Hiring Hoosiers: ‘New Beginnings’ at Indianapolis Urban League

Hear Amanda’s story.

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INDIANAPOLIS — There was a time when Amanda Endicott felt like things were hopeless, until she set her eyes on a flier leading her to a free program that would change her life. Now, she’s making money and making strides.

Life for Endicott is looking up.

“I have a full time job,” Endicott said. “I’m not in transitional housing anymore. I have my own place. I have a driver’s license. I have a brand new car.”

FIND JOBS | Find open positions in central Indiana with the Hiring Hoosiers job board

That is not how things were fifteen months ago. At that time, she had no income, no job, no home, no driver’s license, and little hope.

“Yeah, it was pretty bad,” she said. “I was pretty desperate, honestly.”

Addiction and a criminal record led Endicott to the transitional house, where, one day, a visitor brought a flyer to share with the women who lived in the home. The words spoke to Endicott.

“The first thing it said on there was, ‘Do you need help finding a job? Do you need help with transportation? Do you need help building a resume?'” Endicott said. “Like if i was to make a checklist for myself… things I needed to achieve or goals I needed to attain to project my life forward, it was literally just a checklist.”

With nothing to lose, the flier prompted Endicott to check out the New Beginnings program at the Indianapolis Urban League.

New Beginnings is a free, two-week work-readiness program preparing job seekers for retaining and securing a job. It focuses on composing a resume, evaluating the transferable work skills of the program participants, coaching through the interview process, and even provides participants with clothing for their interviews.

The program started in 2014 and has helped more than 2,000 people land jobs and new skills. Roughly, 80 to 100 people sign up for the program each month.

Indianapolis Urban League Vice President of Programs Kimberly Simmons points out the free resource can help get people from wherever they are in life to where they may want to be.

“Many of our program participants have multiple barriers to employment,” Simmons said. “Maybe they have convictions. Maybe they’re homeless. Maybe they’re struggling with an addiction of some sort.”

LEARN MORE | Indianapolis Urban League New Beginnings program

Endicott says the first thing instructors do lays the foundation for encouragement.

“The first thing we learned was that no matter what our past is and no matter where we’ve come from, we can always build. You’re not stuck,” Endicott said. “That is not who you are. That is not your identity. That is some things that happened to you, but you can overturn that. That is very empowering. They didn’t see the stigma attached to all of us in there. They saw opportunity.”

Typically, participants find a job during the second week of the New Beginnings program, when they take part in the speed interview sessions. Urban League partners with more than 100 local employers, who call the agency for prospective applicants.

Endicott says her two-weeks at Urban League set her life into a new gear.

“I’ll talk about the Urban League to everyone and anyone who will listen,” she said.

After securing a seasonal job at a local contractor office, Endicott has been promoted at the company to a full-time customer service and sales representative. She says she is making good money. She’s now giving back to lift up others, thanks to the New Beginnings program.

“I have some girls in my life that I mentor now, and I send them all over there,” Endicott said. “I can’t sing their praises enough with what they’ve done to help change my life.”

The next New Beginnings Information Session is Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. at the Urban League offices at 777 Indiana Ave.

The free classes start again on Nov. 12, with free lunch served daily. Must attend the New Beginnings Information Session Thursday, November 7, 2019  to attend class on Tuesday, November 12, 2019.

Indianapolis Urban League Workforce Development & Center for Working Families 

NBA All-Star 2021 Host Committee Announces Statewide Legacy Initiative
$1 Million To Fund 21 Capital Improvement Projects for Youth-Serving Nonprofits and Honor 21 ‘Rising Stars’

Eligible Organizations are Encouraged to Apply at http://pacers.com/all-star-legacy

INDIANAPOLIS – The NBA All-Star 2021 Host Committee with support from Governor Eric Holcomb and Mayor Joe Hogsett launched a million-dollar legacy initiative today focused on youth-serving nonprofit organizations across Indiana as part of the NBA All-Star 2021 celebration.

The initiative will provide grants up to $50,000 for 21 brick-and-mortar capital improvement projects that focus on health and wellness (e.g., indoor/outdoor basketball courts, playgrounds) or education (e.g., STEM labs, reading centers). Selected projects will then also help identify a high school-aged Rising Star in each of those same communities. The 21 Rising Stars, members of the class of 2021, will serve as honorary chairs of the local Legacy Project and recruit other youth to serve leading up to NBA All-Star 2021 in support of the project. The Rising Stars will have a corresponding scholarship program as well.

“With the goal of creating a lasting impact well beyond NBA All-Star 2021, we aim to improve the lives of youth across the entire state with these 21 Legacy Grants and Rising Stars,” said Rick Fuson, Founding Chairman, All-Star Board of Directors and President and Chief Operating Officer, PS&E. “Not only do we grow basketball here, we grow community here too.”

Governor Holcomb commented, “We will create endless opportunities for our youth through these Legacy projects – whether they join a pick-up game for some neighborhood fun or they explore scientific theories in a STEM resource lab. When we take the opportunity to make events like All-Star celebration more than a game, we build a bench that prepares our students and our state for tomorrow.”

“With this Legacy Project, we will leverage the NBA All-Star 2021 celebration to invest in our youth and showcase Indianapolis,” added Mayor Hogsett. “Our community has a history of hosting large scale, multi-day celebrations that raise the bar for these types of events. This Legacy Initiative is one more example of that, as we reach beyond the fans who will come for the game and aim to impact generations of Hoosiers through meaningful investments in our
communities.”

Tamika Catchings, Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Indiana Fever and NBA All-Star 2021 Host Committee Board Co-Chair, outlined logistics for the application process, saying, “We all know people who work or are served by great organizations that help kids every day. Please reach out to them to ensure they know about this opportunity and encourage them to apply. We want all corners of our fine state to have a lasting memory and – more importantly – a legacy to benefit our youth long after the All-Star game.”

