The Shalom Community Center Mission
The Shalom Community Center is a safe, daytime resource center for people experiencing homelessness and poverty.
Shalom Community Center is dedicated to relieving the plight of people experiencing homelessness and poverty in South Central Indiana. Since access to food, housing, education, and health and human services are fundamental human rights, we seek to meet these basic needs. As a nonprofit resource center, we deliver social services directly and in coalition with other agencies in a respectable, secure environment. We advocate for the most vulnerable among us and promote ties that empower people to develop their potential and to take responsibility for their own lives.
Dancing for Shalom
On Saturday, May 24, two-time Grammy Award winning opera singer Sylvia McNair danced the night away for the Shalom Community Center. She joined five other local “celebrities” for the 2nd annual Dancing with the Celebrities fundraiser at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre.
The event is modeled after the ABC television show Dancing with the Stars. Each celebrity chose a local charity to receive their portion of funds raised through voting. Each dollar donated to the Shalom Community Center counted as a vote for Sylvia as the “People’s Choice.”
Sylvia had been taking private dance lessons since January in order to compete. On the evening of the event, she and partner Matt Brand of Arthur Murray Dance Studio (pictured above with a lifesize photo of Sylvia) danced the foxtrot, swing, and cha cha. Sylvia also treated the audience to a vocal performance while the votes were being tabulated. At the end of the evening, she was awarded the “Judges Choice” award for receiving the highest scores for her dance performances.
Dancing with the Celebrities was a tremendous success thanks to countless Shalom and Sylvia supporters who attended and cast their votes. Thank you all for doing your part to help the Shalom Center serve the most vulnerable members of our community. We couldn’t do it without you!
Shalom Community Center Food Sponsor Program for Businesses
Food: A Key Element: The Shalom Food Program provides breakfast and lunch 5 days a week. Currently, over 4000 meals are served each month at an average cost of just $0.42 per meal! While Shalom receives direct donations of food from individuals and a small number of businesses, the majority of food is purchased from the Hoosier Hills Food Bank and local grocers. Both paid and volunteer staff participate in all elements of the food program which provides an important service to Bloomington’s hunger relief efforts.
What We are Asking: We are inviting local businesses to “sponsor” the
Shalom Community Center Food Program for one month of the year. A minimum donation of $1000.00 would defray most of the food-related expenses we incur in an average month.
What are the Benefits?: In addition to the satisfaction of knowing you have helped provide a needed service to those in our community, we offer the following benefits:
* A framed Food Sponsorship Certificate to display in your business
* Recognition on this Web site
* Recognition in Shalom publications such as the Annual Report, Safety Net Newspaper, and in printed materials distributed at Shalom events.
* Your business logo will be featured on the Web site during your sponsorship month.
How does your business become a food sponsor? Simply contact John Miller, Development Chair at 856-7007, or Joel Rekas, Executive Director at 334-5728 or click on the following link to print the food sponsor form and mail it to Shalom Community Center, P.O. Box 451, Bloomington, IN 47402-0451. Food Sponsor Registration Form (PDF)
Special thanks to First United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church, and Trinity Episcopal Church for their extreme generosity in donating such wonderful spaces to our organization!!! Thanks to Crescent Donut, the Bakehouse, Bloomington Bagel Company, Encore Cafe, Bloomingfoods, and Hoosier Hills Food Bank for all of your wonderful food donations!
Shalom Community Center, 219 East Fourth Street, P.O. Box 451,
Bloomington, Indiana 47402-0451, admin@shalomcomminitycenter.org
