Plainfield United Methodist Homeless Outreach Mission

Plainfield United Methodist Homeless Outreach Mission The PUMC Feed the Hunger Outreach feeds homeless and needy people in downtown Indianapolis and Plain

05/13/2026

Finally a gorgeous evening to serve. Since the “trailer city” camp was shut down, we have adjusted where we serve. We were pointed to a new camp by someone that lived at that that camp about a month ago. We have also started to feed at a second library that we have passed every week for years without ever stopping. It is on Morris street and even though we handed out less than ten meals there last night, we were told by the librarians that earlier in the day they had over 30 that would have appreciated a meal.
In nearly 19 years of serving we have had to make many adjustments to how and where we serve. Last night one man asked me how will he get food if they have to move from their camp? He does not want to be housed, and my guess is that city has reached their financial quota already for housing. I assured him that as long as there are people living on the streets or in camps, that we and other outreaches will continue to look for them and ensure that they get a healthy meal.
We handed out all 120 meals in two hours. There were times in our past where we would search for people to feed, taking twice as long as we do now, and with half the amount of meals to hand out.
It was a beautiful evening of service!
God Bless,
Rick

04/22/2026

This Monday night Cesar drove, along with Sandy and I, and Rev. David joined us. We moved back to our handing out our max of 120 meals since we found the new camp to serve. All 120 meals were handed out by 7:30. It was a longer night than usual, but not because we were searching for people to feed. What made the night longer was getting to those we intended to care for. We had traffic and road closure issues that we dealt with all evening. When we arrived at our locations we found plenty of hungry and appreciative people who were more than glad to receive a meal.
Homeless or unhoused are labels used to identify a slice of humanity that is actually fairly diverse. In 18 plus years of caring we have cared for people from different races and ethnic groups, some in their teens and at least one in his 90’s. Some have significant addictions, many if not most, have some degree of mental health issues, while some others are employed and living in their cars. There are those bouncing between the streets and shelters, while others live in tents, or in shelters they build out of scraps. Some live in solitude, and others in camp communities. The one thing they all have in common is that they are human. They all were once children loved and cared for by family, teachers, and others. They never dreamed then of living as they do now. Somehow, in some way their life went down the wrong paths and eventually it spit them out to where they are now.
It is a tough life that those we care for live, and yet we see smiles each week, and experience humor from them as well. We see God’s reflection within them. They, as we all are, are made in the image of God and loved by him. We happen to be the ones that share God’s love and blessings with them each week. They know that we will show up, and we do. God is there with them before we arrive and after we leave. We are all called by Christ to care for “the least of these”.
God Bless,
Rick

With Dennis driving, joined in the van with Charity, Sandy, and I, we left PUMC with our most experienced van crew. We h...
04/15/2026

With Dennis driving, joined in the van with Charity, Sandy, and I, we left PUMC with our most experienced van crew. We headed downtown with hundred meals and with a new camp to visit again. The weather was perfect as we headed downtown with much optimism. If you have not been downtown lately, orange barrels are everywhere due to much needed infrastructure construction. Not a great situation to get stuck in during rush hour no less. We spent over a half an hour on Washington street by the zoo, barely moving. Dennis got us around the backup, and we were on our way, but way behind our normal schedule. The Fern camps were waiting on us. We even were able to serve Albert. He is the nicest, most polite person that we feed. We have been caring for him for many years. He only shows up when he is really in need of a meal. He often tells us that others may need our food more than him. Not tonight. Albert was very appreciative of our blessings, and hungry.
The “trailer city” camp still had a few people hanging there in the midst of all the trash. They are waiting for their turn to move into housing. On the west bank of the river we fed our usual crew, plus a number of those that moved to the other side due to their camp being closed by the city.
Our new destination, the camp close to Raymond and Kentucky Ave, is not the easiest to get to due to a very bumpy dirt road. Everyone here was so appreciative that we remembered to show up again. We handed out all but 14 meals. Off to the Garfield library. The past two weeks 14 meals would have been enough at the library, but not tonight though. Even after bumping our meal count from 80 to 100 meals, we were at least ten meals short at our last stop. It’s never pleasant handing out meals and knowing that we did not have enough food for everyone. People were understanding. They know we will return next week.
All in all it was a good night after the early traffic issue. We will need all 120 meals once again for next week.
God Bless,
Rick
P.S. The photos show the aftermath of the “trailer city” camp from the departure of those living here to be housed.

