Every year leading up to the holidays since 1988, Westminster Neighborhood Services, a non-profit organization based on the eastside of Indianapolis, runs a program called Christmas Baskets.
At the Christmas Baskets event, people from the community gather at the Westminster building at the southwest corner of New York Street and Keystone Avenue to put together bags full of goods commonly needed by families that may be struggling.
During this event, people walk in a circle around different tables filled with assorted goods that people need during the holidays. As people fill up their baskets, they are piled into the middle of the room, where they quickly grow into an astounding number. After a night of doing this, the bags are then distributed around the community to people who need them.
“It’s a great opportunity for you to make a difference in the lives of others,” Westminster Program Director Eric Robinson-Berry said.
Groups from around the community collect large numbers of items like food and toiletries that are used when putting the bags together.
One group that does a lot of work at this event is the congregation from Irvington Presbyterian Church, located just southwest of Washington Street and Audubon Road. Their associate pastor, Rev. Maureen Wilson, has been involved with this program for years and loves to see the turnout from everybody each year.
“I like going, I like seeing everybody when I'm not having to preach or worry about if worship is going on and get to be there, just kind of hanging out with people,” Wilson said.
The people who are supported by this mission include families dealing with adversity and possibly poverty. The goods that are provided at this event are meant to make the holidays less stressful for families, so they can focus on the important things in their lives, such as their children.
“Working at Westminster is a great opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others by providing them with essential services, resources and opportunities that they may not have access to otherwise,” Robinson-Berry said.
This has been their goal for decades now as they continue to grow their work and support more people. Westminster started out of a church, also on the eastside of Indianapolis, where they noticed a need for help in their community. After this, they began ministry programs to help those people who were in need. Eventually, the number of members in their congregation diminished, but there was still a necessity for their services.
This apparent need for support motivated a capital campaign to construct a new building where they could carry out their services. Built in 2014, the Westminster Neighborhood Services building has been home to countless numbers of community service projects that help improve the lives of people in that area, including the Christmas Baskets.
During this time of serving the community, an increase in support is noticed during the holidays, due to people feeling more inclined to help during that season. It works out for everybody involved, however, because there is also an increase in need from the community at that time due to parents wanting to provide the best experiences for their children as they can.
“It’s a time when the community’s needs are often greatest, but it’s also a time when people are most willing to give their time and resources,” Robinson-Berry said. “As such, it’s crucial for Westminster to engage effectively with the community during this period.”
Doing this service brings many people joy, but during the holidays, people tend to take a lot of pride in what they are doing. The goal for Westminster, according to Robinson-Berry, is that events like these will allow people to see what this kind of service can do for themselves as well as others, and persuade them to continue their support throughout the year.
These volunteers are needed because the staff at Westminster is not particularly large for the number of people that they serve. Despite this, they take pride in their work and enjoy making a positive difference in the community.
“With Westminster being such a small staff, we depend on volunteers, donors and partnerships,” Robinson-Berry said. “Teamwork is crucial for a small group of employees within a nonprofit for several reasons. That’s why it’s important to be efficient, supportive and innovative.”
This year’s Christmas Baskets packing event will take place on Friday, Dec. 8, and will be distributed the next day.