Historic Meridian Park neighbor Brenda Truedell Bell joins Watson-McCord resident Morgan Tilleman and Haywood Park residents Karen and Max McAleavey in the dinner line at the third and final Unity Forum on Youth held at The Children’s Museum on May 12.
A group of Mapleton-Fall Creek neighbors and representatives from organizations that provide activities for youth engage in a conversation at the MFC Unity Forum on Youth.
A member of the Hip Hop Congress gets down at the MFC Unity Forum on Youth.
The third and last neighborhood-wide Mapleton-Fall Creek (MFC) Unity Forum was held on May 12 at The Children’s Museum (TCM). The 40-plus attendees focused on a spectrum of youth issues ranging from education/schools, leadership development/mentoring, summer programs/recreation, parenting/childcare, and health. Several youth service providers also attended, including TCM, Horizons, Kaleidoscope Youth, Marion County Commission on Youth (MCCOY) and the Marion County Health Dept–Lead Division. Other features of this free forum were a delicious dinner by Neil Brown of Haywood Park and owner of L’Explorateur with desert by Simply Hazel’s on 30th Street, entertainment by local Indy dance troupe “Hip Hop Congress,” and childcare by Kyla Gray from Broadway United Methodist Church.
In total, 175 residents came out and participated in the three MFC Unity Forums held at Tabernacle Church in March, at Broadway United Methodist Church in April and at TCM in May. Each forum focused on a distinct facet of life within MFC: “Arts, Roots & History,” “Going Green” and “All About Youth.” Many new connections were made and friendships developed during both the forums and the planning process.
Avis White, MFC Unity member and cook for the first and second forums, said “Through the Unity Forums I met many great people I never would have otherwise and I even landed a few employment opportunities! I appreciated being a part of this neighborhood initiative.”
“We were able to connect an artist who attended our Youth Forum with a local church to offer summer art classes for youth,” reported Marc McAleavey, evaluation and documentation manager at Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center.
“We also got together a neighborhood-wide bike ride,” added Historic Meridian Park President Doug Day who coordinated the ride with Dave Scott and Nancy Stimson, founding director of the Freewheelin’ Community Bikes in MFC.
According to Jackie Nytes, executive director of Mapleton-Fall Creek Development Corporation, “Based on discussions of neighborhood needs we heard during the Going Green Forum, the MFCDC is considering designating some of its land for a community garden.”
“We’d discovered through the process that the city does not have a website or webpage dedicated to the array of going green initiatives taking place in our city,” said Sarah Blandina, one of several neighbors involved in the Unity effort. “We’d like to start that page so residents will have access to these valuable resources taking place in Indianapolis.” Sarah volunteered to collect content for this webpage which will be linked to the mfcunity.org website. Another Unity member, Sarah Wiehe, is building content for a low-cost gardening tips and sustainability webpage which people in MFC and beyond could use.
“We have been blessed with many wonderful neighbors from diverse backgrounds. These forums allowed us to find connections among us other than just where we happen to live,” said Lorraine Phillips Vavul.“Many of us are now linked by the activities and interests we’re passionate about, including our love for Mapleton-Fall Creek.”
Scott van Kirk added, “The Unity Group has created a strong alliance of neighbors and leaders who are deeply committed to making this area prosper over the next decade.”
These forums were made possible through an IMAGINE grant from the Great Indy Neighborhoods Initiative (GINI) and were hosted by Mapleton-Fall Creek Unity, which consists of an informal group of neighbors from all parts of Mapleton-Fall Creek, including Historic Meridian Park. The group will meet quarterly to plan additional activities in the MFC area including regular bike rides and possibly a plant exchange.The website http://www.mfcunity.org/ provides additional information about the Mapleton-Fall Creek Unity and its planned activities. Comments, suggestions and questions can be directed to mfcunity@gmail.com.