Glick Philanthropies and the Far Eastside Community Break Ground on $2M “Success Center”

Carriage House East Resident Success Center to provide services and programs to help Far Eastside residents achieve self-sufficiency

INDIANAPOLIS, May 10, 2018 – As part of a long-term and comprehensive investment in Indianapolis’ Far Eastside, today Glick Philanthropies broke ground on a state-of-the-art, $2 million facility that will build community and create opportunity in one of the city’s most economically-challenged neighborhoods. Anchored by Carriage House East, the largest Glick Family Housing Foundation apartment community, the Carriage House East Resident Success Center will connect residents and neighbors alike to the services they need to break the cycle of poverty and achieve self-sufficiency.

The 10,000 square-foot Success Center will open in January 2019. It will include several multi-purpose spaces for community events, a teaching kitchen for cooking classes, a greenhouse and outdoor gathering space and a welcoming entry with computers to serve as a social hub for residents and neighbors. The Success Center will enable Carriage House East residents, their families and the public to access workforce development training, after-school programs and other resources that help them achieve success in school, work and life.

“Opportunity abounds on the Far Eastside of Indianapolis. It was true when the Glick Company was founded there in 1947, and it’s true today,” said David Barrett, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Glick Family Housing Foundation, and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, Glick Family Foundation. “The Success Center will catalyze that opportunity so that we can achieve even greater youth, family and community success on the Far Eastside. We’re grateful to the residents, community organizations, businesses, government and philanthropic partners who are working alongside us to support the Far Eastside and make the vision of the Carriage House East Resident Success Center a reality.”

Glick Philanthropies invests in organizations that help residents and neighbors move up the economic ladder. Over the past five years, Glick Philanthropies has invested more than $8 million in the programs and services on the Far Eastside, where the Gene B. Glick Company was originally headquartered.

“For more than 70 years, my family has been in the business of building community. Helping people – our residents and our neighbors – is at the heart of our approach,” said Marianne Glick, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Glick Family Foundation. “For decades, we lived and worked on the Far Eastside, which is why seeing this neighborhood grow and thrive is so rewarding. The Carriage House East Resident Success Center will be the springboard this community needs to usher in greater success and opportunity. Today’s groundbreaking is physical evidence of the transformations underway on the Far Eastside.”

The Success Center is a critical component of Glick Philanthropies’ Far Eastside Success Initiative, a cross-sector effort that includes key members of Indianapolis’ corporate, civic, philanthropic and public sectors. During the groundbreaking ceremony, community partner Finish Line Youth Foundation announced a $100,000 partnership with KaBoom, a national non-profit dedicated to bringing play back into the lives of children, to construct a playground for children and families visiting the Success Center. In June, children from Carriage House East will have the chance to draw their dream playground. Their sketches will be used as inspiration for the final playground design. This fall, 200 volunteers from Carriage House East, Glick Philanthropies, Finish Line Youth Foundation and other Far Eastside community partners will construct the playground in one day. The build will take roughly 7 hours to complete.

“As a major employer on this side of town, Finish Line recognizes that we are only as strong as the communities where our employees live, raise their families and build their future with us,” said Marty Posch, President, Finish Line Youth Foundation. “The Carriage House East Resident Success Center will be a powerful anchor institution to deliver the education, training and coaching adult workers in this area need to reach their financial, career and life goals. We’re proud to invest in this important effort and hope other employers on the Far Eastside will do the same.”

For the past year, Glick Philanthropies has been partnering with Carriage House East residents and members of the community to develop plans for the facility and the programs offered there. Residents will also have an opportunity to provide input on the interior design features of the Success Center.

“The Success Center will help our community reach a greater level,” said Ta’Hona Zackery, a resident of Carriage House East apartments. “Last year, I saw firsthand the need for this Center while running a summer camp for children in the neighborhood. These kids need a space dedicated to learning and playing, and their parents need a place where they can find a job or get an education, too. The Far Eastside is my family, I can’t wait to see how the Success Center will transform our neighborhood and help everyone achieve success.”

Approximately 4,500 Indianapolis residents live on the Far Eastside, and 40 percent of them are under age 18. More than a quarter (27%) of residents live on incomes of less than $10,000 a year, making the Far Eastside one of the highest-poverty neighborhoods in Indianapolis. The Far Eastside Success Initiative aims to address these challenges through coordinated, collaborative investments in high-performing schools, public safety efforts, quality and supportive affordable housing, community leadership development and more.

At today’s groundbreaking ceremony, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett articulated his administration’s vision and plans for the Far Eastside neighborhood, including efforts to improve infrastructure and connect the community to other parts of the city via the development of the IndyGo Purple Line.

“This is great news for all of Indianapolis, as it serves as further proof of the continued momentum around our city’s neighborhoods,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “Today and every day, we remain committed to partnering with corporate and philanthropic entities in order to invest in places that can be catalysts for our city and for our residents. Together, we are taking the necessary steps to achieve a shared vision of a vibrant, safe community where families and businesses can grow and thrive.”