A heartfelt thank you to our Eskenazi CHW team
Since April 1, 2019, the DIP-IN Eskenazi Community Health Workers (CHWs) have been working with residents in the Near Northwest, Near West, and Northeast communities to manage their diabetes, assist with social needs, and provide support.
INRC Near Northwest class opportunity
DIP-IN is continuing our partnership with the Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center to bring free training to residents living in the DIP-IN communities.
Milestones to Meaning success story: Northwest Landing Neighborhood Association
The Northwest Landing neighborhood has been reinvigorated by organizational investment, including the revitalization of Aspire House and Frank Young Park.
New publication: capacity building in DIP-IN
We’re excited to share a new publication that explores capacity building within DIP‑IN, based on interviews with 28 partners, including resident leaders.
DIP-IN and its partners were featured in local group presentations, a state-level webinar, and in a few different news outlets over the past quarter.
DIP-IN Near West steering committee funds Hawthorne Community Center playground
Hawthorne Community Center, a Near West staple since 1923, built a new on-site playground through DIP-IN support, creating a lasting space for 400+ youth to play, learn, and thrive right in their neighborhood.
DIP-IN 2025 fall all steering committee meeting
Our fall all steering committee meeting had a packed agenda that featured delicious food, guided meditation, discussion about survey results, and networking sessions with community partners.
Meet DIP-IN student employees, Asuka and McKenzie
We are excited for you to get to know our two current DIP-IN student employees, Asuka Elms and McKenzie Altman, and the valuable work they are doing on the project.
Meet Near Northwest Neighborhood CHW, Lane Jackson
The DIP-IN team is excited to introduce Lane Jackson, a new member of the Neighborhood Community Health Worker team, working in the Near Northwest area.
DIP-IN communities receive Milestones to Meaning funds
A subcommittee of DIP-IN Steering Committee members has been working hard the last handful of months to determine how to utilize the Milestones to Meaning program™ funds for their communities.
DIP-IN Steering Committee members participate in 2025 Neighborhoods USA Conference
Steering committee members enhanced their skill set and spoke about DIP-IN’s unique model at the Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) Conference.
DIP-IN partners with INRC for upcoming community leadership training
DIP-IN is partnering with Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center to offer community leadership training to steering committee members and community residents.
DIP-IN featured as signature program at ASPPH site visit
As part of a site visit with ASPPH, DIP-IN was featured as a signature program of the Fairbanks School of Public Health that is demonstrating community-engaged work.
DIP-IN website is a hub of information
A friendly reminder of all the great content you can find here on the DIP-IN website.
May All Steering Committee meeting
The meeting focused on how DIP-IN has made an impact in programs and places outside of the hyper-local work going on in the DIP-IN communities every day.
From idea to groundbreaking to ribbon-cutting: Walking trail and labyrinth is open!
DIP-IN and the greater Northeast community are ecstatic to see this walking trail and labyrinth added to the community that promotes all four focus areas of our DIP-IN Steering Committees: physical activity, food access and healthy eating, life stressors, and social connections.
Neighborhood CHWs work to connect, improve quality of life for residents
We asked one of our DIP-IN neighborhood CHWs, Jama Bennett, to describe her background and what kinds of activities she does that are essential to her role as a neighborhood CHW.
DIP-IN, iHEART partner on 2025 CHW quarterly collaborative meetings
DIP-IN and IU Health’s Indianapolis Health Equity, Access, outReach and Treatment (iHEART) Collaborative, brought together community health workers from both projects for our first CHW quarterly collaborative meeting.
Near West’s Stringtown a welcoming home for all residents
Get to know Stringtown Neighborhood Association leadership and learn more about Stringtown’s history and its newly elected leaders.
DIP-IN team members were present at the American Public Health Association (APHA) annual meeting to share findings with the public health community.
Walking trail and labyrinth groundbreaking at future Evolve Education Center
We celebrated the walking trail and labyrinth groundbreaking at the future Evolve Education Center, a project funded by the Northeast DIP-IN Steering Committee.
DIP-IN a recipient of Lilly’s Milestones into Meaning program
DIP-IN is one of 24 local and national organizations that will receive a Milestones into Meaning donation, a program that works to improve health and health equity in U.S. communities.
DIP-IN All Steering Committee meeting celebrates progress and promotes community partners
The DIP-IN All Steering Committees came together to share a meal, network, reflect on previous months’ work, and plan for the future.
Belmont Beach history and DIP-IN-sponsored programming
Belmont Beach serves as a vital gathering place for our community by offering a welcoming environment where people can come together to connect, celebrate, and support one another.
