April Sacred Friendships Discussion

What does Multifaith really mean?

Multifaith:  What does it mean?  Building relationships and getting to know each other are at the core of GIMA's work. Is multifaith work important in your life?  Why? And, how?

Space is limited - register now!
Registration is capped at 40 attendees.

April 16, 1p with Rabbi Brett Krichiver, Hiba Alalami, and Betty Brandt
Tuxedo Park Baptist Church
29 N Grant Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46201

One core facet of GIMA is our Sacred Friendships discussions. These exist to deepen relationships and are easy, one-hour conversations with other faith leaders in the Indianapolis area. Each session focuses on a conversation topic led by our committee chairs, Betty Brandt, Rabbi Brett Krichiver, and Hiba Alami. If you are interested in joining this discussion, please register below. All are welcome!

Dr. Anita Joshi, Dr. Arun Jain, Patchwork Indy, the Ukrainian Society of Indiana, and the Afghan American Community Center invite you to an evening where art becomes a living testimony of resilience, history, and hope.

 Join Patchwork Indy for the reception of Resistance to Cruelty that Never Ends: An Afghan and Ukrainian Intercultural Art Exhibit—a profound exploration of cultural endurance and resistance through the eyes of two visionary artists.

Opening Reception

Friday, April 11
5:00 – 8:00 PM (Program begins at 6pm)
Indianapolis Art Center

At the heart of this exhibit are the works of Iryna Bondar, a Ukrainian multimedia artist, and Abdul Qahar Behzad, an Afghan oil painter. Through their distinctive styles, they invite us to witness the power of cultural identity and artistic defiance in the face of ongoing conflict.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Iryna has embroidered the number of days that have passed—a ritual she will continue throughout the exhibition, turning time itself into a testament of resilience.

Qahar’s richly detailed oil paintings capture Afghanistan’s history, beauty, and struggles. Having taught art to U.S. soldiers with PTSD, his work bridges cultures and reveals an Afghanistan rarely seen.

This exhibition is more than an artistic showcase; it is a conversation about survival, identity, and the unyielding spirit of those who refuse to be erased.

Patchwork Indy is honored to host this event, aligning our mission of supporting immigrant and refugee families with the powerful stories told through these works. Just as these artists preserve their histories through art, Patchwork Indy works to preserve dignity, opportunity, and belonging for those building new lives in Indiana.

Join Patchwork Indy for an evening of thought-provoking art, meaningful dialogue, and community connection. Light refreshments will be served.

Patchwork Indy looks forward to sharing this unforgettable experience with you.

Spirit & Place has partnered with Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, part of IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, to co-present the annual Thomas H. Lake Lecture as part of the Big Tent Talks series on April 11 at Witherspoon Presbyterian Church.

At this crucial moment, when homelessness is exploding, affordable housing is diminishing, and segregated communities are increasingly common, we need to ask the question: Are our built environments fundamentally immoral?

DATE/TIME: The FHCCI’s 13th Annual Fair Housing Conference will be held on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 from 9:00 AM to 4:45 PM (ET). The conference will begin promptly at 9:00 AM and is a VIRTUAL event. This year’s theme is Fair Housing: Looking Out for All Futures. Paid and/or confirmed registrants will receive a link to the conference platform in the week prior to the conference. 

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Chi Chi Wu is a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) focusing on consumer credit issues, including legislative, administrative, and other advocacy. Her specialties include fair credit reporting, credit cards, and medical debt.

Chi Chi is lead author of the legal manual Fair Credit Reporting, and a contributing author to Consumer Credit Regulation and Truth in Lending. She has also led on a number of recent reports, including Digital Denials: How Abuse, Bias, and Lack of Transparency in Tenant Screening Harm Renters, Past Imperfect: How Credit Scores and Other Analytics “Bake In” and Perpetuate Past Discrimination, Even the Catch-22s Come With Catch-22s: Potential Harms & Drawbacks of Rent Reporting, and Mission Creep: A Primer on Use of Credit Reports & Scores for Non-Credit Purposes.

