$500,000 to help Whitely Community Council develop center to provide clinic, other aid

An earlier version of this story incorrectly started the year and location of the Whitely Community Food Pantry. We regret the error.

MUNCIE, Ind. — The Whitely Community Councilhas received $500,000 of the city's American Rescue Plan funds for the development of a center to house nonprofits aiding low-income people from across the city. The effort will be aimed in particular at people living in poverty near the center located in the Whitely neighborhood and across northeast Muncie.

Muncie City Council's vote on Monday to grant the funds was unanimous and supported by the city administration.

"The best way to serve people is to meet them where they are at," said City Council President Jeff Robinson, who led the effort to make the award the neighborhood organization.

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He said the contribution from the city would serve as the initial contribution for the center, which will be seeking to raise $2.5 million for the project across 2023.

Plans call for renovation of the Whitely neighborhood group's offices at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Centennial Avenue to include space for nonprofit organizations to serve the needs of the city's poor. Potential anchor tenants that have expressed interest in locating in the facility, according to Ken Hudson, executive director of the Whitely Community Council, include:

• Open Door Health Services, which would provide a health clinic in the building.

• PathStone, which offers financial literacy services and homeownership counseling.

• The Innovation Connector, which helps develop entrepreneurial projects within communities.

Mental health services also would be a part of the center's mission, he said.

Hudson told The Star Press that property to be developed into the center was purchased in 2018 by the council, initially as a potential site for a grocery to alleviate the lack of fresh food markets near the neighborhood. The Whitely neighborhood organization had already developed a food pantry in 2016, which continues to serve a large area of the city. The Pantry now operates from Harvest Christian Fellowship church at 1010 E. Centennial Ave.

Hudson said the neighborhood's pantry has served those in need from across Muncie, including people from Industry Neighborhood, Ball State University students and people from the west side. When readied, the pantry will move to the renovated center.

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"You are welcome to come if you have a need," said Hudson, who has been executive director of the neighborhood association since 2017.

Other programs instituted by the active organization include:

• The neighborhood "Tool Shed" in which lawn mowers and household tools are maintained for neighborhood residents to borrow and use for property upkeep.

• Community safety programs in conjunction with police.

• Health and wellness initiatives involving BSU and Open Door.

• Efforts to advance education within families in the neighborhood, which Hudson said is key to breaking generational poverty.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Whitely Community Council developed a bill assistance program, using donations and assistance from Heart of Indiana United Way, to help people who needed help paying rent or utility bills. The organization evaluates requests made online and awards help based on need and the amount of money available.

Hudson noted sometimes the organization receives large requests, such as one electric bill that was about $3,000, more than the local program can handle. But the association assists in finding other groups that can contribute to helping resolve such a situation.

Robinson said the Whitely neighborhood group serves as a model for other neighborhood associations. He became aware of the effort to create the center about a year ago.

"I immediately saw that project as a transformative project for that area," Robinson said.

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Mayor Dan Ridenour said he also had been aware and supportive of the project. Deputy Mayor Richard Ivy is vice president of the Whitely Community Council Board. Robinson discussed using ARP funds with the mayor, who made the calculations on the affordability of the gift and determined it was something the city should do.

"We will do everything we can" to help with funding for the center, Ridenour said, adding that he expected the facility to have a positive impact on the future of the whole community.

Robinson said he also spoke with other city council members about the project ahead of formally proposing for the funding at the recent meeting.

"I didn't want to bring something that would fail," he said.

Both Republicans and Democrats on city council voiced support for the center and the city's contribution to it.

Andrew Dale, chairman of the steering committee for the development and creation of the center, said fundraising for developing neighborhood level social services would be launched next year, and having the money from the city in hand will help immensely in giving other contributors confidence in the project.

Local foundations will be approached in the effort as well as a challenge to the overall community to help make the plan a reality. Similar efforts have been made in cities the size of Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, but such a program in a community the size of Muncie is unique, Dale said.

The steering committee will be sharpening construction plans and working on outreach to the community, Dale said.

A letter to city council described the site of the center as "3.6 acres of land, on which three buildings exist. The main building, which is one story tall, is in a good state of repair and has approximately 17,318 square feet of usable space. The other two existing buildings include a one-story, 3,456 square-foot warehouse and a 408 square-foot detached garage."

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The the letter went on to state: "It is believed that, along with the consistent efforts of the Whitely Community Council, this property holds remedies for many of the neighborhood’s present-day conditions that impede an improved quality of life for low-income individuals."

Hudson said people are more likely to use resources for their betterment when the people helping them are in their neighborhood and are known by those needing help, rather than having to make a trip further afield to deal with strangers.

He said Ivy Tech Community College and the Red Cross might also become part of the hub of community services through the center, and are among the groups in discussion about the center.

Hudson said he hopes construction can get underway in 2023 and be done by early 2024.

David Penticuff is the local government reporter at the Star Press. Contact him at dpenticuff@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie Council gives Whitely $500,000 from ARP for nonprofit center