Angels & Athletes Honors Joe Reitz & Jack Doyle
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The Lord's Pantry at Anna's House and Prime 47 Indianapolis partnered again to host the 2nd Angels & Athletes Awards last Thursday, September 22.
This year's honorees included Indianapolis Colts Offensive Lineman, Joe Reitz and Tight End, Jack Doyle. Both of these standout players have been very generous with their time supporting many worthwhile causes throughout Central Indiana including The Lord's Pantry at Anna's House. Since 2010, Reitz has rounded up his fellow teammates, including Doyle, to come to Anna's House and help us distribute groceries, serve dinner and, on occasion, celebrate "Souper Bowl Saturday" the Saturday of Super Bowl weekend.
This year, we were pleased to have MMA Fighter, Chris "Lights Out" Lytle, serving as our Honorary Chair as well as Kristi Lee from the Bob & Tom Show as our host and emcee. "Angels & Athletes is a great way for us to honor these two very special guys who lead busy lives every single day, having families of their own, but giving so much of their time to help others in need," said Julie Molloy, Director of The Lord's Pantry at Anna's House.
For nearly two decades, The Lord's Pantry at Anna's House has teamed up with athletes from the Indianapolis area to deliver food, faith and fellowship to the men, women and children we serve on the near west side of Indianapolis. Molloy adds, "Our event honors the giving spirit and sportsmanship of Indianapolis Colts players who have made a significant impact in our community both on and off the field. Previous Angels & Athletes honorees are: Darius Butler, Jeff George and Marlin Jackson.
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Lord's Pantry benefits from annual high school challenge
Every year, shortly after school begins, Roncalli High School partners with Southport Road Chick-Fil-A restaurant to host the "Chick-Fil-A Challenge" which is a competition between Roncalli High School and Franklin Central High School. When ordering, students and their families declare their school pride and the winning school with the most sales receives net proceeds from this challenge (which is a percentage of sales). This year, Roncalli High School won the challenge thanks to all the students and families of Roncalli. Anna's House was blessed to be chosen as the co-beneficiary of the challenge receiving $2,600.
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Director's Note
It's a Wonderful Life
What a hot and rainy summer we have had, but that has not stopped Anna's House from working hard to serve a community in need. We are blessed to have so many volunteers come each week to work alongside our families.
Thank you EVERYONE!!!!
We continue to move forward with raising funds for our future community center and have had several meetings reaching out to potential in-kind donors and partners. We have been hosting fundraising events and will continue to host events to ensure our future success. I invite each of you to visit our website to learn more about our events.
To give you a quick update on our building campaign, I first must thank all who have made contributions, purchased bricks and cookbooks, attended fundraisers and said prayers for our success. The funds needed to make our growth happen are increasing at a slow pace, but they are increasing. We have secured many in-kind donations such as flooring, exterior walls, concrete labor, window treatments and are working on confirming roofing. We have raised money through our brick and cookbook campaigns as well as through our fundraising events. These funds will offset the costs of areas where no in-kind gifts have been secured. God is good and will provide as we progress.
I now would like to briefly introduce you to a new program we are starting, Anna's Angels, dedicated to covering the operating costs for Anna's House. As I am sure you are aware, although much of our fresh produce is donated, we must also purchase a standard amount to insure that pantry staples like potatoes and onions are available each week, our operating funds also cover some of our Wednesday dinners when no one is available to donate the meal as well as utilities, insurance, general maintenance of building and the salary for our one and only employee.
Rather than relying on one person to provide a large donation to cover much of that ongoing expense, it would be wonderful to have many people commited to smaller donations on a weekly or monthly basis. We currently have a few individuals who are doing just that. Just think, if 100 people committed $25 a week the need would be met. But what if 400 people committed to $25 each month? The goal is to get commitments totaling $10,000 per month so that the need to fundraise for the ongoing needs of the pantry could be reduced substantially and the focus can be on the capital campaign for the new facility. People making such a commitment will be identified as Anna's Angels. Your donation is tax deductible and the sincere appreciation of those who love The Lord's Pantry at Anna's House will be acknowledged on our website and in our newsletter (if desired). To learn more details, please ASK ME ABOUT ANNAS ANGELS.
I am happy to discuss all that is transpiring at Anna's House with you one-on-one or in a group setting should you wish.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers,
In Christ,
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Sponsor Spotlight
Prime 47 Indianapolis
A huge thank you to the team at Prime 47 Indianapolis for their ongoing support of The Lord's Pantry at Anna's House. In the last two years, Prime 47 Indianapolis has stepped up to ensure that we have one of the best restaurants in Indy to utilize as a fundraising venue for our Angels & Athletes event, taking place this year on September 22nd. In addition to serving as hosts, they work hard to leverage their own relationships for our benefit.
Additionally, Prime 47 Indianapolis has partnered with their VIP clients to make sure the kids of Stringtown have presents to open during the Christmas season by hosting Miracle at 47, a dinner event held the week leading up to Christmas. The 'Miracle' event has generated more than 250 toys for the children we serve in addition to raising funds.
