Interfaith Alliance Indianapolis

www.interfaithindy.org

    Interfaith Alliance Board 2007-08:

Chair

     Rabbi Lew Weiss, 317-962-8580

     Chaplain, Clarian Health

Vice Chair, Programming

     Rev. Don Garrett, 317-283-4760

     Unitarian Universalist Church Indpls.

Membership

      Rabbi Arnold Bienstock, 317-253-4591

      Congregation Shaarey Tefilla

Treasurer

     Carol Niss, 317-581-0142

     Baha’i Faith, Indianapolis Assembly

Secretary

     Brianne Kirpatrick 317-607-6733

     St. Luke UMC

Communications/Web Master

     Judy Tilton, 317-251-1040

     Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation

Historian

     Dr. Shahid Athar, 317-844-3646

     Indianapolis Muslim Community

Interfaith Seder

     Sharon Mishkin,

     Congregation Beth-El Zedeck

Underneath It All Service Project

     Mary & Walter Prouty 317-418-6609

     St. Pius X Catholic Church

Interfaith Prayer Service

     Sr. Marcie Malone, 317-926-5654

     Carmelite Monastery

Past Chair

     Susanna-Judith Rae 317-745-6306

     First Congregational Church

Underneath It All Participants ‘07:

All Souls Unitarian Church

Allisonville Christian Church

Baha’i Faith, Indianapolis Assembly

Bureau of Jewish Education

Center United Methodist Church

Congregation Beth-El Zedeck

First Congregational Church

First Friends Meeting  

Horizons of Faith United Methodist

Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation

Meridian St. United Methodist Church

North United Methodist Church

Northminster Presbyterian Church

Northview Church of the Brethren

Pittsboro United Methodist Church

7th and 8th United Church of Christ

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church

St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church

St. George Orthodox Christian Church

St. Louie de Montfort Catholic Church

St. Luke’s United Methodist Church

St. Mary Catholic Church

St. Mark’s United Methodist Church 

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

St. Peter’s United Church of Christ

St. Pius X Catholic Church

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church

Unitarian Universalist Church Indpls.

University Heights United Methodist

August 27, 2007

Dear Interfaith Friends,                                

          We invite you to join the Interfaith Alliance Indianapolis (IAI) in cooperation with the Community Service Centers of Indianapolis (MSC) for our 15th annual new underwear collection for children/teens  in need:

UNDERNEATH IT ALL, WE’RE ALL THE SAME.

New underwear is seldom donated.  Having inadequate or soiled underwear can cause a child to suffer real humiliation during gym class, day care, sports programs, or summer camp.  It is the “invisible sign of poverty”.  It can be a serious self-esteem issue.

The community centers and shelters are in need of new, packaged/tagged briefs, panties, boxer shorts, t-shirts, bras, and socks in all children’s sizes. Teens frequently need adult sizes. Long and thermal underwear can be vital to children without adequate outer garments. 

Your congregation can be paired up with one of the participating community centers or you may take your underwear donations to a social service agency of your choosing. (Please see the back of this letter for a list of participating community centers,  shelters, and schools.)

We encourage your congregation to use your donation of cash and checks to buy more underwear directly from a local merchant and to establish an on-going “People to People” relationaship with one of our centers, shelters, or schools. (Checks made out to your congregation are tax deductible contributions.) Some store managers will give congregations an additional small donation (gift card) or discount to purchase underwear for your center. 

If you prefer, you may also make your checks out to the Interfaith Alliance Indianapolis and send them to:

IAI Underneath It All Project,

c/o Carol Niss, 9222  Garrison Dr. #102A.,

Indianapolis, IN 46240.

This fund will be used to purchase and distribute underwear to those centers most in need before the beginning of each school year.

There is no one best time to have your collection.  Children and teens need underwear year-round! Many congregations have drives just before the beginning of the school year or just prior to the winter holidays.  Other congregations prefer to have the drive in the winter or spring when there are fewer conflicts with other service projects.  Please feel free to schedule your collection at a time that best fits with your congregation’s calendar.

After your collection drive is over, we would appreciate it if you would let us know the approximate number of items collected and which service agency you used for distribution. This helps us make sure that all the community centers and shelters receive a fair share of underwear/socks throughout the year.

Thank you for participating in this very important community-wide interfaith project. You are not only helping children in need, you are also helping to build bridges of interfaith understanding, respect, and tolerance throughout the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area.

Sincerely,

Mary and Walt Prouty, IAI Service Project Coordinators

proutyw@comcast.net or 317-418-6609  

IAI is a coalition of Baha’i, Buddhist, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant and

 Unitarian Universalist congregations and individuals, dedicated to promoting

a better understanding among our peoples and religious traditions