22 Jun IndyStar Promotes Wheeler’s History & Building for Change Campaign
We are thrilled to have such a meaningful piece of our history outlined in the article, “True to its roots: Wheeler Mission focuses on women and homelessness,” published by IndyStar. Many thanks to IndyStar for articulating both our founding mission and plans for the future. To view the article in its entirety, please go here.
Our beginning
The articles begins with, “They arrived by train to Union Station pregnant and alone. But where some citizens of Indianapolis saw desperation, Mary Howard Wheeler and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union saw individuals who needed hope, love and a place to stay.
In 1893, Wheeler Mission opened its doors as a home for expectant mothers, founded by women for women. ‘These women were overtaken by compassion and felt they had no choice but to minister,’ said Rick Alvis, current President and CEO of Wheeler Mission. Helping women has been at the heart of Wheeler Mission since its inception.”
Our present
As further outlined in the article, Wheeler Mission is full most of the year. But the requests for help among women and children are staggering. Every month, we receive an average of 700 calls from women requesting beds that we simply don’t have. Instead of a bed, we offer them safety and a cot on our gym floor.
Our future
But that isn’t a lasting solution. To meet the growing need, we’ve launched our Building for Change campaign to expand our Center for Women & Children in Indianapolis. By doubling our capacity, we’re bringing in more women and children from the street.
Homeless women and children are especially vulnerable, so we’re motivated – just like our founders – to provide help and hope to those who need it most. As the IndyStar article states, “A lot has changed in the 125 years since Wheeler Mission’s founding, but for Alvis and those who support the Mission, the approach to helping others has stayed the same. ‘We want to offer hope and compassion through Christ to those in need,’ he said. ‘We have to break the cycle of homelessness.'”
To learn more about our plans to expand our Center for Women & Children, please go here.