Outreach Commission

Outreach Resources

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Transformational Outreach

IHM Transformational Outreach

Vision: Outreach that transforms the IHM community – helps us to better utilize our gifts to enable others, and also to understand and improve upon our weaknesses. We will do this by partnering more actively with organizations outside IHM, and by learning and practicing the principles of transformational outreach.

Focus: Poverty Reduction (“making the food line shorter”)

Goals:

1. Learn and document the principles of transformational outreach & develop an assessment tool.
2. Sponsor ongoing educational events to increase IHM knowledge of principles of transformational outreach. Maintain this higher knowledge level through time and parishioner turnover.
3. Help and build upon existing IHM efforts that are already following the principles of transformational outreach.
4. Learn more about ongoing poverty reduction initiatives in Indy, especially near IHM. Explore opportunities to support such initiatives.
5. Establish a mutually beneficial partnership with a group outside IHM that helps moves us toward our vision.

PRINCIPLES of IHM Transformational Outreach

Boulevard Food Pantry

“To Be Here for People in Need”  Letter from Matt Hayes, co-director of Boulevard Place Food Pantry

Boulevard Place Food Pantry 2022 Annual Report

Boulevard Place Food Pantry 2021 Annual Report

Thank you for providing food for our neighbors!

Current Need for Boulevard Pantry Volunteers…READ MORE HERE

Our Outreach works to provide food to SVDP Boulevard Place Food pantry at 42^nd and Boulevard. This neighborhood is close to our homes and is within the boundaries of the North side parishes that serve this pantry. They include IHM, CTK, SJA, STA and St Luke. We provide over 60% of the food to these people that experience some of the highest food poverty in Marion County. Our food donations feed people that live in neighborhoods by STA.  Our eastern boundaries are Keystone Ave to south of 54^thstreet to the Fairground and all the way down to 32^nd street.  The western boundary extends to neighborhoods all the way to the White River and the northern boundary is 96^th street behind Nora Target.

Our IHM Outreach is a great way for families, couples or singles to serve together or individually. The activities consist of delivering food to the pantry form the church once a month or handing out bags once a month after one of the Masses. Our volunteers pass out bags on the third weekend of each month except during the three food drives when we pass out bags on the first of the month. Some volunteers pick up donated food at the church and deliver food to the pantry one weekend a month.  Two families are assigned each weekend, so we are covered during conflicts.  If you are interested in this part of the Outreach contact Trinda Metzger.

Additionally, our IHM junior high students volunteer at the pantry for one hour once a week. We schedule parents to transport IHM junior high students to serve at the pantry and bring any donated food from the school.

We hope this provides helpful reminders to remember our food pantry when we are shopping for food. If you are interested in driving the junior high kids to the pantry once a week, contact Pam Barry or Lavanna Hazel

Thank You!

Any questions contact Trinda Metzger at 317-753-6837 or [email protected].

Pantry hours:

View SVdP Boulevard Place Food Pantry Facebook for hours of operation.

The most needed items are: spaghetti sauce and pasta, pork and beans, jelly and individual meals, baking supplies, personal hygiene items and canned meats.  All items must be unopened and not require refrigeration. 

Caring Community

The Caring Community ministry began in 1997 and is two-fold in its mission. Members of this ministry assist senior members of IHM parish with spiritual and daily needs such as arranging for Eucharistic minister visits and anointing of the sick, as well as transportation to and from doctor appointments, and shut-in visitation. The ministry is also responsible for delivering poinsettias to parishioners 80 years and older and to family members who lost a loved one during that year.

The second mission of this group is to provide volunteers for helping the elderly at “A Caring Place”, an adult day care facility located at 46th and Capital Ave. Duties include facilitating Bible studies, assisting on field trips, reading to the clients, pushing wheelchairs, and typing newsletters.  Please contact Mary McClelland, [email protected] for more information.

Cathedral Soup Kitchen

The Cathedral Soup Kitchen provides a meal on Sunday at noon staffed by volunteers from varying parishes in the North Deanery.  The meals are open to everyone, and there are no eligibility requirements  Immaculate Heart of Mary Volunteers are needed on the 4th Sunday of every other month.  Volunteer time is from 11:45 – 2:00 pm. Responsibilities include serving and cleaning up after the meal provided for our hungry inner city neighbors.  Please contact either Allison Gardner or Meredith Runke.

