• There will be a Coffee With a Cop gathering on Wednesday, Jan. 18 from 10 – 11 a.m. at Neidhammer Coffee, 2104 E. Washington St. This is a great place to grab a coffee and chat informally with East District patrol officers about issues and concerns.
• January is Blood Donor Month, and there is a critical shortage of blood after the holidays. To donate, visit versiti.org and sign into their donor portal.
• Irvington First Friday will be held Friday, Jan. 6 from 5-9 p.m. at a variety of shops along Washington St. Hampton Designs at 5515 E. Washington will have Local Creatives pop-ups, plus there is Market Vintage next door that will have all sorts of great stuff. Also, check out Magick Candle’s new digs at 6125 E. Washington St. next to Maximum Grow.
• Indianapolis Animal Care Services is in critical need of pet adopters and fosters. They are over capacity and many worthy homeless pets are at risk for euthanasia if homes cannot be found for them. Visit www.indy.gov/agency/animal-care-services for updated shelter hours and see listings of available animals. The shelter is located at 2600 S. Harding St.
• A mural of poet Etheridge Knight will be installed on the side of the Chatterbox, 435 Mass Ave., by fall of 2023. The three artists who are finalists for the mural will show their vision for the work in a March 4 presentation at the Central Library’s Center for Black Literature and Culture. It will be one of the many public art projects in Indianapolis for the coming year, which will include a mural of Madame Walker and several artworks around Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
• The Irvington Library, 5625 E. Washington St., will host an adult book discussion on Monday, January 23 from 6:30-7:45 p.m. The book up for discussion is Octavia Butler’s Kindred. If one of your resolutions is to read more, this would be a great motivator — you have a couple of weeks to read it. No registration is required.