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Volunteer Spotlight
Giving is Better Than Receiving
The Lord's Pantry at Anna's House has always been more than a food pantry where area residents can come for free services. We strive to be a community resource, but we also strive to be a vehicle for self-sustainability and accountability. More recently, we've also been determined to be a source of self-worth and respect for the residents we serve. We've never asked anything of our guests, but that is starting to change! "It's kind of a new initiative that allows our guests to give back to the organization in a non-monetary way. It helps them take ownership in their own community, gives them a sense of pride and at the same time, makes our relationship seem less like charity.
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Meet Maria (also known as "Cuca") and Beatriz. These women are two shining examples of how giving back can be better than receiving. Both have been guests of The Lord's Pantry at Anna's House for some time now. One for more than a decade and the other fewer than five years.
Maria utilizes our services to take care of (feed) her six children and herself, as well as one grandson who recently joined the mix. Long-time residents might remember her preparing dinners for Lucious when he was alive. Today, Maria spends countless hours volunteering at the Pantry doing whatever is necessary, including cleaning and helping with our occasional thrift sales. She also recruits her teenage boys to help unload food delivery trucks.
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| Beatriz |
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Beatriz takes comfort in knowing that Anna's House is there to help her family which currently includes her husband, mother and three beautiful little girls. And while she doesn't depend on us every week like many of our guests, Beatriz is always available to lend a hand when needed. She's especially helpful during clean up after our weekly Wednesday night community dinners.
Volunteers like Maria and Beatriz bring our services full circle. It's a testimony to why we are here to begin with.
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Evening in Paris Benefits Capital Campaign
Anna's House hosted its 10th anniversary gala, An Evening in Paris, at the beautiful Lucas Estate in Carmel. Nearly 200 supporters, including many new friends, gathered to help celebrate the milestone in style as our special guest hosts, Kristi Lee (Bob & Tom Show) and Kris Kirschner (WTHR 13) ushered in our evening of all things Paris. Why a Paris-theme, you ask? Well, we could find no better inspiration than their new 2016 legislation that forbids the intentional tainting and destruction of food items and waste. And besides, who doesn't love Paris?
Thanks to our many auction donors and event sponsors, including Greystone Concrete, Surebuilt Manufacturing, Thermocore Panel Systems, Citizens Gas, Drapery Street, Print Resources, DFA Creative & Heaven Hill Brands we are one step closer to achieving our goal of securing a new Anna's House Multi-Service Center.
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Kids Corner
Backpack / School Supply Drive
This year was the 8th consecutive year that we partnered with donors to provide backpacks stuffed with school supplies to the children we serve in Stringtown. In late July, volunteers gathered to help distribute more than 250 backpacks to families who registered ahead of time for this popular program. Backpacks were stuffed with notebooks, folders, pens, pencils, crayons, colored pencils, glue, scissors and other supplies required by the schools our children are attending.
Vacation Bible School Recap
Once again, Common Ground Ministries & Camp Outreach partnered with us to provide our children with a Vacation Bible School
program, one of the most popular programs of the year for our children and their parents. The group also reached out in the neighborhood to help our senior citizens with home maintenance, yard care and the like. Residents from 26 homes in our community benefited from this effort.
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Calendar of Events
3, 10, 17, 24:
Grocery Distribution - Our weekly grocery distribution offers clients an assortment of non-perishable foods and fresh produce. 10:30 a.m.
6, 20, 27:
ESL Classes - Weekly ESL classes are free and open to anyone interested. Free childcare is available to participating students. 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
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no class 9/13
7, 14, 21, 28:
Community Dinner - The Stringtown community is invited to enjoy a hot meal. 5:30-7 p.m.
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Angels & Athletes Awards
Prime 47 Indianapolis
5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
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1-29:
ONLINE Registration for Adopt-A-Family Sponsors. Visit our website to apply to adopt-a-family for Christmas.
1, 8, 15, 22, 29:
Grocery Distribution - Our weekly grocery distribution offers clients an assortment of non-perishable foods and fresh produce. 10:30 a.m.
4, 11, 18, 25:
ESL Classes - Weekly ESL classes are free and open to anyone interested. Free childcare is available to participating students. 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
5, 12, 19, 26:
Community Dinner - The Stringtown community is invited to enjoy a hot meal! 5:30 p.m.
Providing shoes to 500 children. Hawthorne Center. Time TBD.
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5, 12, 19, 26:
Grocery Distribution - Our weekly grocery distribution offers clients an assortment of non-perishable foods and fresh produce. 10:30 a.m
1, 8, 15, 22:
ESL Classes - Weekly ESL classes are free and open to anyone interested. Free childcare is available to participating students. 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
2, 9, 16, 30:
Community Dinner - The Stringtown community is invited to enjoy a hot meal. 5:30-7 p.m.
23:
Thanksgiving Dinner
Special community dinner to celebrate Thanksgiving
5 - 7:30 p.m.
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3, 10, 17, 24, 31:
Grocery Distribution - Our weekly grocery distribution offers clients an assortment of non-perishable foods and fresh produce. 10:30 a.m
6, 13, 20, 27:
ESL Classes - Weekly ESL classes are free and open to anyone interested. Free childcare is available to participating students. 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
7, 14, 21, 28:
Community Dinner - The Stringtown community is invited to enjoy a hot meal. 5:30-7 p.m.
17:
Santa Day - 4-7 p.m.
21:
Christmas Dinner
Special community dinner to celebrate Christmas
5 - 7:30 p.m.
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