Hand Raisers for 100

April 19, 2018
One hour of impact. One big celebration for United Way of Central Indiana’s 100th Anniversary

United Way of Central Indiana has been making our community a stronger, more vibrant place to live for 100 years! In commemoration of this milestone and our local community spirit, area businesses, residents and community leaders are participating in Hand Raisers for 100 – one hour of service, on one day, as part of one big celebration.

Join a dynamic blend of community leaders, volunteers, advocates and supporters who are hyper-focused on increasing the support for United Way during this milestone year. United Way makes volunteering fun, easy and accessible. Most importantly, we provide a meaningful, engaging volunteer experience for everyone.

We're asking that 100 Central Indiana businesses commit to support Hand Raisers for 100. See who's already raised their hand.

Help us promote the event! Click here to access the UWCI@100 Toolkit.

Complete the form below to be a UWCI@100 Hand Raiser & Game Changer

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Create your own project

Do you have something you're passionate about and want to lend your skills? Go for it! And we have a list of 100 projects to help spark some ideas.

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restock the classroom

Dedicated teachers in our community commonly spend their own money on supplies in their classroom. Let's ease the burden for them this spring.

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Register for agency projects

United Way partners with several other outstanding nonprofits in Central Indiana to have the most impact. Join their project and support one of their causes.

If you have questions, please contact Sheila Bradley (general questions), Molly Miller (Restock the Classroom) or Taylor Rhodes (youth projects).

Hand Raisers for 100

These Central Indiana businesses have stepped up to support by volunteering as part of the Hand Raisers for 100 event.

1. 100 Black Men
2. Accenture
3. Alcon
4. Alerding Consulting
5. Ambassador Solutions
6. Andy Mohr Automotive
7. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Indiana
8. Asian American Alliance, Inc
9. AT&T Inc.
10. AYS
11. Balkamp
12. Bank of America
13. Barnes & Thornburg, LLP
14. Becknell Industrial
15. Better Business Bureau
16. Boone County Senior Services
17. Bose Public Affairs
18. Boys & Girls Club of Zionsville
19. Boys & Girls Clubs of Hancock County
20. Butler University
21. Byrnes Grilled Pizza
22. Centerton Elementary School
23. Chase
24. Choreo
25. Christamore House
26. Citizens Energy Group
27. Community Health Network
28. Cummins, Inc.
29. Delaney Educational
30. DORIS
31. DowAgrosciences
32. Duke Realty Corporation
33. Edna Martin Christian Center
34. Eli Lilly and Company
35. Ernst & Young, LLP
36. Eskenazi Health
37. Faegre Baker Daniels, LLP
 38. Fairbanks
39. Families First
40. Fifth Third Bank
41. Fusion Alliance
42. Gene B. Glick Company
43. Gentleman McCarty
44. Girl Scouts of Central Indiana
45. Hachette Book Group
46. Home Bank SB
47. HomeGoods
48. Hulman & Company
49. Ice Miller, LLP
50. Indiana Business Advisors
51. Indiana Business Furniture
52. Indiana Connected by 25
53. Indiana Education Savings Authority/CollegeChoice 529
54. Indiana Mulch & Stone
55. Indiana Sports Corp
56. Indiana University Hospital
57. Indianapolis Indians
58. Indianapolis Power & Light Company
59. Indy Eleven
60. IndyGo
61. IPS
62. IUPUI
63. IUPUI (IU School of Dentistry)
64. Ivy Tech Community College
65. JCC Indianapolis
66. John Boner Neighborhood Centers
67. Kelly Educational
68. Krieg DeVault LLP
69. Kronos
70. Lakeshore Learning
71. Lilly Endowment Inc.
72. LJ Philanthropy
73. Maribeth Smith & Associates
74. Martin Luther King Community Center
 75. Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center
76. Miller Pipeline
77. National Bank of Indianapolis
78. Navient
79. Oak Street Funding
80. Office 360
81. OneAmerica
82. OurHealth
83. PepsiCo
84. Plews Shadley Racher & Braun
85. PNC Bank
86. Ratekin Consulting, LLC
87. Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation
88. RJE business interiors
89. Roche Diagnostics Corporation
90. Salesforce
91. Sensory Technologies
92. Shiel Sexton Company, Inc.
93. Short Strategy Group
94. Site Strategies Advisory, LLC
95. Smallbox
96. STANLEY Security
97. Telamon
98. The Foundation for Lutheran Child and Family Services
99. Trice Strategic Consulting
100. Trinity Free Clinic
101. United Way Board Retirees
102. United Way of Central Indiana
103. UPS
104. Veteran Strategies
105. Walker
106. Walmart
107. WRTV
108. WTHR - Channel 13 VideoIndiana
109. YMCA of Greater Indianapolis

