Past Press Releases

Wheeler Mission’s Press Release Archives

MEDIA ADVISORY

November 22, 2023

MEDIA ADVISORY: Wheeler Mission to host 21^st annual Drumstick Dash

INDIANAPOLIS – Wheeler Mission will host the 21^st annual Drumstick Dash on Thanksgiving Day in Broad Ripple.. Proceeds from the race will provide meals and care for homeless men, women and children in the community.

Media are invited to attend, and Brian Crispin, Wheeler Mission senior director of community relations & development, will be available for on-site interviews.

WHAT: 21^st Annual Drumstick Dash

WHEN: Expo + Packet Pick-up: Wednesday, Nov. 22 from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Drumstick Dash: Thursday, Nov. 23, from 9 – 11:30 a.m.

9 a.m.: 4.3-mile and 2.6-mile races begin
10:15 a.m.: Lil’ Gobbler’s Run race begins

WHERE: Expo + Packet Pick-up is at the Indiana State Fairgrounds’ Harvest Pavilion.

Drumstick Dash Race begins on Broad Ripple Avenue, near Broad Ripple Park.

Pre- and post-race parties at Broad Ripple Station shopping center parking lot (1055 Broad Ripple Ave., Indianapolis, IN)

WHO: Wheeler Mission leadership

Huntington Bank leadership

Local band Dream Slice

10,000-15,000 race participants

VISUALS: Expo + Packet Pick-up: on-site registration, race packet pick-up, local

sponsors and vendors and photo opportunities with 6-foot turkey mascot

DASH

Race Day: Photo opportunities include start of race with DASH, the 6-foot

turkey mascot, being chased by over 10,000 people

About Wheeler Mission

Founded in 1893, Wheeler Mission has been serving the Indianapolis community through a variety of programs for the most disadvantaged citizens – the poor and people experiencing homelessness. Funding for these programs has always come from the private sector as Wheeler does not receive government funds.

Day-Of Media Contact

Brian Crispin

317-503-8404

BrianCrispin@WheelerMission.org

Wheeler Mission hosts 21^st annual Drumstick Dash on November 23rd

Thousands will start the holiday by moving their feet so others can eat!

INDIANAPOLIS – Wheeler Mission is pleased to present its 21^st annual Drumstick Dash on Thursday, Nov. 23^rd, Thanksgiving morning. Starting at 9 a.m. in Broad Ripple, thousands are anticipated to gather for the annual Thanksgiving tradition supporting those experiencing homelessness in Indiana.

Over the last two decades, more than 242,000 people have participated in this family-friendly event, raising millions of dollars for Wheeler Mission.

All proceeds will help provide food, shelter and care for men, women and children experiencing homelessness in central and south-central Indiana.

“The Drumstick Dash is a great way for friends and families to join together on Thanksgiving morning to help others in a fun and creative way,” said Wheeler Mission senior director of community relations and development, Brian Crispin. “We love how this has become a tradition in central Indiana, but more importantly our guests at Wheeler Mission are given inspiration and hope as they see how the community rallies around them in their greatest time of need.”

Since its inaugural race in 2003, Indianapolis’ Drumstick Dash has grown to become one of the largest Thanksgiving Day races in the nation and among the top three largest run/walk events in Indiana.

The Drumstick Dash will offer two courses, 4.3 miles and 2.6 miles, both beginning at 9 a.m. A virtual option will also be available for those attending from out of town.

The free Lil’ Gobbler’s Run for kids ages 12 and under begins at 10:15 a.m.

Race begins on Broad Ripple Avenue, near Broad Ripple Park. Pre- and post-race parties will be held at Broad Ripple Station shopping center parking lot (1055 Broad Ripple Ave.) Local cover band Dream Slice! will provide a pre-race concert as walkers and runners prepare.

The 4.3-mile, 2.6-mile and virtual races are $42 for adults and $37 for children ages eight – twelve. Children ages seven and under can participate in either race for free. Registration prices will increase on Wednesday, Nov. 22^nd.

The Race Expo + Packet Pickup will be in the Harvest Pavilion at the Indiana State Fairground and Event Center. Participants may choose to pick up their race day packet on Wednesday, Nov. 22^nd, 9:00am-6:00pm or for an additional $5, Thursday, Nov. 23^rd (race day).

Race officials are advising interested participants to sign up now, emphasizing that there will be no race day registration.

Participants should arrive early to allow ample time for parking.

Parking Options:

Neighborhood streets
Local parking garages

Limited parking is available at the following Shuttle Bus locations:

Park Tudor Lower Parking Lot (7200 N College Ave.)
Southern end of Meijer parking lot (5550 N Keystone Ave.)
Bishop Chatard High School (5885 N Crittenden Ave.)
Christ the King Catholic School (5858 Crittenden Ave.)

