Helping Families Thrive

Last year, like so many organizations, families, and individuals, AYS was put to the test over and over again. Each time, we passed with flying colors. Now, we’re ready to take what we learned in 2020 and apply it to the future.
 
The pandemic didn’t create the issues that plagued our community in 2020, it highlighted them. Economic and racial disparities have always been there. Our goal in 2021 is to fight these issues by doing what we do best—helping families thrive. With new partnerships to build our Ellen Clippinger Fund, we’re more poised than ever to be of service to those who need it most. Click here to be one of those partners and make a difference in Hoosiers’ lives. Thanks to an extension to the COVID-19 relief bill, the same tax incentives for charitable giving from 2020 still apply.
 
In 2021, AYS is committed to making sure central Indiana kids don’t fall through the cracks. With new outreach and opportunities, we’re addressing the root causes of the issues COVID-19 brought to light. Social-emotional learning is going to be paramount as we transition kids from a tumultuous pandemic year to what we hope will be a new, and better, normal. Academic support will keep students on-track for their grade levels or give a boost to those who fell behind during virtual learning.
 
The families AYS serves are of diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and we recognize the importance of their representation in our programming. Kids need to see people who look like them in positions of authority. While we’ve always had a diverse staff, in 2021, we’re doing everything we can to make sure that we remain an attractive workplace for people of color, English-as-a-foreign-language speakers, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
 
Thanks to supporters like you and ongoing partnerships with organizations like the Lilly Endowment, Inc., The Mind Trust, and United Way of Central Indiana, we’re reaching kids who might not otherwise be able to attend our programs. We’re so grateful for our entire AYS family, and we’re sending a huge thank-you to all of our end-of-year donors and partners.

End-of-Year Donors

Featured Donor: Susan Humphrey

In November and December 2020, Susan Humphrey needed a safe, enriching environment where her foster son could go during the school day. Luckily, AYS was there for her. Susan generously donated a day’s worth of his tuition to AYS, explaining that she wanted to give back because she was “so grateful” to have AYS when she needed us. We’re here to support families of all kinds whenever they need it, from foster families to grandparents and single moms, and we’re humbled that Susan appreciated us enough to donate to our cause.