BUILDING AUTONOMY, INSPIRING GROWTH AND CREATING JOY (Spring 2026). The mission of the Hawthorne Community Center is to enhance the quality of life and empower the Hawthorne community by investing in multi-generational and holistic opportunities to build autonomy, inspire growth and create joy. A trusted community asset for 100 years, Hawthorne provides programs and services for early childhood, school age youth, adults and families living in the Near Westside and greater Indianapolis communities. Hawthorne believes that to address inter-generational poverty, it must integrate services into a comprehensive package focusing on the root causes of poverty and therefore implements the Center for Working Families (CWF) and two-generation (2Gen) models. Hawthorne’s focus is on long-term, relationship-based case management rather than transactional efforts.

BUILDING A HEALTHIER FUTURE FOR YOUTH (Fall 2025).  Reach For Youth provides mental health services for young people ages 7-18 in Indianapolis and surrounding communities. With offices in Indianapolis and Greenwood, the organization helps children and teenagers work through emotional challenges, trauma, and mental health struggles.  Many young people today face serious mental health issues like anxiety, depression and the effects of trauma.  Reach For Youth understands that every child deserves access to quality mental health care, regardless of their family's background or language.  Their trained therapists work with youth to build coping skills, process difficult experiences, and develop emotional strength.  The organization serves all youth in the community, but they have become especially trusted by Hispanic and Latino families.

CREATING A DIVERSE PIPELINE OF SKILLED WELDERS (Winter 2025). The welding industry is experiencing a significant workforce shortage, with a notable lack of diversity. Nationally, only 5.3% of welders are women. In Indiana, the demand for skilled welders is projected to grow by 9% from 2020 to 2030, with an anticipated 1,920 job openings annually. Despite these opportunities, the field remains predominantly male, highlighting the need for initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion.

Latinas Welding Guild (LWG) is addressing this disparity by providing accessible welding education and workforce development programs tailored for women and underserved communities in Indiana. LWG’s efforts aim to bridge the gap between the growing demand for skilled welders and the underrepresentation of women in the industry.

ADVANCING SOCIAL EQUITY THROUGH EDUCATION (Fall 2024). For more than 40 years, Indy Reads has been working towards its vision of 100% literacy for all. Each program year, Indy Reads serves more than 400 adult learners in its tuition-free High School Equivalency (HSE), English Language Learning (ELL), Literacy Foundations, and workforce certifications Community Classrooms. Indy Reads also operates a community bookstore in Fountain Square that hosts more than 250 events annually and makes the joy of reading accessible to all.

CHANGING LIVES THROUGH IMMIGRANT LEGAL SERVICES (Summer 2023). The mission of the Indianapolis Immigrant Legal Services Fund is to provide equitable access to legal support and representation to immigrant Hoosiers in Marion County. In May 2021, the City-County Council of Indianapolis established the Indianapolis Immigrant Legal Services Fund in partnership with The Indianapolis Foundation, which administers and fundraises for the program that has amassed nearly $660,000 since its inception.

TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH CULINARY JOB TRAINING PROGRAM (Winter 2023). For 25 years, Second Helpings in downtown Indianapolis has offered a Culinary Job Training program as part of its mission to transform lives through the power of food. This free, 7-week program is available to unemployed and underemployed adults in central Indiana. Each step in the program’s curriculum is designed to secure employment upon graduation. More than 975 students have graduated from this program since 1998.

BUILDING FOUNDATIONS TO END HOMELESSNESS (Fall 2022). Horizon House is building the foundations to end homelessness by connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness with an effective continuum of integrated, comprehensive services that help neighbors secure and sustain income and permanent housing. Services include: Basic Necessities like access to showers, laundry facilities and a place to receive mail; Case Management, including support geared to help those returning to the community from incarceration; Peer Support Services for people coping with mental health and/or substance abuse issues; Street Outreach to engage people who are unsheltered and connect them to housing services; Assessments for rental assistance and housing support services; Supportive Housing Services; and Job Readiness Training. R.I.S.E., Horizon House’s employment services program, helps neighbors Reach for Independence & Self-sufficiency through Employment by assessing employment skills, developing interview and job search skills, providing job leads, transportation assistance and job retention services.

SAFER SPACES (Winter 2022). Creating safer spaces since 1987, the Indiana Youth Group (IYG) is the longest continually operating LGBTQ+ youth center in the nation. The organization currently serves LGBTQ+ young people ages 12-24, as well as their ally peers. General programming focuses on building self-confidence, self-expression and self-sufficiency while developing relationships within the community.