Changing Lives Forever

Help Change a Life Forever!

Changing Lives Forever Program Information:

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Changing Lives Forever is a 16-week class to help individuals living in poverty to find resources and develop a plan to improve the quality of their lives. Once participants have a plan, mentors will work with each participant for a year to help them to achieve their goals.

Become a Mentor

“A Mentor can make the difference when change gets really hard – the difference between giving up or moving forward with hope and faith!”

Graduates will need a Mentor to offer a listening ear and practical help, someone who can be a cheerleader and a sounding board for ideas and problem solving. Women and men from IHM are needed to work one-on-one with a graduate 4-6 hours a month. Training, resource materials and ongoing support will be provided to help mentors in their role of empowering others.

Our first program graduated 15 individuals who are making significant changes in their lives with the support of this program. The program is based on the Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World book written by Philip E. DeVol. It has been running successfully at the SVDP food pantry in Indianapolis since 2011.

Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish will offer this program again at the Martin Luther King Center on 40th Street. The second session will begin this fall. The program is free and open to all. Your help is needed in sharing information about the program, providing meals for participants, mentoring individuals in the program and serving on the planning committee. If you can help or are interested in being part of the core organizing committee, please contact Diane Powers at 317-698-5679.

Community Garden

The mission of the Community Garden is to celebrate the spirituality of gardening while generating quality produce for, and fellowship with, those in need. If you have any questions, you can email Grace McManus [email protected]

2024 Dates:

Veggie/Herb Sale – TBD : Planting Day – TBD

Ministry Overview

The garden is located around the Shrine of Mary and behind the rectory on parish grounds.

Gardening Timeline:  Planting day is usually the last week of April or first weekend in May.  The garden around the Shrine of Mary is cleaned up the first or second weekend of September in preparation for IHM’s outside Mass (second Sunday in September). The garden behind the rectory is cleaned up in October.

Commitment: Volunteers of all ages and gardening knowledge are needed during the growing season to plant, weed, water and harvest.  All volunteers are invited to help on planting day and clean up days.  Most group’s meet from 9 to 11 am on Saturday mornings.  A fifth group consists of members who are available to water the garden during the week.

Resources:  John and Suzie Platte, parishioners and devoted supporters of the IHM garden, and owners of Perennials Plus in Westfield, generously donates plants and seedlings to the garden each season. The garden committee hosts a “Tomato and Herb Sale” one weekend May.  First, the plants are selected for the garden and the rest are sold at the sale.  The proceeds from the sale help fund the needs of the garden.  Donations are also accepted at this time.

Tithe Your Tomatoes

If you have extra produce from your home gardens, please consider donating them to the community garden. Please drop off any donated produce at the Shrine of Mary before 9:30 AM on Saturdays in the months of June through October.

Join us, get your hands dirty and reap incredible rewards while taking part in this wonderful ministry of fellowship.

Thank you for your support!

Advent Giving Tree 

The yearly Advent Giving Tree allows parishioners the opportunity to choose Christmas ornament tags indicating needed items for families and children in need in the Indianapolis community. The Advent Giving Tree supports St. Anthony families, Boulevard Place Food Pantry,  and Birthline.  For more information contact Jennifer Gause at  [email protected].

Good Sam Group

This group provides fellowship, friendship, comfort and prayers to our parish families in times of sorrow by offering food, house sitting and clean-up during the funeral of a loved one. No meetings. You will be called as needed.  For more information please contact Estelle Huston at 317-465-9836 or via email at [email protected] or contact Kathy Lowry at 317-418-5497 or via email at [email protected].

IHM’s HONDURAS MISSION

SISTER MARIA ROSA AND SOCIEDAD AMIGOS DE LOS NINOS

“There is always room for one more.” This is the motto of Sister Maria Rosa Leggol of Honduras, whose life has been dedicated to providing shelter, food, education, and hope for a better future for tens of thousands of at-risk children in Honduras–children neglected, abused, abandoned, orphaned, or simply mired in poverty.

IHM began supporting Sister Maria Rosa’s mission, founded in 1966 as Sociedad Amigos de los Ninos (SAN), in 2000 as part of a global outreach for our parish. This outreach ministry sponsors three mission trips a year: an adult group that travels for a week each January or February, a teen group of rising Seniors in high school who travel for a week in June or July, and a young adult week in May or June of mostly college students, some of whom have already been on the mission trip. Offshoot groups have grown out of these trips, such as a Santa brigade of women who shop for and wrap Christmas gifts for Sister’s children .

