If you wanted to make some kind of blanket characterization about the final two months of our American calendar year, you might say that November and December are the “giving” months. During the eleventh month, we give thanks: for all the blessings the universe has bestowed. During the twelfth, we give back: to our friends and families, as well as others in need.
So if our annual Well Done Marketing group volunteer activity sometimes waits until the last two months of the year, it may be partly because of that giving season. It also may be that we’ve had a really busy, exciting year so far. (See here and here and here and here.)
With so much going on around the office, it was truly a pleasure to get out for a half day and put our backs into some worthwhile work at SENSE Charter School.
SENSE, which stands for Southeast Neighborhood Schools of Excellence, is a neighborhood school serving the families of Fountain Square and surrounding areas of southeast Indianapolis. In their own words, “SENSE seeks to build a strong foundation for learning and living by creating in its students a thirst for knowledge and an enthusiasm for learning.”
School was out on the day we visited—the better for us to get in and do our thing without disrupting the learning process. (We can be a lively bunch.) But first we were shepherded through the school by SENSE outreach coordinator Kate Voss, who gave us a quick tour of the K-8 school and a rundown on the many ways it serves students, family, and the community.
In addition to putting our organizational and creative skills to work for SENSE, we were able to help out with some of those outreach programs: putting away food donations in their food pantry, sorting clothes for their apparel closet, and organizing holiday meals for families.
After receiving top marks from Kate for our efforts, we headed home with an even greater appreciation of what SENSE means to our neighbors and the entire southeast Indy community. To learn more about SENSE, or if you’re interested in getting involved yourself, check them out at SENSEIndy.org.