INDIANAPOLIS — A new partnership is leading to a big revitalization effort on the city’s northeast side.
New Direction Church and the National Bank of Indianapolis are teaming up to make it all happen. The new joint initiative is known as the East 38th Street Renaissance.
“It’s a blessing for us to see all of this development taking place,” said Dr. Kenneth Sullivan Jr., the senior pastor at New Direction Church. “Not only for members of our congregation but for our community and for people who are looking to move their lives forward.”
The initiative is designed to bring more resources to the east side including new education and economic opportunities.
“In January, we are going to be launching financial literacy programs, homeownership counseling and we are also providing $200,000 in down payment assistance that will help people purchase their dream home and have a safe place for their family to grow and prosper here on the east side,” said Mark Bruin, the president and CEO of the National Bank of Indianapolis. “We want to see the whole city succeed.”
The bank will also be working with the church’s five signature annual events helping thousands of east side residents throughout the year. This includes the Easter Extravaganza, Back-to-School Giveaway, the Fall Harvest, Turkey Giveaway, and the Winter Wonderland, which is next weekend.
“Those events are critical because we get to fill in the gaps and meet the needs of our community and serve people in a dignified way,” Sullivan said.
“Those are our key access points, really letting people know they are loved, seen and they are cared for,” said Ashley Guervitz, a member of the church.
The hope is to bring other development opportunities to this neighborhood down the road too.
“The revitalization, the restoration you see happening, the renaissance, is so encouraging to the city of Indianapolis and its residents but also to visitors who come here that you can see new life in areas that have been abandoned or forsaken,” Sullivan said.
And for people who call this area home like Dr. Kenneth Sullivan Jr. and Ashley Guervitz, they are hopeful for the bright future ahead.
“Today is symbolic of saying what’s next and while we’ve done a lot, we still have a lot more to do,” Guervitz said.
To learn more about New Direction Church and the future of this initiative, click here. For those interested in learning more and giving feedback on the newly announced initiative, click here.