I am often amazed at how many times we encounter “God Moments”, where we are pointed where God needs us to go. Last nigh...
04/08/2026

I am often amazed at how many times we encounter “God Moments”, where we are pointed where God needs us to go. Last night we had one of those moments. Uncertainty about those leaving their camps foreshadowed the evening. Last night at our first stop at the Fern camps we met a man that lives at a camp that we did not know existed. It is along Eagle Creek by Raymond and Kentucky Ave. We knew the “trailer city camp may be vacated when we showed up, and we also knew that we would be searching for those in need of a meal since many that we had been feeding would no longer be there, but where should we search? It was answered my the man at the Fern camps.
The trailer city camp had just a handful of people and the camp sites there were decimated. Trailers were destroyed, burned to the ground, and trash was everywhere. Bubba was still there and he said he moves out April 16th. He is waiting for the city to tell him where he will move to.
After the river camps were addressed, we drove to the new camp. It is another large gathering of people living in trailers, shacks, and tents. The location is not visible from any roads. Those at the camp were very happy to see us and get a home cooked, ok, a church cooked meal. By the time we headed to the Garfield Park library we only had 13 meals left. Every meal that we had left from the camps was given out at the library. No one left without a meal.
God guides and we serve. He has sustained what we do, and he continues to ride in the van with us each night.

This photo is my favorite that I have taken within the various homeless communities that we have served over the past 18...
03/17/2026

This photo is my favorite that I have taken within the various homeless communities that we have served over the past 18 and a half years. I had asked this man permission to take this photo. It was not until I printed the picture that I saw his female partner within the tent. This photo is from around 2010 and it was taken under the Pine street bridge near Washington street. This photo captures their desire to make this location, much more like a home with a carpet in front, their pet by his side, as he sat on his “porch”.
A man told me last night if he was to be offered housing he would decline. Freedom and independence are virtues many of the homeless cling on to, especially having most everything else stripped away from them, regardless if this was by their own choices or from what the world has dumped on them.

Notes from Monday March 16, 2026:
Once again the cold, snow, and wind returned. Driving to Indianapolis in a snow storm on I 70 that at times created white outs was a challenge. We were questioning if this storm was an omen of sorts that our evening might be a night of challenges.
Our first stop each week is giving Jesse the IMPD policeman a meal. He guards the Community Health Center parking lot. This is where our south side friends, who help us serve, park and meet us. He is always so appreciative of our weekly friendly encounter and our food. Tonight we picked up Tom to help with our serving. We were ready to face the challenges the night might toss our way,…but…. it was not a challenging evening. In fact, it was a very smooth night and we handed out all our meals in less than 90 minutes. Everyone we fed were dealing with the cold and wind, and we found that most were inside their tents, trailers, and shelters. When we honked and shouted “outreach”, they left whatever warmth they had and they came out for our food. A hot meal on a cold bitter night is just what they needed.
When we see the same people every week, we gradually get to know each other in short but very kinds moments. They sometimes share little nuggets about themselves, usually about their present life, and very little about their past. Sometimes I wonder about their past, and how it once was, and what caused them to slide into their current existence. Every one of those we feed has a story, a very personal story. We cannot change their past story, and we do not pry to know, but each week we are adding to their present story, by trying to gradually add Christ’s Grace and Hope weaving it into their hearts, soup by soup.
God Bless,
Rick

For the past three years, our outreach has been in a fairly consistent routine. We have been feeding camps along White ...
03/03/2026

For the past three years, our outreach has been in a fairly consistent routine. We have been feeding camps along White River from just above I 70 down to Bluff road and then we head to the Garfield park area, handing out 120 meals each week. The largest camp we call “Trailer City” because of the number of camping trailers that those living there had brought with them. There are also tents, and shacks that the homeless build with odds and ends of tarps, wood, and other found items. In all the years of serving on the streets of Indy we had had seldom seen campers used to house those we feed, and never a collection of several trailers. As flawed as homelessness can be, these individuals built a community that somehow stayed fairly stable for close to three years. This is all about to change.
Those living at the trailer city camp were visited yesterday by representatives of the city government. They were informed that they will be moving into housing courtesy of 8+ million dollar funding. They will be housed with this money for one year. This was good news for some, but unsettling for many. Change is seldom embraced when someone else is in control of the change, creating many questions, the big unknown. “What about my friends, where will they be, will I ever see them again?” Will my dogs and cats be able to come with me?” What resources will they have available in their new locations? Is our big question. Will food be brought to them? Will the government check in on them routinely? What happens after one year when the government money has dried up?
For us, our service as we have known it the past several years will look different in the future. We may need to cut back the quantity of meals that we serve, and we may be driving around in “safari mode” looking for those needing a meal on the streets in Indy once again. God will show us the way!
Beyond the overshadowing news, it was a hit or miss night of serving. The camps were not as full, but the library was a fairly normal crowd. We discovered that we were short about thirty of our sacks that contain breads and snacks while we were at the library. We started handing out two soups and spoons the rest of the evening, as we wrapped serving downtown.
We will navigate the uncertainty of the changes that lay ahead, hopefully those in the camps will be able to navigate the changes that will be thrust upon them.
God Bless,
Rick

Yes, winter returned with cold temps and wind that cut right through us down to the bone. On the bright side we found mo...
02/27/2026

