Latest news with #317Project
Indianapolis Star
29-05-2025
- General
- Indianapolis Star
Indy neighborhood lacked a public park - so residents got together and made their own
The 317 Project tells stories of life in all of Indianapolis' vibrant neighborhoods – 317 words at a time. A couple of years ago, if Kristen Tjaden wanted to go to a park, she'd have to choose between driving there or crossing a dangerous intersection. Tjaden, chair of engagement for the South Village Neighborhood Association, said her neighborhood didn't have an outdoor space of its own. What it did have, though, was an abandoned patch of land backing up to the banks of Pleasant Run Creek. Longtime residents like Gene Parsley recalled there had once been a paved walking trail, and a pedestrian bridge crossing the water. Parsley, now a co-chair of the neighborhood association, remembered plucking crawdads from the same creek as a child. Over the years, though, it had become a dumping ground. "We have this natural resource in the middle of an urban neighborhood that is underutilized," recalled Laura Piercefield, also a neighborhood association co-chair. The group applied for a grant from the city, pitching a garden designed to let people gather and learn about the native ecosystem. They were awarded $10,000 to convert the once-forgotten acre into an inviting, peaceful space. Today, native wildflowers bloom around the large rocks that serve as benches. Red-winged blackbirds call to each other across the water. Visitors include people but also owls, herons and foxes. There's no specific name — it's just "the garden." Maintenance remains a group effort. Piercefield marks invasive species with weed dye and Parsley pulls them out. Volunteers are welcome. The group hopes to put in signs describing the native flora and fauna to make the garden as educational as it is sensory. Tjaden now has a safe place to walk with her big dog, and Parsley has a place to enjoy the sun and listen to the water. Piercefield said the garden offers a way for people to learn and connect without sitting in front of a screen. "I've met neighbors — every single time — that are people that I have never known," Piercefield said.
Indianapolis Star
21-04-2025
- General
- Indianapolis Star
A minister and a girl in a wheelchair: the legacy of Stringtown's Anna's House
The 317 Project tells stories of life in all of Indianapolis' vibrant neighborhoods – 317 words at a time. Every Saturday morning, families pour into Anna's House, selecting fresh groceries for the week from the Lord's Pantry. The door is open to all. Unlike many assistance agencies, Anna's House doesn't require clients to go through an eligibility process. People of any faith background (or none at all) are welcome, too. "If you're hungry, you're hungry," said Leticia Juarez, the organization's sole employee. What's now a house at the corner of Elder Avenue and New York Street began as a one-man street ministry more than 20 years ago. A former Baptist minister named Lucious Newsom spent nearly every day of his retirement gleaning leftover food from Indianapolis grocery stores. He would then drive through Indianapolis' poorest neighborhoods, propping up folding tables and allowing people to take what they needed. He called it "The Lord's Pantry." One of his most enthusiastic volunteers was Anna Molloy — a young girl who, despite complex medical issues, would race around in her wheelchair to help out. At its 2005 groundbreaking ceremony, the pantry's permanent building was named for the then 9-year-old Anna. Newsom and Molloy both died in the summer of 2008. Newsom was 93, and Molloy was 12. Today, Anna's mother Julie Molloy serves as chairman of the board. Over the years, the house has expanded services to help fit the needs of the community. There are hot meals on Wednesday nights and free breakfasts during the summer. There's a back-to-school supply drive and a gifting program around Christmas. Many clients are also volunteers even though it's not a requirement to receive services. "They wanted a way to give back, since we would help them. So I came up with, why don't you guys help me? We can sort. We can clean up," Juarez said. "But you don't have to volunteer to receive food," Julie Molloy said. "You just have families that want to."
