Colts Gift to Benefit Wheeler Mission Campaign

(image courtesy of the Indianapolis Colts)

Wheeler Mission in Indianapolis has received a major gift toward its latest capital campaign. The Indianapolis Colts and the Irsay family have donated $100,000 to the Building for Change Campaign, which will help fund an expansion of the organization’s Center for Women & Children.

The campaign aims to raise $1.25 million over 125 days. The money will go toward a larger campaign that will expand the center on the city’s near east side. The expansion will include a new two-story building located next to Wheeler’s existing building.

The new facility will feature 164 new beds for women and children, including 30 apartments for moms with kids. The expansion will grow the center’s bed capacity from 93 to 257. It will also feature a number of other amenities, including:

• A redesigned childcare facility
• Redesigned and expanded dining areas
• Expanded space for medical and mental health clinics
• A new secure, indoor play space
• Expanded bathroom & laundry facilities
• An expanded education center
• More than doubled capacity for counseling, job training, addiction recovery and other services
• Additional staff which will increase Wheeler’s staff-to-guest ratio

"For 125 years, Wheeler selflessly has served the needs of this community and our friends and neighbors who are experiencing homelessness," Kalen Jackson, vice chair and owner of the Colts, said in a news release. "We hope this gift will inspire other donors, businesses and organizations to join the Colts in expanding this center so that hundreds more women and children in need can be reached."

Wheeler says it receives nearly 700 requests for beds from women per month and simply doesn’t have the space. You can learn more about the campaign by clicking here.