2023 in Review

It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the end of 2023. It’s been quite the whirlwind year! Here are our Sanctuary Indy highlights:

Street Outreach

This is where we refuel each Friday, seeing and engaging in the need of our Indianapolis neighbors living on the streets. It keeps our mission relevant. I can’t imagine owning nothing beyond the backpack I carry. I also can’t imagine living in a “bando” (abandoned apartment) with mice and racoons running about. But these are realities for those we have come to love. Everyone is so grateful for the moments we share with them. We’ve handed out over 150 meals. That’s over 150 conversations. Through those conversations, we’ve been present for the birth of a son to one of our “adopted” chronically homeless friends. We’ve helped friends get into housing with resource connections. We’ve helped folks get into treatment for addictions. And we’ve gone back to our friends with their special requests… a belt, shoes that fit to help with bone spurs, clean towels for a disabled mother panhandling & her young daughter staying in a hotel not fit for human habitation. We’ve handed out tents (Can you imagine not having a place to rest your head at night?), sleeping bags, medical-sized cleaning wipes, bus passes to medical appointments & food pantries; anything you can imagine for when you have…nothing.

Send the Love

In July, we were blessed to be a chosen recipient in sharing our story with WTHR for their Send the Love micro-campaign! In one week, over 100 donors answered our call for help with our Street Outreach! This shows there are folks in Central Indiana who desire to be involved!

Land

Also in July, we were able to share about Sanctuary Indy with a wonderful believer in Jesus. And through that conversation came seven acres of land on the far-eastside of Indianapolis! It’s in an area that’s about to boom in growth! And a beautiful answer to prayer is that it meets all our hopes for our desired property… densely wooded, on a bus line, and walkable to food and resources!

Leadership

With the growth mentioned above, we were able to double the size of our board and hire an Executive Director! This allows us to now work full-time for this wonderful organization. We’re so excited to see our pilot project, quality Permanent Supportive Housing for our chronically homeless Indianapolis neighbors, come to fruition in 2024!