“We’re thrilled to support the Pacers and the NBA All-Star Host Committee as they engage youth through this innovative legacy initiative,” said Kathy Behrens, NBA President, Social Responsibility & Player Programs. “NBA All-Star celebrates the game of basketball and highlights the ways it brings people together. We know these projects will empower youth and communities across the state of Indiana long after All-Star.”

Youth-serving nonprofits have until December 31, 2019 to apply for these grants via the Sports Exchange managed by Indiana Sports Corporation http://pacers.com/all-star-legacy. Grantees must work toward intended project completion prior to NBA All-Star 2021 weekend and demonstrate long-term sustainability. Grantees will be publicly announced after NBA All-Star 2020 in Chicago.

The 70th NBA All-Star Game will take place at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on February 14, 2021.

For general information about NBA All-Star 2021, please visit http://pacers.com/all-starweekend.

About NBA All-Star 2021
NBA All-Star 2021 in Indianapolis, Ind., will bring together the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. The 70th NBA All-Star Game, which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 14, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, will mark the second NBA All-Star in Indianapolis after the city hosted the midseason classic in 1985. TNT will televise the All-Star Game for the 19th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports’ 36th year of NBA All-Star coverage. Bankers Life Fieldhouse will also host the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 12, and the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, MTN DEW Three-Point Contest and AT&T Slam Dunk during State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 13. Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center are among the other venues throughout Indianapolis that will host events, including the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and NBA All-Star Media Day & Practice.

Whitney M. Young, Jr. Urban Leadership Development Conference

David Mikelsons receives 2019 Excellence in Youth Services Programming Award

“I am honored to receive this award on behalf of the all Project Ready students and administrators affiliated with Indianapolis Urban League Project Ready Program.  Receiving this award affirms the countless number of hours shared with our students preparing them for college, career and life; and the spirit of service we (Project Ready Site Coordinators) demonstrate daily at our four Project Ready sites,” David Mikelsons.

David received the 2019  Excellence in Youth Services Programming Award from the National Urban League at the 2019 Whitney M. Young, Jr. Urban Leadership Development Conference hosted in New York City September 30 – October 2, 2019.

As Manager of the Indianapolis Urban League’s Project Ready: College Readiness and Project Ready STEM and Educational Initiatives, David provides leadership for the Project Ready Site Coordinators while coordinating the Thomas Carr Howe Community High School Project Ready site.

David’s passion for youth is not just during the school year.  The last eight years, David has spent his summers working with the National Urban League Youth Leadership Team behind the scenes on event logistics to ensure the youth experience is stellar; and the last two years serving on the Steering Committee.

Congratulations David!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 26, 2019

Indianapolis, IN – The African American Coalition of Indianapolis remains frustrated and concerned about the level of violence in our community. We have previously stated our position on this matter and have been engaged in the work involved to make our actions speak more than our words.

As this violence has continued throughout the city, we remain concerned about the inability to peacefully resolve conflicts displayed in recent and other acts of violence. We also recognize the role that family, friends and extended networks must play in policing ourselves. Both parental responsibility, personal accountability and increased community engagement is called for as we address this community challenge together. We do appreciate IMPD’s swift response to this tragedy and we encourage continued restraint in their engagement with unaccompanied minors. While we support law enforcement’s efforts to remove dangerous criminals from the community, we will continue to reject over-policing and racial profiling as responses to community violence. Further, we have shared not only our specific concerns but also proposed strategies on community violence and other issues with city leadership.

As part of our engagement with city leaders we have highlighted both the social inequities and the lack of policy engagement on issues impacting our community ranging from racial achievement gaps in education, untreated trauma due to exposure to violence, food deserts, unsafe housing conditions and other issues that create challenges for people of color to live a dignified life in this city. We offer no excuse but we recognize the realities of two cities, one that is safe and well-resourced and the other that is seemingly forgotten.

We remain committed to the following:
“Any vision for the future of this city must include addressing the consequences of under-investment in social infrastructure which has resulted in the persistence and even hardening of barriers to social mobility, the normalization of death, and the absence of public policy that speaks directly to our community.”

We also continue to affirm the following:
“The municipal elections cycle must be more than about potholes; they must also be about our social infrastructure and we will demand that all candidates speak to this problem. We will call on our philanthropic system to seriously address systemic issues dealing with poverty, systems of oppression, and racism. We will hold our business community responsible for being good corporate citizens through the conduct of their business, specifically hiring practices. We will support our youth.”

The problem of community violence continues to be an opportunity for every organization, family, individual, and church to have a conversation about its responsibility to do something to engage in actions we know give hope, provide jobs, and support those who are grieving.

Finally, we will work to improve on ways to engage and support one another—a new social compact that resets expectations for engagement with each other as well as others.
Too many people are dying. We have not walked away from this challenge.

Indiana Black Expo
Indianapolis Urban League
Exchange at the Indianapolis Urban League
Indy Black Chamber of Commerce
Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis
The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Indianapolis Chapter
Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance
Baptist Minister’s Alliance
Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Alpha Omega Indianapolis Alumni Chapter
The National Council of Negro Women, Indianapolis Section
Like No Other Foundation
Indianapolis Recorder

To Send Letters to the Indiana Governor:

Governor Eric Holcomb
800-382-9841
Office of the Governor
State House
200 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204

To Send Letters to the Courts and Criminal Code Committee:

Indiana General Assembly
House of Representatives
State House
200 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
To find your own legislator visit:
http://iga.in.gov/legislative/find-legislators/
or call: 317-232-9600 or 800-383-9842.