Community center sends food and art for kids to families in need
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Like many other food pantries across central Indiana, workers at Windsor Park Village Family Center have had their hands full trying to feed families in need during the coronavirus pandemic.
However, with help from partners like Second Helpings, Indianapolis Parks and Recreation food manager Tikilia Tinker-Martin says they’ve been doing their best to keep up with that need.
“We’ve been extremely busy, but of course all of us are doing our part,” she said.
They’ve organized a drive-by pick-up service for families to get what they need. Second Helpings provides some of the meals already prepared with heating instructions. Tinker-Martin calls it “take and bake.”
As a bonus, the kids received ARTables, courtesy of Arts for Learning, which is an organization that’s focused on engaging kids in schools and communities. The ARTables come in a bag with how-to instructions for kids to create their own masks at home.
“We’re trying to keep the children involved and staying on the right course and have them think outside of the box,” Tinker-Martin said.
Arts for Learning program director Sarah Tirey says they wanted to add another project to this effort to provide hope for people struggling and who have been impacted by the pandemic.
“What can we do to create a sense of community and give hope to folks out there?” she asked.
That’s when they came up with a project called Signs of Solidarity (S.O.S.). The idea is to create signs that show solidarity for the people on the front lines and organizations like Windsor Village Park trying to help people in need.
“Just some inspiration to create something while they’re at home or out in their environment to get through these hard times,” Tirey said.
She also hopes this effort will raise awareness for local artists who they would usually have working during this time.
“We have over 70 artists that we employ but they’re almost completely almost out of work right now,” she said. “[It’s] because we send these artists to schools traditionally to bring their art form to students.”
You can learn more about Arts for Learning by following the hashtag #IndyKeepsCreating on social media.
Click here to support the Arts for Learning Emergency Relief Fund and click here to support Windsor Village Park Family Center’s efforts to feed families during the COVID-19 crisis.