INDIANAPOLIS — A Marion County community center dedicated to helping families in need for generations needs the community's support.
Fletcher Place Community Center is celebrating 150 years in Indianapolis. The community center is quickly expanding, and in the coming weeks will double the number of kids it serves. To be able to do that, it could use the community's help.
Fletcher Place got its start in 1872, when migrants were traveling by train into Indianapolis, looking for a better life.
A group of Methodist ministers noticed the migrants were arriving with very little and were hungry. So, the ministers began feeding them, which turned into providing them shelter and clothing.
"That grew and formalized into Fletcher Place Community Center, and here we are 150 years later, still staying true to our mission," volunteer Randy Sorrell said. "What keeps you coming back at Fletcher Place is you begin to see hope in people's eyes, and when you see that, you come back."
In the 1930s, the center launched a pre-K program to help break the cycle of poverty. Now, the building is fully dedicated to serving families.
"Fletcher Place Fountain Square is one of the most generationally impoverished neighborhoods I've worked in throughout the city," Fletcher Place Executive Director Melissa Drew said. "Generations of folks live here, and they've lived here for 60 years, 100 years. Grandma went here, we have stories of grandma who went to preschool here, now their grandchild is here. So, how do we break the cycle for those families to move beyond the situation they're in currently?"
Kayla McBride went to preschool at Fletcher Place and helped her mom volunteer. She drove by one day as an adult and decided to work here as a teacher.
"Fletcher Place helped me in return and got me a scholarship to go to school, get my CDA. They've helped me a lot, so I returned the favor and helped them as well," McBride said. "So, 15 years later, I'm basically in the same spot I was, but it's better, so much better. I love working with kids."
The food pantry, thrift store and other resources are located a few blocks away. The center provides education, a GED, job training and financial literacy classes.
Right now, Fletcher Place has more kids than ever who are on scholarships and need help.
Fletcher Place community leaders are asking for help with their pre-K scholarship program in the form of donations, as well as volunteers.
For information on how to help, click here.