Completed Tasks


A full diversity of residents and families share an appreciation of lifelong learning and meaningful employment; work together with neighborhood organizations in education, recreation, employment, and community activities; and help neighbors in need.

Action items for this area of the West Indianapolis Quality-of-Life Plan are listed below. Click on any action item to expand the table and review our progress; click the title again to close the table.

Key to item status:

Completed Ongoing Pending  Deleted   

 

1.1 Increase availability of employment services

Lead Organization: Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center
Partner Organizations: IPS, GWCHS, WI Library
Action Step Status Description Comments 2010 Year End Update
1.1.1   Build and maintain local business database and work with local businesses to create an available jobs database as a community resourse Employer development and advocacy for employing clients with employers; job postings continue to be submitted by local employers and posted at MRNC. Additional outreach planned to attract low-wage earning individuals to employment programs, including targeted outreach to those working for local employers.  Current calendar job placement = 46
1.1.2 Develop local work/study internships Community scholars (IUPUI students) continue to work at MRNC; 5 local at-risk teens completed 30 hr/week summer employment program at MRNC (personal or family criminal backgrounds); employed 2 Public Allies for 2010/2011 year, one focused on hunger relief efforts and the other on community communications and engagement
1.1.3 Develop Center for Working Families model as a comprehensive approach to increasing self-sufficiency including a strong financial coaching program 224 individuals received one-on-one employment and/or financial coaching to address personal challenges and build a stronger economic future. (See also comments from mid-year)
1.1.4 Develop neighborhood job fairs and connect residents to Indianapolis job fairs Neighbor Job Club services serve 30+ clients/weekly with job search help, resume writing, interview practice, personal job lead assistance
1.1.5 Develop plan for providing assistance such as job training, certification, and other supportive services to neighbors who are ex-offenders(use neighborhood study circles as a tool for refining this strategy Up to 30% of job seekers who receive employment help from Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center are ex-offenders; MRNC staff are trained to work with these individuals and provide additional assistance to them in seeking employment through Job Club, employment coaching, and Youth Employment Services.
1.1.6 Continue offering and promoting GED classes by targeting parents at neighborhood schools, 20- 25 year old high school dropouts (through WIKI, community sign, churches, recipients of MRNC Services MRNC staff members in neighborhood schools help to spread the word about GED classes; GED classes continue throughout school year and summer at MRNC, usually near capacity with enrollment. Approximately 130 young adults enrolled in YES program access GED or other educational avenues (community college or vocational training). Indy Reads continues to provide literacy tutors during evening GED classes.
1.1.7 Expand/develop community job resource room Resource Rooms continue to connect community residents to job postings and access to computers for on-line job applications. Many area residents use computers to complete unemployment claims.. New computers for MRNC resource room.

 

1.2 Ensure that all residents have ability to provide for their basic needs

Lead Organziation: Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center
Partner Organizations: Billie’s Food Pantry, WEMO, IU-Garden on the Go, Gleaners, Second Helpings
Action Step Status Descripition Comments 2010 Year-End Update
 1.2.1   Continue providing social services, emergency assistance, self-sufficiency programs, and rent/utilities assistance for emergency assistance AND add capacity for providing comprehensive services through the Center for Working Families 8,273 individuals and families served through programs that help families improve their life outcomes. Families and individuals are helped to move forward through help with basic needs, and through programs that promote learning and earning.
 1.2.2   Continue providing program components for Fostering Independence Through a partnership with WIDC, Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center continues to provide housing and supportive services to young adults aging out of the foster care system. In 2010, approximately 8-10 young adults lived in the homes at any given time. 100% of participants receive bundled employment and financial coaching through the Center for Working Families and the Youth Employment Services program.  Program will be phased out over the course of the year.
 1.2.3   Prepare plan/forum for assessing needs of community at least yearly and maximizing opportunities for coordinated service delivery Twp new focus groups have been held to get opinions on three main questions. These questions are designed to help us improve services to neighbors, improve  and better coordinate service delivery.Question 1) What can Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center do to help you?  What services are you in need of?Question 2) How can Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center best communicate with you?Question 3) Where are you most likely to see advertisements?
 1.2.4   Develop database/system for matching & tracking resident needs and volunteer participation  MRNC has recently implemented a new volunteer program designed to recruit volunteers from the greater Indianapolis community and the local neighborhood surrounding MRNC. Throughout the first few months of this program, many of our volunteers have been local neighbors seeking ways to give back. These volunteers have helped with: food pantry, Gift-A-Child Day, and the MRNC garage sale.
1.2.5   Recruit volunteers to be available to assist neighbors in need MRNC has recently implemented a new volunteer program designed to recruit volunteers from the greater Indianapolis community and the local neighborhood surrounding MRNC. Throughout the first few months of this program, many of our volunteers have been local neighbors seeking ways to give back. These volunteers have helped with: food pantry, Gift-A-Child Day, and the MRNC garage sale.
1.2.6   Enhance food delivery though Billie’s Food Pantry & Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center With the assistance of a new Public Ally, MRNC has initiated new partnerships to increase residents’ access to food including: referrals partnership with St. John the Forerunner Church, increase in fresh foods (fruits, vegetables, dairy) for clients through partnership with Midwest Food Bank;increased fresh food pick ups from Gleaners Food Bank; increased volunteer support  by neighbors and neighborhood businesses for pantry staffing and after-school meals program; addition of new time-limited rent and utility subsidies