Register your company today and we will add you to the list. For questions, contact Sheila Bradley at Sheila.bradley@uwci.org.

Create your own project

Here is a list of 100 projects to help spark some ideas. If you are an agency seeking volunteers, contact Sheila Bradley at sheila.bradley@uwci.org to have your project listed.

Basic Needs

1. Drive someone to work, to visit with family, to school, to the store, to get a haircut, etc.
2. Volunteer to sort, organize, or donate basic needs items (towels, blankets, toiletries, etc.) to a shelter or partner agency
3. Mow your neighbor’s yard (single mom, elderly, on vacation, etc.)
4. Take a meal to a friend/neighbor (single mom, elderly, etc.)
5. Offer to babysit (for free), to allow parents to have a date night/single parent to have some free time
6. Buy lunch and take it to a person standing on a corner asking for help
7. Walk dogs at your local animal shelter
8. Help someone out of the store with their groceries
9. Remove clothing from your drawers/closets that hasn’t been worn recently and deliver to a homeless shelter
10. Purchase toiletry items and give to a homeless shelter
11. Clean up an urban playground
12. Pick up trash in a community
13. Send cards to soldiers serving overseas
14. Collect baby clothes and supplies to donate to new parents
15. Volunteer at an animal shelter
16. Foster a dog or cat
17. Write a letter to deployed troops, veterans or new recruits (youth friendly)
18. Adopt a highway and clean it up
19. Repaint over graffiti
20. Plant flowers along public access roads and mainscapes in the city
21. Fill purses for Project Purse Indianapolis and provide them to women in shelters or schools
22. Help individuals register to vote
23. Make thank you cards for first responders (youth friendly)
24. Paint curbs, fire hydrants, crosswalks around the community
25. Ride the local bus and talk to riders
26. Clean a room, garage or yard for someone who is disabled
27. Make sandwiches for people experiencing homelessness (youth friendly)
28. Create dreamcatchers for kids living in shelters (youth friendly)
29. Wash a fire truck, ambulance, school bus, etc.
30. Paint a home, fence, etc. for a senior or disabled person
31. Greet people at the airport
32. Donate to United Way in honor of someone who has made a difference in your life
33. Volunteer at a shelter
34. Adopt a sidewalk (beautification)
35. Donated haircuts/styles to school children, homeless population.
36. Pay for someone’s coffee waiting behind you.
37. Donate resources such as money, in-kind, company expertise, etc.
38. Make snack bags with bottled water and give to homeless or homeless shelter
39. Do a food drive for a local food pantry
40. Prepare a healthy meal for someone with health problems
41. See if local stores have lay-away plans that allow customers to pay for purchases over several weeks and pay off someone’s balance.
42. Sign up and participate in a walk
43. Sign up to help with registration, water stops, setup, cleanup and other administrative tasks before an event.
44. Make and deliver food/baked goods to local police and fire stations as a way of thanking them for their service.
45. Build a ramp for a person in a wheelchair so it is easier for them to get in and out of their house.
46. Collect supplies for people who have been in a fire or natural disaster.