For more information, please visit drumstickdash.org.

About Wheeler Mission

Day-of media contact

Brian Crispin

Senior Director, Community Relations & Development

(317)-503-8404

BrianCrispin@WheelerMission.org

Wheeler Mission Center for Women & Children Opening Ceremony August 11

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wheeler Center for Women & Children opens

CONTACT:

Clare Leonard

317-501-0334

cleonard@hirons.com

INDIANAPOLIS — Early today, Wheeler Mission officially opened the doors of its new Center for Women & Children, located at 3208 East Michigan Street. The organization invested $14.8 million to create the state-of-the-art facility, which will be able to serve up to 367 women and children a day.

“Today, we are celebrating the start of a new legacy for Wheeler Mission, prioritizing the needs of the most vulnerable population in our city: women and children,” said Wheeler Mission CEO and President Rick Alvis. “This center will be a place for women and children to find safety while also having access to life-changing programming and support from our skilled and dedicated staff.”

When Wheeler Mission broke ground on this development in November 2019, it promised the homeless that the new facility will give them access to a better future, more programming and, more immediately, more space. Today, that vision was made visible.

“I cannot begin to express my gratitude to our donors and contributors. Your support and prayers made this dream facility become a reality,” said Perry Hines, chief development officer of Wheeler Mission. “A top-tier facility like this one shows the homeless population that we value and respect them, and we will help them focus on restoring their lives.”

Alvis and Allison Melangton, capital campaign chair, thanked event attendees, both in-person and virtually, whose support of the campaign enabled Wheeler Mission to open the expanded facility on schedule, despite the global pandemic. Melangton, who was a huge asset to the success of this campaign, was honored with a plaque dedicating the courtyard in her name during today’s event.

“The opening of these doors marks a renewed hope for homeless women and children around Indianapolis,” said Melangton. “The services they will receive here will first and foremost help them heal. But as importantly, we will help them find permanent housing and the independence and confidence they had lost.”

Every month, Wheeler Mission has to turn down up to 700 requests for beds. With the opening of the new Center for Women & Children, many more women and children can be accommodated. The center includes:

84 new family shelter beds
40 new emergency shelter beds
15 full-time and three part-time staff members to increase the staff-to-guest ratio and provide security and program support
50% increase in programming, including counseling, job training, addiction recovery, social enterprise and other services
A dayroom, offering women and children immediate relief from the streets
A new, secure child care area
An indoor play space for children
Expanded on-site medical and mental health clinics
Redesigned and expanded dining areas to promote a more family-friendly environment
Visiting rooms designated for individuals and families meeting with community service providers
Expanded education center

The expansion also allows Wheeler Mission to provide care for multigenerational guests by designating some sleeping accommodations by age group. “Women, especially elderly women, are able to recover at a higher probability when they are surrounded by people in their same demographic,” said Colleen Gore, Wheeler’s chief program officer for women. “Having housing accommodations for specific age groups is something we haven’t be able to provide due to limited space. This addition will truly be life-changing for everyone, from new mothers with newborns to elderly guests.”

Notable contributions to the campaign include a $3 million donation from Lilly Endowment with an additional $1 million contributed through a one-to-one matching funds challenge. In addition, the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust contributed $1 million, and the project received $1.6 million in proceeds received from New Market Tax Credits provided by the City of Indianapolis.

Needed donations for the Center for Women & Children can be accessed through their Amazon Wishlist. For more information and ways you can help Wheeler Mission, visit BuildingforChange.org.

Wheeler Mission Dedication January 21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Homeless men will cut ribbon to new Market Street facility

CONTACT: Steve Kerr, Chief Development Officer

INDIANAPOLIS — Although the building has already been open for two weeks, Wheeler Mission will formally dedicate and cut the ribbon on its new 12,000 square foot addition to their Shelter for Men on Jan. 21 — exactly one year to the day after breaking ground.

At 11:30 a.m. city and state officials, donors, service providers and others will gather in Wheeler’s new facility to officially dedicate this new facility. In a gesture that demonstrates the need for this project, two homeless men who are currently receiving shelter from Wheeler will be the ones cutting the ribbon.

According to Wheeler’s President/CEO Rick Alvis, “These two dignitaries won’t have big job titles and weren’t able to donate anything to the fundraising efforts for this project. They are, however, the single most important people in that room. They are homeless, and they need our help. Therefore, it seems only fitting that those who cut the ribbon represent those for whom this facility was built.”