 

1.3 Promote library as a major asset in West Indianapolis

Lead Organization: WI Library
Partner Organizations: All partners
Action Step Status Description Comments 2010
1.3.1   Continue offering preschool, baby, and family story hours scheduled weekly, monthly, and on demand 2010 statistics ready after January 7, 2011
1.3.2 Contine providing entertainment and educational adult program at least quarterly 2011 statistics ready after January 7, 2011
1.3.3 Continue and expand community outreach such as book delivery to William Penn Senior Center Library hosted a few Wii Gaming programs for seniors at Mary Rigg.  Very low attendance required us to discontinue. Seniors never came to library for programs.   Library offers daily “Brain Aerobics” sheet, with crosswords, mazes, suduko, etc. These are created for all ages and several seniors enjoy picking them up when they are in the library. Deleted from plan in 2009 
1.3.4   Develop material regarding library programs to have available at all service provision sites Continue to struggle with program attendance, so decrease in scheduled programming continues. Good neighborhood participation at community events – Community Day, Night out Against Crime and Tree Lighting.
1.3.5   Expand local access to literacy-specific programs for adults and youth (such as Indy Reads) Moved to Social Goals 1.5.3. Utilize adult literacy tutoring program – Indy Reads/WI Library Have several Indy Reads tutors using the meeting room for tutoring sessions.  Some students are also using the library, checking out materials and participating in drop in activities.

 

1.4 Maximize school effectiveness and youth involvement/development opportunities

Lead Organization: SC Coordinator
Partner Organizations: GWCHS, School #46 & #49, Indy Reads, Library
Action Step Status Description Comments 2010 Year-End Update
1.4.1 Identify lead organization for organizing and recruiting youth to maximize school effectiveness and engage youth GWCHS graduation rate increased to 68.5% in 2010 from 47% in 2009; 92% of them accepted into post-secondary ed; 94% of students served with at least 1 support service in 2009-10; more than 60 partners continue working with 3 schools in WI (GW, 46, & 49); School Works transformation group helps GW to plan state-mandated academic achievement turnaround
1.4.2 Develop & implement  stay-in-school messaging effort including encouragement of higher education The Learning Communities Initiative exposes WI 46, 49 & GW students to post-secondary ed messages, totaling 765 individual students in grades 5-12.
1.4.3 Promote Kroger college scholarship at School 46 / Lilly Scholarship and Dollars for Scholars at GWCS Moved to Social Goal 1.5.5 Promote Kroger college scholarship at School 46 / Lilly Scholarship and Dollars for Scholars at GWCS Dollars for Scholars awarded $26,500 to 23 students.  Kroger scholarship actively promoted at #46.  4 applications for Lilly Scholarship, 2 awarded and 1 renewed
1.4.4 Develop & implement inter-agency community-wide plan for youth programming Community School initiative includes more than 60 community partners working with 3 school in WI to provide collaborative supports; 2 coordinators through MRNC at 46 & 49 (IPS/UWCI funding)
1.4.5 Support and promote GWCS Learning Communities Initiative Community school services in 4 WI schools to increase student, parent and community engagement focused on improving student achievement and college readiness.  MRNC staff work full time at each of these 4 schools to connect students, families, and school personnel with resources in the community.
1.4.6   Develop & implement “barrier busters” that allow more youth to participate in activities In 2009-10, 94% of GWCHS students received at least 1 support service, while 815 individual parents participated in school activiites, 251 of them multiple times (46% increase in parent engagement)
1.4.7   Continue providing youth and young adult programming (including before- and after-school, summer youth employment, youth employment services, day camp, and GED) After-school meals program expanded to include seniors (now an intergenerational meal program); expanded opportunities for kids in after-school and summer day camp programs to participate in activities together; addition of advisory group coming in next year