INDIANAPOLIS — Five Indianapolis communities have the opportunity to build community resilience and improve local quality of life, through the Resilience Ambassador Grant Program.
The Resilience Ambassador program uses a grassroots neighborhood outreach approach to galvanize community-based action surrounding the City’s first sustainability and Resilience Action Plan, Thrive Indianapolis, and each Great Place Neighborhood’s Strategic Action Plan. The Resilience Ambassadors are residents of the neighborhoods in which they represent and serve as a connector and advocate of community concerns and needs. The ambassadors serve as resilience- and sustainability-focused community organizers, connecting their neighborhood’s priorities to the City’s Sustainability Plan and leading their community in the development of a neighborhood-chosen demonstration project.
Of the five neighborhoods selected, two are on the east and southeast side: Englewood Village and Twin Aire. Each neighborhood was awarded $18,000 for projects that align with at least one of the 16 goals of Thrive Indianapolis. The grants will fund projects that focus on bringing healthy food to under-served communities, expanding bike-share transit systems, monitoring clean air, and other goals.