LINC Gets INdyVolved

United Way of Central Indiana’s LINC program aims to connect young professionals to ways they can fight for the education, financial stability, health and basic needs of every person in our community. With this mission in mind, LINC was proud to join as a sponsor of the 12th annual IndyVolved, hosted by our friends at IndyHub.  Each year, IndyVolved brings together over 100 nonprofit, community and young professional organizations to connect Central Indiana millennials to ways they can get involved and shape our city. LINC wanted to do something special for attendees of IndyVolved -- naturally, we hosted our own mini “philanthro-party”! We know one of the most successful ways to improve reading achievement among children is to increase their access to books – we also know many low-income families do not have access to grade-appropriate stories to encourage kids to read. Our solution? To create Little Free Libraries and build community, spark creativity and inspire young readers – all while increasing access to the books that kids love. Anyone who stopped by our LINC corner could help us decorate and stuff the libraries, and visitors had the chance to pick a book and write an encouraging message to a young reader. We left these notes inside the pages for little readers to find as they dive into a new book. Our fully decorated and stuffed Little Free Libraries will be donated to United Way partner agencies Christamore House and the Martin Luther King Community Center. Our hope is the books that fill these seemingly simple boxes will inspire future readers for many years to come. While the Little Free Libraries were a hit with IndyVolved attendees, that wasn’t all LINC was up to – our hands were busy, too! In celebration of United Way of Central Indiana’s 100th Anniversary year, we collected hand prints from millennial hand raisers and game changers. It was a fun and creative way to show just how dedicated the young professional community is to impact this place we call home – and who doesn’t love a little paint, right? As you can see, we had a great time at IndyVolved. Luckily for us, though, the fun didn’t stop there! LINC hosted an IndyVolved “Post Party” at nearby TwoDEEP Brewery. There we celebrated a successful night and gave philanthropic young professionals the chance to network and get to know a little more about LINC – that’s right, we really do like to philanthro-party! Great drinks, food and company provided the perfect end to an eventful evening – we didn’t want to go home! LINC harnesses the power of individuals under 30 to care for the common good. We are good deeds and a good time. Together, we fight to help kids in our community succeed in school, families gain stability and neighbors overcome hardships. LINC gives young Millennials an opportunity to make a real difference, share their knowledge, apply their skills, volunteer and network. Want to get involved? Visit uwci.org/linc or email Ashleigh Resetarits (Ashleigh.resetarits@uwci.org) for more.