Flanner House facts for kids
Flanner House main building 2019
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| Type | 501(c)(3) Public Charity |
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| Location |
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Area served
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Indianapolis, Indiana |
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Key people
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Executive Director, Brandon D. Cosby Director of Operations, Sandra Green Director of Social Services, Debra White |
| Website | Flanner House |
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Formerly called
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Flanner Guild |
Flanner House is a helpful organization in Indianapolis that offers many services to the community. It has a 2-acre farm, a small grocery store (bodega), a cafe, and an orchard. It began in 1903 as a community center for African-Americans. The organization was named after Frank Flanner.
After Frank Flanner passed away in 1912, the organization faced money problems. Its name changed from Flanner Guild to Flanner House. With help from the Christian Woman's Board of Missions, it added many new services. Today, Flanner House continues to help senior citizens, families, children, and people who need financial support.
Contents
The Story of Flanner House
How Flanner Guild Started
Flanner House is named after Frank Flanner (1854–1912). He was a kind person and a mortician (someone who arranges funerals) in Indianapolis. In 1898, he gave two buildings to the Charity Organization Society. This group ran a social center for white people in the city. Frank Flanner's gift was meant to create a similar center for African-Americans.
This became the first settlement house for African-Americans in Indianapolis. It was called Flanner Guild. The organization officially started in 1903. Soon after, its main building was constructed in the area now known as Lockefield Gardens.
The main goal of Flanner Guild was to improve the social, moral, and physical well-being of the African-American community. They did this by offering education and self-help programs. Flanner Guild began in a small building on Colton Street. Sarah Colton Smith was in charge. Early programs included help with finding jobs, recreation, music, and a day nursery for children. One of their first big projects in 1908 was creating a home for single mothers and their children.
Flanner House: A New Chapter
After Frank Flanner died in 1912, Flanner Guild had financial difficulties. The Board of Directors asked the Christian Woman's Board of Missions for help. The board was reorganized, and the name changed from Flanner Guild to Flanner House. With support from the Board of Missions, Flanner House could keep operating. By 1918, they bought a new location at West and St. Clair Streets.
This new place had four buildings. They were updated to offer more services. These included health clinics for tuberculosis and child care. They also had a shop to fix clothes and furniture. Training classes were offered through the Red Cross.
Flanner House became a non-profit organization in 1935. In 1936, Cleo Blackburn became the Superintendent of Flanner House. His main goal was to help people make personal, economic, and social progress. Under his leadership (from 1936 to 1975), a new building was constructed. It opened in 1944 at 16th and Missouri Streets. This happened after the "Indianapolis Study."
The "Indianapolis Study" began in 1937. It looked at the city's Black population. The study finished in 1939. It was the first full survey of the financial, educational, cultural, and medical backgrounds of Black people in Indianapolis.
Cleo Blackburn created several exciting programs that made Flanner House famous across the country.
Self-Help Housing Project
One important program was the self-help housing project called Flanner Homes, Inc. It started in 1946. This project became a national example of how to help low-income Black war veterans build their own homes. They were the first people to join the project.
This program received support from the American Friends Service Committee, the Marshall Field Foundation, and the Rosenwald Fund. It helped improve homes in the area. People who joined the project also received free training in house construction.
Herman G. Morgan Health Center
Also in 1946, the Herman G. Morgan Health Center was built. This center received support from the Indianapolis Foundation and the Indianapolis Board of Health and Hospitals. This program was special because it was the only building in Indiana designed to offer preventive medicine and public health services to the community. The Health Center provided yearly physical exams, shots, and advice on good nutrition.
Board of Fundamental Education
In 1954, Cleo Blackburn also started the Board of Fundamental Education. This was a nationally recognized project. It aimed to help people become responsible citizens by teaching them pride and initiative. Flanner House worked with other groups, like Indiana University and Purdue University. They improved and expanded their services. Flanner House became a national example for the Fundamental Education program. Because of this, Blackburn received a special permission from Congress. He also got large federal grants for education and health needs of people who were less fortunate.
In 1967, Flanner House moved to 2110 North Illinois Street. Then, in 1979, it moved to its current location at 2424 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Street. During the 1960s, they stopped offering job placement services. This was because Marion County took over that service. However, Flanner House continued to offer job classes and added programs through Family Services and the Marion County Welfare Department.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Flanner House kept adding programs for the community. These included help for senior citizens who couldn't leave their homes. They also had a home for young people referred by juvenile courts. In 1979, a branch of the Marion County Public Library opened there. In 1987, Flanner House joined Community Centers of Indianapolis, Inc. (CCI). This is a group of neighborhood service centers in Indianapolis.
Flanner House Today
Today, Flanner House continues its mission to serve and help people help themselves. They offer services for senior citizens and programs for those who need financial help. Their Food Justice program includes the F.E.E.D. program and the Flanner Farm.
Flanner House also works on Economic Development. This includes being a "Great Places" location and the Northwest Area Quality of Life initiative. There is also the Flanner House Child Development Center. It provides care and education for toddlers and pre-school children. They also have a Before and After Care program. This offers a safe place and education for school-aged children and teenagers.
The agency also has a Health and Wellness program. This is through the Center of Wellness for Urban Women, which is located on site. Flanner House is also a place for the Center for Working Families. It helps people learn life skills, get ready for jobs, and find employment through its special Skills to Success program.
Cleo's Bodega & Cafe
Cleo's Bodega & Cafe is located in the North West Area (NWA) of Indianapolis. It helps the community get fresh food. The NWA is the largest "food desert" in Indianapolis. This means it's hard for people there to find healthy and affordable food.
This project also helps with Workforce Development. The people who work in the store are hired from the neighborhood. They come through the Flanner House Community Center for Working Families Program. The store sells fresh produce from Flanner Farms and Brandywine Creek Farms.
Ujamaa Community Bookstore
Ujamaa Community Bookstore opened on Juneteenth in 2021. It is a Black-owned business. The bookstore offers classes for music, acting, and roller skating. The name "Ujamaa" is a Swahili word that means "brotherhood."
The goal of the store is to share knowledge about Black American history. It does this through books written by Black authors and events about Black culture and history. In the back of the store, there is a wall with pictures of Black people throughout American history. The manager, Rohini Townsend, calls it "a living wall."
See also
