Fletcher Place Community Center Inc. December 2010
Fletcher Place Community Center’s mission statement is “breaking the cycle of poverty through the compassion of Jesus Christ”. Our programs reflect this through educational offerings yet also by helping people make it day to day while they have yet to break the cycle. Our hot meal programs – God’s Will Breakfast and the evening Loaves Meal touch many lives bringing hope where people were feeling hopeless.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
God’s Will Breakfast began in April of 2002 following our clients request for a good breakfast and God’s tugging on Norm Stuart’s heart to make it happen. Now we serve nearly 20,000 breakfasts a year and we have many churches helping to carry the load. Our breakfast program is offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays throughout the year.
Our Dinner program “Loaves Meal” began back in 1983 serving an early dinner – 3:30-4:30 on Monday and Wednesday – this continues today. All of our meals are prepared and served by volunteers. Often these volunteers come from a congregation in the greater Indianapolis area yet also from businesses and service groups as well. It is truly a labor of love. This year Santa’s Elf Candy Cane Chris and Reindeer Fruitcake visited the Preschool classes – they are a part of Silly Safaris www.sillysafaris.com To learn about having your group provide a meal to the homeless in the area get in touch with Karen at the center: 636-3466 ext 4 or by email Karen@fletcherplacecc.org
The Fletcher Place Christmas Shopping Program began in 1950 and continues today – this year we were able to assist 230 children and their families with Christmas gifts of clothing, toys, blankets and food. This program is somewhat unique in that we receive donations of new clothing, toys, blankets and food. We organize the donations into a makeshift store in our dining hall. The parents are then given an appointment time on a Saturday to come and “shop” for their children’s Christmas gifts assisted by a few volunteers. The parents also receive a pre-packed food order that provides enough food for three days, basically 9 meals per person in the family. At Christmas time we also remember those families that slip through the cracks and of our homeless clients. During our regular meals the week of Christmas we provide families with children the opportunity to select a few new toys for each child; for the homeless we set up a makeshift Christmas store with items the homeless see as both necessities such as hats, mittens and blankets yet also some sweets, small games, journals, watches, pens; and a small food pack filled with easy to eat food including ones that just need hot water to make a meal; last year we assisted nearly 100 homeless individuals and an additional 86 children in this way. Our Senior Luncheon “Golden Age” provided monthly by the Stansfield Circle enjoyed a visit from Santa and the singing of Christmas Carols along with Christmas gifts and of course Bingo!
This year the Christmas food orders provided enough groceries to provide 3132 meals! The families we assist live in our service area and have children on the free lunch program. We register the families with the United Christmas Service to verify that they are not receiving assistance anywhere else.
At Fletcher Place Christmas happens all of December