Education

47. Volunteer at your child’s (or local) school event
48. Work the concession stands during a sporting event
49. Chaperone a field trip
50. Read to a group of students
51. Share your story at Career Day (*Try using technology to your advantage by using Skype. This also allows the students to experience current business tools.)
52. Show a group of youth/adults how to use technology, Word, Excel, Access and databases
53. Donate dresses for kids to go to prom
54. Create a flower bouquet for a teacher or other positive mentor (youth friendly)
55. Donate used children's books to a school library
56. Take underprivileged kids shopping for school clothes and supplies
57. Tutor at a local school after hours
58. Volunteer at the Children's Museum, IMA, or State Museum
59. Run or walk with school kids to promote activity, create an obstacle course for them
60. Pack lunches for students who are on free or reduced lunch programs
61. Participate in a high-five rallies at each ReadUP School (could be limitless opportunity)
62. Write a note with Inspirational messages to teachers/youth workers.
63. Start a donation drive for school supplies and donate them to a local school
64. Pull a group together and create a learning garden for a local school
65. Weed and spring clean outside of a school
66. Start the process of becoming a mentor for a teenage student
67. Offer free music lessons to youth at neighborhood community center
68. Check with local literacy, immigrant or school groups to see if they need tutors for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs.
69. Work with special-needs kids or adults through an organization
70. Become pen pals to a younger person or someone from another country
71. Participate in Restock the Classroom

Financial Stability

72. Put your career/business skills to work in the local community by partnering with an agency to provide resume writing, mock interviews
73. Organize a group of industry experts to teach a basic financial literacy course
74. Help individuals open bank accounts and offer limited financial advice
75. Buy bus passes and deliver them to one of United Way agencies
76. Help people with tax returns during tax month
77. Teach financial literacy to students
78. Organize a car wash and donate the proceeds
79. Donate gently used business clothes to a nonprofit who helps with job readiness

 

Health

80. Organize a neighborhood walking group to encourage healthy living
81. Start a small garden at your home and make the produce available for anyone to enjoy
82. Send a handwritten card/letter to express your gratitude to friend, relative, colleague
83. Create and decorate placemats for Meals on Wheels (youth friendly)
84. Create Sudoku books or other fun games for clients battling an illness (youth friendly)
85. Draw pictures or create other art work for a senior center (youth friendly)
86. Raise money and install new playground equipment at a school playground
87. Give blood at the Indiana Blood Center by first visiting Volunteers www.donorpoint.org
88. Visit, read, play cards, interact with individuals at a hospital or senior facility
89. Lead youth fitness fun in your neighborhood
90. Sit with a lonely person
91. Listen to everyone more intently for a day
92. Take a loved one or a neighbor to the doctor
93. Make simple first aid kits and give to the homeless or homeless shelter
94. Start a donation collection of socks, hats, gloves and scarves for the homeless
95. Lead an activity at a nursing home such as crafts, bingo, music, etc.
96. Sponsor an underserved child to play soccer or other sport
97. Support your neighbor fitness groups – make your home a water stop
98. Lead a fitness activity at a childcare for preschool age children
99. Collect and donate old eyeglasses to an organization that distribute them to those in need.
100. Teach a healthy cooking class at the neighborhood community center

Restock the Classroom Details

Location: Butler University, Fairview Community Room, 4550 Sunset Ave.

Studies show that teachers spend on average $500 of their own money providing supplies to their classroom. By April, teachers have already spent a significant amount of money and could really use additional supplies to help them finish out the year.

Beginning in March, we will begin collecting supplies to help teachers round out the school year. On April 19, we are filling 3,000 bags full of teacher supplies and delivering them to pre-k and elementary school teachers throughout Central Indiana. Bags will include items such as tissues, post-it notes, pens, markers, tape, glue, Ziploc bags, stickers, etc. This is a small way to say thank you for all teachers do throughout the year.

We need your help to reach our goal of creating 3,000 totes for our Central Indiana teachers! There are four key ways you can get involved:

  • Run a donation drive during the month of March or donate money for supplies by clicking here
  • Participate in the bag packing on April 19 from 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
  • Participate in the bag packing and help load cars for delivery on April 19 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
  • Help deliver bags to the teachers on April 19 from 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Agency Projects

If you are an agency seeking volunteers, contact Sheila Bradley at sheila.bradley@uwci.org to have your project listed.

