Indy Parks reports food access programs, ribbon cuttings and capital projects
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Summary
Indy Parks provided updates on food assistance partnerships, recent park openings and ongoing capital projects including Franklin Township Community Park ribbon cutting, Somme Park groundbreaking, and Holiday Park playground funded by the Lilly Endowment and Holiday Park Foundation.
Indy Parks briefed the committee Wednesday on food access programs and capital projects across the city.
Director Britney Crown said Indy Parks has coordinated with the Office of Public Health and Safety (OPHS) and private partners to provide food assistance during a period of federal uncertainty. Crown said the department’s "Drive and Dish" program reached capacity at all six locations the previous day; parks also host food pantries (including at Riverside and Windsor Village Parks), after‑school meal sites at select parks and mobile locations, food drives at Brookside and Krannert Parks, and a new partnership with Second Helpings offering free meals at seven locations.
Crown thanked staff leaders Tanya Jenkins, Amy Ratcliffe and Marissa Coley and noted communications posts about food assistance have been viewed over 100,000 times. She also provided project updates: a ribbon cutting at the renovated Franklin Township Community Park (new playground, trails, pickleball and basketball courts), groundbreaking at Somme Park (playground, pickleball, shelter and tennis upgrades) with demolition and site work underway and an expected mid‑2026 completion, and opening of a new Holiday Park nature playground funded by a Lilly Endowment grant plus $3,000,000 raised by the Holiday Park Foundation to match the grant and support maintenance.
Councilor Jesse Brown thanked staff for timely updates on Brookside Park. The committee adjourned after brief closing comments.