Our mission trips typically consist of work projects such as painting or light construction. In recent years, we’ve worked on laying bricks for a security wall around the children’s homes, built a bodega (storehouse) for food and clothing, built concrete sidewalks, painted the interiors and exteriors of children’s homes, and done a few Extreme Home Makeovers of the homes, sending the kids outside to play as we put new sheets on all their beds, hung new curtains and shower curtains, and furnished new towels and kitchen items for the house. We also bring down many suitcases of donations from the parish: children’s clothing, shoes, new underwear and socks, toys, school supplies, toiletries, vitamins, and over-the-counter medicines.

We balance work with plenty of playtime with Sister’s children and fellowship with her adult staff, planning evening activities with them to continue building on our strong friendships that are fortified each year with our visits. We spend time with all the children at all of SAN’s social projects: Nuevo Paraiso’s children’s village and schools, the Pedro Atala children’s homes in Tegucigalpa, the Flor Azul Youth Farm, and often the Reyes Irene School for teenage domestic workers. In recent years, we have begun conducting food brigades to neighboring villages, bringing large bags of beans, rice, cornmeal, sugar, and other staple to needy families in rural Honduras. We also take time for our own group to reflect on our experiences, in morning chapel discussions and in one day of sightseeing in Tegucigalpa or Valle de Angeles. We especially enjoy sharing Mass on Sunday with the children of Nuevo Paraiso, holding their hands, listening to their beautiful singing, and enjoying their warm hugs at the sign of peace.

GRACIAS to our IHM parish, who so generously donate money, clothing, sheets, shoes and more to take with us. Thank you for your prayers while we are away, and know that we take all your love with us to our friends in Honduras. IHM was the first group to come help SAN after Hurricane Mitch in 1998, and while we are not a large parish, we are steadfast in our love and our Honduran friends know us, expect us, and appreciate our efforts tremendously.

Contact Kathy Martin O’Neil ([email protected], 317-506-4577) about the adult and young adult trips and the Parish Office317-257-2266 about the Teen trip.

“I have gone three times in the past four years. The hardest part is trying to decide whether or not to go. It is always a sacrifice to leave behind what you have, what you know, and what you are comfortable with — your family, your friends, your job. The rewards come in giving to people who don’t have what you have: to children who don’t have families, to families who don’t have a community, and to communities that need support and nurturing to grow. It is mind-boggling to think how one week a year has resonated in my life, and how what we do in this small amount of time makes a lasting impression on those we help.” — Dr. Robert de Las Alas

“I’ve done volunteer work with the poor and have traveled in Third World countries before. But none of that prepared me for the intensely personal and intimate relationships IHM strikes up with the children of Honduras and their amazing caregivers in one short week. Sister Maria Rosa’s homes for abandoned children, her work with struggling families, her projects and small businesses are miracles in the midst of poverty, and I felt privileged to be a part of it in my own very small way. Any little thing we offered — a talent, medical know-how, construction labor, food, shampoo, even a hug — was received with grace and affection. Also, the intimacy and camaraderie of the IHM team felt like a retreat itself: We’ d start out reporting on our days’ work and end up sharing stories of our lives.” — Kathy Martin O’Neil

COMMON QUESTIONS

WHY GO? What makes the week in Honduras different from other ministries is that your seven days in Honduras is a time set aside wholly for service. You are released from the minutia of your everyday life: work, parenting, running errands, coaching, etc. You don’t have to “schedule” your service time into an already packed day; you are there. It is a time for both personal spiritual growth and service to the poor and orphaned of Honduras.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF ME? WHAT WORK CAN I DO?

All you need is a willingness to engage with the Honduran children and adults we serve, to participate in the deep friendship between IHM and Sociedad Amigos de los Niños. All ages and abilities are welcome; you do not need special skills, talents, or strengths because there are projects for everyone. The work ranges wide: from painting walls and light construction to sorting donations and shopping for a food brigade. You do NOT need to speak Spanish!

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?

Cost: The trip averages around $1,200. This covers your airfare, all ground transportation throughout the week, accommodations, and all meals. For many, this is a significant amount of cash, but there are creative ways to come up with the money! Some travelers let their family know well in advance of their mission trip, so they can receive cash as presents for holidays and birthdays to pay for the trip. Others have traded their skills or products for cash in raising the funds. Garage sales are not out of the question! Where there is a will, there is a way.

HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE?

Please keep checking this site, and consider attending our next orientation meeting for first-time travelers. The first meeting for the adult trip each year is usually in September and will be announced in the church bulletin. This is a great time for you to learn more about Honduras, what projects we have planned for the next trip, and ask questions. 

TRAVELING TO HONDURAS ISN’T RIGHT FOR ME THIS YEAR. HOW ELSE CAN I SUPPORT THIS MISSION? There are many ways:

• Donate items that we take down to Honduras for the children! Look for these announcements in the January bulletin.
• Support our Young Adult Summer Group through sponsoring a young adult or donating children’s shoes and clothes!
• Give money to IHM specifically for the Honduras fund.
• Sponsor a child through Friends of Honduran Children Indiana. This organization, made up mostly of IHM parishioners, is a not-for-profit group that administers child sponsorships, scholarships, and project funds for Sociedad Amigos de los Ninos in Honduras. Visit their website at www.fhcindiana.org to find out more about sponsoring a child for as little as $35 per month.
• Donate to Friends of Honduran Children’s Scholarship Fund for deserving students to attend universities in Honduras and abroad. Visit www.fhcindiana.org for more information.

J.O.Y. Club

The Immaculate Heart of Mary J.O.Y. (Just Older Youth) Club welcomes all men and women 50 years and older to a monthly lunch at a local restaurant for fellowship.  Please check the weekly IHM bulletin for the scheduled luncheon. If you have questions, please contact Joyce Buening at [email protected]. 

Lord’s Pantry (Anna’s House)

This ministry began 1997 to assist Reverend Lucious Newsom in his ministry to provide food and other necessities to underserved populations of Indianapolis.  Lucious passed away in the summer of 2008, but his ministry continues in Indianapolis and at IHM. The ministry is known as The Lord’s Pantry. Contact Chris Hutson at [email protected].

See photos and much more by visiting THE LORD’S PANTRY WEB SITE at www.lordspantry.org.

The primary activity of the ministry is the collection of food from several donor grocery stores, and the transportation of the food to “Anna’s House”, a community center on the near northwest side of Indianapolis. Immaculate Heart helps The Lord’s Pantry with fundraising, sponsorship of needy families at Christmas time as well as gathering school supplies for disadvantaged students. The IHM group meets formally only on occasion, and members alternate every Saturday morning with distribution at “Anna’s House.”

How can I contribute to the Lucious Newsome Ministry (The Lord’s Pantry)?

There are many ways a person or family can participate in helping The Lord’s Pantry. Here are several:

• Distribute food to needy people at Anna’s House on any Saturday morning
• Pickup of food donated by grocery stores
• Solicit NEW grocery stores
• Direct donations of food
• Food donations can also be made for the Anna’s House Children’s Pantry
• Cash donations to the Lord’s Pantry
• Help in IHM’s Community Garden
• Adopt a needy family for Christmas
• Thanksgiving dinner for needy families
• Provide medical care

Directions from IHM to Anna’s House, home of The Lord’s Pantry:

• Take Washington Blvd. south to 46^th and turn right.
• From 46^th Street, Turn left at Capital Avenue.
• Take Capital Avenue downtown and turn right on Michigan St.
• Drive through IUPUI campus.
• At end of campus, turn left onto White River Parkway.
• Go to right side of street, turn right before West Side Bait Shop on Vermont.
• Go past railroad tracks, and turn left at next street.
• Go one block. Across street to right is grassy lot or park on the street. Anna’s house is across the street at 303 Elder Street.

MLK Community Center

Immaculate Heart is part of a coalition of neighborhood churches call the Lay Clergy Team, all of which have connections to the MLK Community Center.  The Lay Clergy Team is committed to building our community via our support of the MLK Center; while also providing an example of people of diverse backgrounds working together.   The Lay Clergy Team has a particular focus on the issue of affordable housing in Indianapolis.

Both the MLK Center and Lay Clergy Team are examples of IHM’s Transformational Outreach principles in practice. 

To learn more see the Transformational Outreach section above.

We invite you to watch the video below about the Lay Clergy Team, and also consider getting more involved yourself.  For more information go to the MLK Center’s web site at www.mlkcenterindy.org, or contact Scott Lowe at email [email protected].