Yes, winter returned with cold temps and wind that cut right through us down to the bone. On the bright side we found most of our friends at the camps and within the Garfield Park library. It was a smooth night of serving.
The white river camps have been in place for over three years. This is due in part to the city enacting the “homeless bill of rights” a few years ago which essentially allows homeless camps to remain if they are not having a negative impact pact on the community at large. The river camps are mostly out of sight so most of the public never see where or how these people live. We serve this off the grid community every week and we have seen each weeks that these camps are gradually degrading into massive garbage dumps. Our friends are living within the garbage that they have created, that we helped create with the containers that holds their meals. This is a challenge that we who are serving the least of these must juggle. As we help people survive, we need to ask ourselves if we are we helping these people in need stay homeless? Some within the public view what we do as enabling homelessness. We are enabling them to survive!
At some point these river camps will quite possibly will be shut down. Most likely it will be when the board of health determines that living within their filth is attracting rats, raccoons, and the possibilty of disease. In 18+ years of serving the homeless all around Indianapolis, we have seen this happen with camps before. What is the answer? Our state is currently looking at making homelessness more or less a crime. This definitely is not the answer. How the homeless are living today is not the answer either.
We need to start handing out garbage bags and asking our friends to do some spring cleaning.

Charity, Sandy, Rev. Ken, and I headed through the frozen tundra to serve the camps and library, and wherever we thought...
02/03/2026

Charity, Sandy, Rev. Ken, and I headed through the frozen tundra to serve the camps and library, and wherever we thought we could find people in need of a hot meal. We left with uncertainty in that last week the weather prevented us from serving, and the weekend before that we returned to PUMC with leftover meals because the cold drove many of our friends inside. We trusted that God would guide us and He did. Our first stop was on Morris street at a former Free Methodist church that the church that currently owns this building converted the sanctuary space into a homeless living space, filled with tents so those that seek warmth could have some degree of privacy. I went inside and touched base with those running this temporary shelter. I shared with them about our outreach and I asked if they would be willing to take any leftover food that we may have. They said yes with great appreciation.
On to those we feed, with the memory of slim pickins from two weeks ago, this week was not the same. The temperature was close to thirty, which felt warm compared to what we all have been navigating. Though some of our regulars were missing, most living along the river were back, and very appreciative to receive our food and provision. As we departed the river to head to Garfield park and the library, we had our normal amount of meals to take with us. At the library about a fourth of our normal crowd was there staying warm. In the Fountain Square area we found a few needing a meal. After feeding Cricket and Tommy, a couple that we have cared for many years, at the BK on Morris street, we then took our last 12 meals to the warming shelter also on Morris street and we were done.
God is good!
Rick

Our unhoused friends navigated a brutal weekend with the sub zero weather and heavy snow fall. We had no idea what our e...
12/19/2025

Our unhoused friends navigated a brutal weekend with the sub zero weather and heavy snow fall. We had no idea what our evening would be like. Did some leave their camp to seek warmth elsewhere, and did anyone lose their tent or shelter due to the heavy snow fall? We encountered both, but not to the degree that altered our efforts. There were less people at the camps, but those that remained were so appreciative of us showing up with tasty warm chicken noodle soup, along with seasonal treats, and warm clothing and blankets. Knowing that there might be less to feed, we were generous in handing out extra meals. We were wrapped up feeding in ninety minutes
When we show up, our friends experience God’s Grace in action. When we leave, God does not. He is still in their midst.
God Bless,
Rick

This Monday was quite the contrast of the snowing night of serving the week before. A still, clear sky, but cold evening...
12/09/2025

This Monday was quite the contrast of the snowing night of serving the week before. A still, clear sky, but cold evening. The Fern camp initially had no one to feed at each of our stops. A little further north is another river camp. Rachel is someone that we have been feeding for several years. She is a petite lady, and my guess is that she is in her late 40’s. It is a challenge guessing one’s age of those unhoused because their life is hard and many become very weathered in appearance. Rachel is outgoing, friendly, and always appreciative of the Grace we share with her and the others at her camp. Her camp has grown and we shared close to ten meals with her and the others. We were on our way. The trailer camp south on Morris street started slow, but as we moved along the camp sites toward Bluff road, meal after meal was shared and greatly appreciated.
Our next stop was the Garfield Park library. As we approached the library no one was waiting for us outside. Before I could shift the gearshift into park, our friends started to come out of the library to be fed. Someone was watching for our arrival and they started to come out, one after another. At one point we had between 20-25 people in line for food. Everyone received a meal, and many were given blankets, socks, and other provisions. Many if not most of these at the library do not live in a camp, and they lack having a shelter to cover them most nights. For them, a blanket given becomes a much needed possession.
With twelve meals left we initially found several random people who were not expecting a meal, but they were so appreciative for what we offered to them. With about six meals left we went to a small camp along Pleasant Run creek and they were given our last meals. A slow start ended strong. We were done handing out 120 meals in less than ninety minutes.

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