makes me think that it may not happen. If I can't work in the yard or go for a bike ride, why shouldn't I just watch a few programs or spend a few hours on Facebook? I do have a few pounds to lose, some spring cleaning to do, and a few books that have been sitting on the nightstand unopened. Come to think of it, I have more than a week's worth of non-TV and non-computer things I've been wanting to do for ages. I guess I'm willing to give a try...are you?

There are tons of stats out there about how TV is bad for you (and for kids). Parents miss out on meaningful conversations with kids. People who watch alot of TV are more likely to get fat. Computer, TVs and video systems waste energy and $$$. Children who watch TV may be more likely to have ADHD symptoms. If you need more reasons or stats to get you moving, here are a few sites that might persuade you: Ten Financial Reasons To Turn Off Your Television - And Ten Things To Replace It With. Trash Your TV contains tons of stats - some seem plausible, others are questionable, but they might just get you moving. Some recent articles question Is google making us stupid, or is it the computer screen that's doing us in?

For me, all the statistics in the world don't make a difference. What is most important to me is that watching TV (with the exception of a few really good, thought-provoking shows) makes me feel like I am wasting my life. I live in a great neighborhood and city. I have an awesome (and awesomely large) family. I can make a difference in the lives of the people around me, but not if I'm watching TV or sitting in front of a screen. At the end of my life, I definitely will not be saying, "I wish I had seen more episodes of Family Guy" or, "If only I'd spent a few more hours searching the web, who knows what I could have done with my life." Seriously, I know that there are better things to do with my time.

Getting Started. Take baby steps...cut out 1 program a day (or a week). Then go from there. If you need something a little more concrete, here are 7 Ways to Cut TV Time. And here are some ways to help your kids reduce their TV time.

You've turned off the TV, now what? Get outside, read a book, play a game with the family, create a scrapbook from all those digital pictures that are just sitting on the computer...the possibilities are endless. Here are some sites that the whole family can use to fill those 4.5 hours a day that are now available: Check out the library. Here's what's going on at the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library this week. Get healthy. Take advantage of the We Can online resources or the Subway Kids Healthy at Home tools. Get creative inside and outside. Make a difference. Check out how to volunteer as a family and go to Volunteer Match to find volunteer opportunities in your area -- just key in your ZIP code and click on “advanced search.” You can specify the kind of opportunities you want to pursue and find organizations that are kid-friendly.

Lastly, be committed to living the best life possible - with or without TV.

Micro-Grants Available for Organizations Working to Strengthen Families

Good Works Indiana: Good Works Indiana Announcement: Strengthening Families Grants Now Available!

The Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI) through its Good Works Indiana (GWIN) initiative has launched the 2009 Strengthening Families micro-grant program.

Meet ROY: Resources Online for Youth!

It's finally here - central Indiana's new, searchable database of youth activities and opportunities! ROY is now gathering information from youth-serving organizations about their programs and activities. Creating a profile is FAST, EASY and absolutely FREE (music to a non-profit's ears).

Just visit www.roymccoy.org, scroll down to the bottom right and click on "Create a new account". If you can't finish filling out your profile in one setting, it's not a problem. Just log out, then log back in later to fill in the blanks

Need some help getting to know ROY? We have dedicated a page on our website to this very purpose. Click here to learn more about the project and its purposes or download cheat sheets of required information.

Family Meals Make a Big Difference for Girls

A report released by the University of Michigan (read the summary or the abstract) reveals that, while boys do not see the same impact, middle school girls who regularly eat meals with their families are at a significantly reduce risk for negative behaviors. In the study of 800 middle school students, girls who ate meals with their family at least five times a week were half as likely to engage in substance abuse five years later.

The study doesn’t tackle the roots of the disparity or why boys did not demonstrate the same reduced substance abuse. Perhaps society’s heightened emphasis on social interaction for girls bears some role in the difference.

Regardless of this disparity, family meals are an example of how caring relationships with adults support healthy youth development and help young people make positive decisions. Family meals are one way of fostering a connection between youth and caring adults, but there are many more that can achieve similar impacts.

DCS: Child Deaths Decline

The Indiana Department of Child Services is reporting a significant decrease in the number of deaths of children who were victims of abuse or neglect. In the 06-07 fiscal year, 36 children died in abusive or neglectful situations, down from 53 deaths in the 05-06 fiscal year. Two of the 36 children were from Marion County.

The report was released as the DCS and its director, James W. Payne, celebrated the hiring of DCS's 800th case worker. Find out more details at the IndyStar's article on the report.

For more on how MCCOY has been engaged in Child Welfare system reform, visit this page.