To learn more about recent MLK Center impacts in the community, CLICK HERE.

To see the current donations Wish List, CLICK HERE

Respect Life

Activities include selling roses on Mother’s Day weekend, supporting IHM youth for life activities such as the March for Life in Washington DC on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, coordinating IHM’s participation in the national Respect Life Chain in October, collecting gifts for Birthline, and saying the rosary in May and October for restoring dignity to all human life.

Respect Life is always collecting needed baby items for Birthline, outreach for Pro-life of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Contact Mary Dougherty to arrange and she will deliver them to the Birthline Center.

Contact Mary Dougherty [email protected]

St. Anthony School

The service/outreach ministry of the IHM Men’s Group has been involved with St. Anthony’s Catholic Grade School since 2001. The school is located on the near west side of Indianapolis. We provide mentors, tutors, class delegates and chaperones as well as maintenance and financial support.

For information contact:  

Dave Stuhldreher at  [email protected] 

History of the relationship between the IHM Men’s Group and St Anthony Catholic School.

While trying to restart the IHM men’s group in 2000 we felt it was necessary to have an outreach program to give us a meaningful purpose. So we approached the principal of what was then called All Saints Catholic School, which was one of the Center City Catholic grade schools, to see if they could use some help from our Men’s Group. Her first comment was “my prayers have been answered”. From that initial meeting we have formed a very meaningful relationship based on their initial “Mission Statement”, to have successful Christian men walking thru the front door. For the first four years of our involvement the school was called All Saints Catholic School and was made up of children from St. Anthony, Holy Trinity and St. Joseph parishes.  Because of a lot of structural issues and operating cost the school was moved to St. Anthony parish and we have continued to support this school for the past fourteen years; in such ways as supplying tutors, mentors, chaperones, fund raising, enrichment programs and maintenance projects, just to name a few.

In 2010 the Archdiocese decided to convert this school to a Charter School under the name of Padua Academy, drawing children from St. Anthony and Holy Trinity parishes. After this decision we met with the principal (Cindy Greer) & Pastor (Fr. John McCaslin).The first thing they said was “I hope the men of IHM will still be working with us”. We did continue the relationship and support.

Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, the school has returned to being an Archdiocese school with the name St. Anthony. The school is made up of 90 plus percent Catholic children from the St Anthony/Holy Trinity neighborhood.  The families are made up of over 90 percent Hispanics trying to educate their children, while living under extreme poverty conditions. Bottom line is we will still try and meet our initial mission that is to have “successful Christian male role models, walking thru the front door, trying to raise expectation levels and letting the children know that someone cares for their well-being.” We continue to support Fr John McCaslin’s vision both for the school and the neighborhood of St. Anthony and Holy Trinity.

View the April 2017 ND ACE ACADEMIES Volunteer Group Spotlight article on the IHM Men’s Group

For more information on St. Anthony School, click here.

St. Patrick’s Christmas Party

The annual St. Patrick’s Christmas party is a lovely way to celebrate Christmas as a family and with the children and families who attend religious education classes at St. Patrick’s parish. The party includes singing to reenact Mary and Joseph seeking shelter (known as Las Posadas) and volunteers bring gifts (books), hot chocolate, pan dulce (sweet bread), piñatas and decorations. Volunteers show up early to help decorate and the students and families stay late to help clean up. Donations are needed for the purchase of books, piñatas, and refreshments. Please contact Sarah Stelzner for more information [email protected].

St. Vincent dePaul Society

Helping those in need in an atmosphere of dignity and love…for client and volunteer alike.

Service Saturdays

Service Saturdays supports local outreach organizations while offering parishioners opportunities to positively impact their community.  One Saturday a month a service project is arranged at a charity in need.  We plan as often as possible to arrange tasks suitable for all ages, families, etc.  This is a great chance to learn about local charities, expose your family to service work in a safe environment, and to use your talents to help improve our city.

We expect all times to be in the morning and last until about noon.  Exact timing to be based on service project needs and communicated accordingly.

If interested in learning more about this program or joining our email list please contact Matt Tuschong at [email protected] or 317-850-0208.   I encourage you to join the list as you never know what opportunity and day may be a fit.  Thank you for considering, and please pass along to others wo may be interested.

You can find the month’s Service Saturday Sign-Up under Upcoming Events.

Follow IHM Service Saturdays on Instagram