  • Fleece Blankets: Create fleece blankets that will be donated to United Way agencies and partners. Location: United Way of Central Indiana (2955 N. Meridian St.), Time: 2 – 4 p.m. Number of volunteers needed: 15-20 Thanks to LJ Philanthropy, Leadership United, Girl Scouts of Central Indiana and Balkamp, Inc for taking on this project!
  • Thank You Notes: Show your support of our local teachers by writing thank you notes to them for all they do. The notes will need to be completed and delivered to United Way of Central Indiana by Friday, April 13. A template for the notes will be provided.
  • Horizon House: Horizon House is seeking volunteers in the following areas: kitchen service, employment lab, clerical, donation center, clean-up outside, window washing. Thanks to WRTV for taking on this project!
  • Alternatives Inc.: Help organize their linen closet and put sheet sets together with pillows for easier access. The need is 4-6 people from 1-2 p.m.
  • MLK Center: Volunteers can come and read a book to/with a student after school. The need is for up to 30 people from 4-5 p.m. Location: James Whitcomb Riley IPS School #43 Thanks to Salesforce for taking on this project!
  • St. Mary's Child Center (Downtown): Volunteers can read and play with the children, as well as assist with other projects. The need is for up to 6 people from 10-11 a.m. Location: 901 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Street Thanks to Telamon for taking on this project!
  • St. Mary's Child Center (Ft. Benjamin Harrison): Volunteers can read and play with the children, as well as assist with other projects. The need is for up to 12 people from 10-11 a.m. Location: 9230 Hawkins Rd Thanks to Becknell Industrial for taking on this project!
  • Concord Neighborhood Center: Volunteers can design and create handmade birthday cards to send to senior program participants and clients. The need is for up to 20 people from 10-11 a.m. Location: 1310 S. Meridian Street
  • Kids Voice of IN: Volunteers will be organizing rooms for children. The need is for 5 people from 10-11 a.m. Location: 9150 Harrison Park Court - C
  • Volunteers of America: Volunteers will organize supplies and compile hygiene kits. The need is for 5 people from 1-2 p.m. Location: 912 N. Delaware Street
  • Children’s TherAplay Foundation: Projects include sanitizing toys in clinic rooms, wiping down surfaces, vacuuming and cleaning up around the property. The need is for 10 people from 1-2 p.m. Location: 9919 Towne Rd, Carmel Thanks to Salesforce for taking on this project!
  • Heritage Place: Telephone members about upcoming programs and seminars. The need is for 3 people from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Location: 4550 North Illinois Street
  • Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana: Discover how Goodwill turns gently used goods into life-changing opportunities in health, education, and employment! The need is for up to 20 people from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Location: 1635 W. Michigan St.
  • HVAF of Indiana, Inc.: Spring yard work at our veteran housing property. Landscaping, mowing and general gardening. Weather contingency activity: Spring cleaning inside the housing property. The need is for up to 20 people from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Location: 964 North Pennsylvania Street
  • American Red Cross: Volunteers will be preparing packets for Sound the Alarm, our Home Fire Campaign event, (education materials, forms, etc.) or complete data entry for past Home Fire Campaign events. The need is for up to 20 people from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Location: 1510 North Meridian Street Thanks to Indiana Business Advisors for taking on this project!
  • Noble, Inc.: Help weed our front circle or sensory garden and/or pick up trash (depending on weather). Help take holiday decorations up to our attic and/or assemble orientation packets. The need is for up to 10 people from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. Location: 7701 East 21st Street
  • JCC Indianapolis: Spruce up the camp pavilion area by clearing weeds and debris from the walking path, giving some attention to the fire pit (replace rocks), and creating additional outdoor space for our campers. Location: 6701 Hoover Rd.

Check back as projects will be added often.