This new two-story addition at 520 E. Market St. adjoins the current emergency Shelter for Men. The existing shelter only has 124 permanent beds and no elevator, forcing hundreds of men throughout the year to sleep on floor mats. The kitchen, which was built to prepare a few hundred meals a day, is too small and sparsely equipped to accommodate the nearly 180,000 meals prepared annually. Guests must eat in shifts due to the insufficient space in the dining hall and sit shoulder-to-shoulder in the cramped dayroom while waiting to see a case manager.

With the addition of the new facility, Wheeler has relocated and modernized shower, restroom, dayroom and laundry facilities from the existing shelter, allowing for the renovation of the older building and expansion of sleeping areas to accommodate 200 permanent beds. This renovation is scheduled to begin in late spring of this year.

The new addition also contains an elevator with direct access to the dorms, so men with disabilities will no longer have to sleep on the floor. The new expanded dayroom will allow guests sufficient space while waiting for meals and services or simply escaping the harsh winter weather.

The facility was opened to the homeless two weeks early due to extreme weather conditions.

Founded in 1893, Wheeler Mission has been serving the Indianapolis community through a variety of programs for the most disadvantaged citizens – the poor and the homeless. Funding for these programs has always come from the private sector as Wheeler does not receive government funds. Proceeds from the Drumstick Dash helped Wheeler serve more than 302,000 meals and provide nearly 128,000 nights lodging in 2014.

Wheeler Mission Opening New Shelter Jan. 6

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Market Street addition debuts early for winter storm

CONTACT: Steve Kerr, Chief Development Officer

INDIANAPOLIS — After nearly three years of praying, planning, fundraising and building, Wheeler Mission is excited and proud to open the doors of the new men’s facility tomorrow.

The shelter received approval from the building inspector just hours ago and, given the freezing temperatures and snow forecast, Wheeler officials decided to open its doors as soon as possible and allow homeless men immediate access to the new facility.

Therefore, at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 6, Wheeler Mission President/CEO Rick Alvis will unlock the doors and invite guests in.

“Our homeless citizens are impacted by harsh weather more than anyone else in the community,” Alvis said. “Getting them out of the cold can literally mean life or death.”

This new two-story, 12,000 square foot addition at 520 E. Market St. adjoins the current Emergency Shelter for Men. The existing shelter only has 124 permanent beds and no elevator, forcing hundreds of men throughout the year to sleep on thin floor mats. The kitchen, which was built to prepare a few hundred meals a day, is too small and sparsely equipped to accommodate the nearly 180,000 meals prepared annually. Guests must eat in shifts due to the insufficient space in our dining hall and sit shoulder-to-shoulder in the cramped dayroom while waiting to see a case manager.

With the addition of the new facility, Wheeler will relocate and modernize shower, restroom and laundry facilities from the existing shelter, allowing them to renovate the older building and expand sleeping areas to accommodate 200 permanent beds. This new addition also contains an elevator with direct access to the dorms so men with disabilities will no longer have to sleep on the floor. The new, expanded dayroom will allow guests sufficient space while waiting for meals and services, or simply escaping the harsh winter weather.

A formal dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for Jan. 21.

Wheeler Mission to Dedicate Eastside Landmark

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Facility Reopened to Serve Homeless Women and Children

CONTACT: Steve Kerr, Chief Development Officer

WHEN: Friday, August 21, 2009 – 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (brief program at 11:00)

WHERE: 3208 E. Michigan Street

In a continued effort to focus on their core values of serving the homeless, Wheeler Mission is re-opening their eastside facility. The new Center for Women & Children will be a safe harbor for the fastest growing segments of the homeless population, women and children.

Built in the 1920s by the Ku Klux Klan as a social club and later sold and renamed the Dearborn Hotel, the facility at 3208 E. Michigan Street was purchased by Wheeler in 1991. Following a complete renovation the building was opened in 1994 as a community center serving the near eastside. In 2008 Wheeler made the difficult decision to close the facility and focus on the issues surrounding homelessness.

Faced with increased demand for services to homeless women and children and a worn out facility, Wheeler’s Board of Directors decided to relocate from the old Care Center on Rural Street to the now vacant building.

Renamed Wheeler Mission’s Center for Women & Children (ampersand intentional) the building is being dedicated to the service of homeless women and children.

“Today’s dedication of this facility is a result of many, many prayers and two attempts to relocate. The women and children Wheeler serves deserve a clean, safe place where they can find the help they need – this building will accomplish just that.” said Rick Alvis, President/CEO of Wheeler Mission.

Wheeler’s Chairman of the Board, Rob Wingerter recalls back in 1994 when the building was opened; “We spoke about original builders of this building, the KKK, and that what was once used as a gathering place for hatred and bigotry we were dedicating for use for the glory of God and service to all people. The same holds true today, we are rededicating this building to the glory of God and service to all people.”

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