Last week’s warmer weather reminded me that summer is approaching.
And with the arrival of summer comes a scramble for families looking for free or affordable things to do for their kids and teens.
They’ll have those opportunities in Indianapolis thanks to our community’s support of a yearslong effort to fund hundreds of local programs.
The Summer Youth Program Fund, which has been around since 1995, awarded more than $4.7 million this year — an impressive 11% increase that will expand access.
That money is supporting 286 organizations, according to announcement from the Indianapolis Foundation, which administers the fund.
“We are working alongside partners to ensure that access to opportunity is not determined by ZIP code,” said Ahmed Young, the foundation’s president and CEO, “and that every young person in Indianapolis has the support and experiences they need to grow, belong and succeed.”
We at IndyStar are proud to be one of those partners. Many of our readers have backed the effort with your donations during our annual Season for Sharing campaign.
If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a campaign we kick off every year around Thanksgiving. In addition to raising money to support Indianapolis youth, we publish a series of articles featuring the community members and nonprofits who are rolling up their sleeves to do the work.
Since 2011, our IndyStar campaign has awarded nearly $1.8 million to programs that help our community’s youths.
This year, IndyStar’s Season for Sharing effort provided $60,000 across 22 local organizations, including 100 Black Men of Indianapolis, Brightlane Learning, Fonseca Theatre Company and Latino Youth Collective of Indiana.
Donations made to IndyStar’s Season for Sharing campaign in recent years have gone even further because of our participation in the Summer Youth Program Fund. That fund includes several major supporters — including the Lilly Endowment, which is providing more than $3.5 million this year, according to the press release.
By linking our efforts in the fund, it enables us to essentially pool our resources and support an even wider group of worthy causes.
“For 30 years, Lilly Endowment has been pleased to collaborate with generous foundations and other donors who recognize the importance of summer programs for youth throughout our city,” said Ted Maple, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for education, in the press release. “We believe that safe, fun and educational summer activities complement what children and teenagers learn during the school year and contribute to their healthy development.”
The partners in the Summer Youth Program Fund are:
How you and I can help
Season for Sharing is important to me. I grew up with a single mom who graciously accepted help from others so that I could experience things like baseball and basketball camps growing up. That’s just one reason why I pay it forward.
So IndyStar will double down on our efforts. Season for Sharing typically kicks off in November, but this year we will extend the campaign — and our series of stories about the nonprofits — to the summer, too.
Last year’s campaign raised $16,313 from 41 donations. Together, I believe we can double that number this year.
So if you’re in a position to pay it forward and support our Indy youth, you can make a tax-deductible gift online: https://indianapolisfoundation.org/season-for-sharing/
You can also mail a check to: Central Indiana Community Foundation, Attn: Season for Sharing, 615 N. Alabama St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46204.
Thank you for joining me in this effort. It means the world to me.
Ryan Martin is the executive editor of the Indianapolis Star. Contact him at ryan.martin@indystar.com or 317-444-4730. Follow him on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Here’s how IndyStar readers are helping thousands of Indy youth
Reporting by Ryan Martin, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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