Our social media routinely features volunteers, donors and supporters. But all of us at Boulevard Place Food Pantry serve with the clients in mind. To that end, board members -- in a process facilitated by treasurer Terry White -- gathered last fall to look at our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Board member Tom Spalding provides some insights to the process to help us kick off 2024. Boulevard Place Food Pantry Board Maps Out Future – St. Vincent de Paul (svdpindy.org)
SpaldoBusiness
Telling stories in multiple realms.
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Friday, July 29, 2022
Launching a website refresh in 2022
Boulevard Place Food Pantry
Mission Statement: Providing emergency food to people in need in our community and surrounding area. A Special Work of the Indianapolis Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Who: The Boulevard Place food pantry, a special work of the Indianapolis Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, was established in 1982 on the property of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. In August 2012 it moved to its present location, a stand-alone building at 4202 N. Boulevard Place. The pantry was created to provide emergency food assistance to people in need. Almost entirely operated by volunteers, the pantry is generously supported by five contributing Catholic parishes (St. Luke, Joan of Arc, Christ the King, Immaculate Heart of Mary, and St. Thomas Aquinas) and is guided by a 14-member board of directors, including representatives of the five parishes. The pantry is non-denominational in its outreach.
What: A point system is used to determine the amount of groceries shoppers may select on each visit. Shoppers are given 17 – 25 points to shop (self-select) depending upon family size. In addition, produce, bread, milk, eggs, baby food, treats, specialty and overstock items are given out for 0 points.
When: The pantry is open three days during the week, including inside shopping on Thursdays and Saturdays.
WEDNESDAY: Outside drive-up only, 10 a.m. to noon*
THURSDAY: Inside shopping, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
SATURDAY: Inside shopping, 9 a.m. to noon
Stocking day & walk-in donations: Tuesdays, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
CLOSED – Sunday, Monday and Friday
Full instructions for first-time shoppers are available at the Pantry. Atención hispanohablantes: Tenemos instrucciones en la Despensa sobre cómo comenzar y cómo funcionan los puntos.
Before you visit, we recommend you call our office number and listen to the latest information and updates on our recorded greeting.
Partners: Boulevard Place has approximately 120 adult and student volunteers that stock the shelves, assist clients, off load deliveries, clean and maintain the property. In addition to the parish support we work with Gleaners Food Bank, USDA, Second Helpings, St. Vincent de Paul Archdiocesan Conferences (Indianapolis Council), HATCH for Hunger, the Broad Ripple Farmers Market, Newfields, the SHarP Community Garden, Entenmann’s bakery, Starbucks, and Fairview Presbyterian Church. All of these partners provide volunteers and/or food and/or funds to the pantry. Landscaping is provided courtesy of the Marion County Master Gardener Association. The pantry continues to search for ways to be more helpful to clients on a holistic basis. The pantry’s efforts in this area are ongoing.
Information: 317-924-3461 or contact us at: info-blvdplace@svdpindy.org
Proudly representing a community asset. Our Facebook business page is here: https://bit.ly/BlvdOnFB
Boulevard Place Food Pantry Final Annual Report 2021
Visuals: To assist us in our mission you are welcome to scan this QR code with the camera on your smartphone or smart device, which will allow you to safely and securely make an e-donation on the St. Vincent DePaul web gage
Sunday, December 20, 2020
Boulevard Place Food Pantry 2020 annual report
Boulevard Place Food Pantry
2020 ANNUAL REPORT
PANTRY BLESSINGS
Greetings from Boulevard Place Food Pantry, a Special Work of St. Vincent de Paul Society, which so many of you so generously support. Our self-select grocery store certainly faced logistical hurdles in a year we’ll never forget! Ultimately the pantry fulfilled its mission of serving a vital need in our community, as our
2020 annual report documents.
We fed our hungry neighbors with an operation that was reimagined twice—first, in mid-March,
after the pandemic made in-person shopping impractical and our mask-on volunteers converted
to a drive-through. The second change began in July, as volunteers built and handed out “to-go” kits with the sounds of hammers and drills in the background as accompaniment. Music to our ears!
Some of our significant achievements in the past year:
- A ceremonial groundbreaking July 7 featured Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett along with dozens of supporters and dignitaries such as the Witchger Family and Marian Inc. In September and October new concrete walls went up.
- By November 7, we had added 1,500 square feet, unfinished but under roof, with freshly placed concrete. This area will house a new ground-floor bathroom, office, storage space and unloading area. Interior work will continue into early 2021.
- We welcomed Amy Taylor, our first volunteer coordinator.
- Our five contributing Catholic parishes (Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Luke the Evangelist, St. Joan of Arc and Christ the King) continued to impress with significant direct food and hygiene product donations. The parish donations comprise 10% of all food received at Boulevard Place. We are also fortunate to receive support from other neighboring churches, including Meridian Street United Methodist, Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist, Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis and Fairview Presbyterian. Also, Common Ground Christian Church (Midtown) donated the funds to pay for three critical commercial freezer chests that allowed us to continue providing cold food while our walk-in freezer/refrigerator was temporarily disassembled.
- We are blessed by local partners—like Broad Ripple Farmers Market, who provided 8,189 pounds of fresh produce to ensure healthy food options for our clients; and the Butler-Tarkington Neighborhood Association, which has worked with us on grant funds for renovating infrastructure.
As we move forward into 2021, we ask for your continued support and prayers!
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Growth Was Springboard for A 60-year Tradition
Significant Even Before the Sign
Sunday, December 31, 2017
16 stories that celebrated OneAmerica's 140th anniversary
Month
|
Theme
|
Main
Article
|
Celebrating
our People
|
Community
Investment
|
Lighter
Side
|
July
|
Our History
|
OneAmerica Tower Gives Us A
Solid Base
[origin story]
|
A remodel for us, upgrade
for them
(Indiana War Memorial furniture donation)
|
||
August
|
Our People
|
A Legacy of Loved Ones at OA-our associate family
tree
|
Gem to clients, gift to us’ a well-traveled salesman’s ‘80s laptop
|
||
September
|
Community Involvement
|
Giving Back, Our Labor Of
Love [Week
of Caring]
|
Not your usual pick-up
place
[story on the origin of Kissing Lane]
|
||
October-November
|
140th anniversary
|
AUL lovebirds: retirees Ken and Marcella
McGlothlin
|
Dialed into the past: the origin of 285-1877,
our public telephone switchboard
|
||
December-January
|
Going forward
|