Elephant Gardens Farm Fit and Juneteenth event
Elephant Gardens was the 2024 recipient of Heath Outdoors’ Juneteenth Day of Service, providing free design and construction services to a local community organization.
DIP-IN featured as part of IU Indianapolis launch
Indiana University featured DIP-IN partners and programs via an in-depth written story and video that put DIP-IN before local and state-level audiences.
Near Northwest Project Manager Ron Rice describes how Pam Hardy and Adelle Stokes, founders of the Riverside Riders, have transformed not only the lives of their fellow neighbors but his as well.
Partner feature: Black Worldschoolers Mobile Bookstore
Black Worldschoolers Mobile Bookstore, Indy's first bookstore on wheels, has partnered with DIP-IN to provide free books to community members in the Near West neighborhoods.
This is your friendly reminder that with warmer weather here, DIP-IN sponsored activities and events and other community happenings are being posted regularly on the DIP-IN calendar.
Meet the neighborhood community health worker team
Meet our DIP-IN neighborhood community health worker team and see what they have to say about being a CHW in their community.
The impact of DIP-IN community health workers
The DIP-IN evaluation team is excited to share more about our recent paper, “Impact of community health workers on diabetes management in an urban United States community with high diabetes burden through the COVID pandemic,” which was published in the March 2024 issue of Preventive Medicine Reports.
Spring 2024 DIP-IN all steering committee meeting
DIP-IN steering committees convened for their first all steering committee meeting of 2024. These meetings—held twice per year—give the steering committees a chance to come together, learn from each other in real time, and brainstorm what’s next for their communities.
Meet the DIP-IN Eskenazi Community Health Worker team
The DIP-IN Eskenazi CHW team is fully staffed once more, and we thought this would be a great time for our community members and stakeholders to meet and hear from the Eskenazi CHWs serving their communities.
Feature: Walking trail and labyrinth funded by Northeast steering committee
The Northeast steering committee approved an exciting proposal to build a walking trail and labyrinth on the property of former IPS School 11.
See the latest news articles about DIP-IN and our partners.
In this quarterly update, we want to feature a team member from our Evaluation Team, Celeste Nicholas, and spotlight the work she and others are doing to highlight the impact of DIP-IN on our communities.
Connecting Hearts Abroad and Lilly Global Day of Service
Read a special thank you to our communities from the Eli Lilly Connecting Hearts Abroad program and a report out on the impact of Lilly Global Day of Service.
Partner feature: Marion County Public Health Department Nutrition Services
Since 2022, the Near West, Near Northwest, and Northeast Steering Committees have partnered with Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD) Nutrition Services to provide free nutrition education at local parks and libraries in the DIP-IN communities.
All steering committee meeting
In October, Connecting Hearts Abroad (CHA) ambassadors presented their communications content and plan to the steering committees and larger project team.
Learn about the DIP-IN project activities coming up in September and October.
DIP-IN project updates from the Near West, Near Northwest, and Northeast communities.
Let’s give a big virtual round of applause to Teddrick (Tedd) Hardy. Tedd leads No Days Off 317 (NDO) and is president of Belmont Beach & Friends.
It is with very mixed feelings that we announce Dr. Cindy Stone is retiring. Cindy has been part of DIP-IN since the beginning and has contributed in countless ways.
DIP-IN publications, presentations, and videos
Along with a number of presentations in community and academic settings, we had two particularly exciting opportunities to share about DIP-IN in this quarter.
New calendar feature on DIP-IN website
We are excited to bring a community calendar of activities to our community residents and organizational partners.
Natalie Freehan was recently hired as a DIP-IN project manager for the Northeast community. Natalie joins Near West project manager, Ariez Christmon, and Near Northwest project manager, Ron Rice. to round out the project management team.
DIP-IN community updates from our project managers
Learn about the great work our project managers have been doing in the Near West, Northeast, and Near Northwest communities.
Recently, our team has grown to include more individuals working at the community-level as well as some behind-the-scenes staff who work to make the evaluation, finance (and more) run on a day-to-day basis.
“Breathing Through It” videos on YouTube
Using a data informed approach, the resident Near West DIP-IN Steering Committee chose an initial focus of addressing life stressors that affect their community. One of the initiatives resulting from this focus is "Breathing Through It."
Connecting Hearts Abroad ambassadors coming to Indy in fall 2023
We are excited that another Lilly Connecting Hearts Abroad team is traveling to Indianapolis to work with the DIP-IN communities September 30–October 14 of this year.