Before joining NCLC, she worked in the Consumer Protection Division at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and the Asian Outreach Unit of Greater Boston Legal Services.

AGENDA: This year’s conference will also feature FIFTEEN workshop options for attendees to choose from based on rental, sales, and lending fair housing topics. Workshops will cover the following topic areas:

• Fair Housing 101

• Fair Lending Update

• Disability Case Law Update

• Barriers to Homeowners Insurance

• Fair Housing Act Protections for Families with Children

• AI & Tenant Screening

• Sales Hot Topics

• Inherited Property Obstacles

• Religious Based Protections and Hate Crimes

• Health & Housing

• and several hot topics exploring fair housing issues!

Download the agenda here. Please note that the workshops and schedule are subject to change.

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS: The FHCCI has submitted for 6.3 continuing education for Indiana attorneys. Info below:

• Legal Credits: 6.3 Legal Credits PENDING for Indiana attorneys – if you are from out of state, check with your Commission for reciprocity options.

PLEASE follow the directions within the conference platform to ensure you receive your credits.

CONFERENCE COST: The registration cost for this all-day event is only $40/person if registered on or by March 7, 2025. After this date, the cost will be $55/person. We are unable to provide refunds after March 31, 2025. Paid and/or confirmed registrants will receive a link to the conference platform the Friday (4/4/25) prior to the conference. 

REGISTRATION: To register for the conference, click here. Registration is required. Space is limited. Your registration is not considered complete until payment is received. All registered and paid attendees will receive an email in the week before the conference which will include information on how to access the conference platform. Please check your spam/junk folders in case the email goes there.

• Those who want to send checks instead of an online payment, should register online, choose the check option, and mail payment to the FHCCI. Please note our mailing address of 429 N. Pennsylvania Street, Suite 401, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Checks must be received on or by 3/31/24 unless otherwise approved.

• If you have any problems in completing your registration or need an alternative option, please contact Erika at the FHCCI.

• Please be sure to note any reasonable accommodation in the applicable area of your registration or contact the FHCCI.

SCHOLARSHIPS: The FHCCI has a limited number of scholarships to waive the conference registration cost. These scholarships are available to interested students and persons of low incomes. Contact Amy at the FHCCI for more info.

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: Please contact Erika at the FHCCI if any accommodations are needed or note on your registration. Alternate formats of materials will be available upon request for those with disabilities.

SPONSORS: We are once again appreciative of the many sponsors for this year’s conference. Without their generous support, we could not put on an event of this quality at affordable registration fees. Our current sponsors include (please note several are pending so check back for updates):

Gold Sponsors
First Merchants Bank
Old National Bank

Silver Sponsors
City of Indianapolis – Department of Metropolitan Development
Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority (IHCDA)

Bronze Sponsors
INHP
MIBOR REALTOR Association

Nonprofit Partner Sponsors
Central Indiana Realtist Association (CIRA)

This event is also made possible with the support of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.

QUESTIONS: All questions related to the conference can be posed to Erika via e-mail at efotsch@fhcci.org. We hope to see you on April 9th at this informative fair housing event!

PAST CONFERENCES: Want to learn about previous FHCCI conferences? Visit our past event pages: 2024 Conference, 2023 Conference, 2022 Conference, 2021 Conference, 2020 Conference, 2019 Conference, 2018 Conference, 2017 Conference, 2016 Conference, 2015 Conference, 2014 Conference

On April 4th, 2025, Indiana Justice Project will host a Health Law and Policy Convening in Indianapolis. Rapid changes are happening at both the state and federal level. Join the Indiana Justice project as we try to make sense of it all, and how we, as health care access advocates can help individuals and communities in need. We'll discuss policy developments, the enforcement of legal rights, and how to get involved on a local level around health coverage access advocacy.

You are invited to join Women's Fund of Central Indiana and the Indianapolis Foundation for a screening of "What's Left Behind?" followed by a panel discussion.

This is a moving documentary about Black mothers and families on the South Side of Chicago fighting to survive and thrive after losing their children to gun violence.

Panelists:

• Antonia Bailey, Community Advocate

• Beatrice Beverly, Community Advocate

• Lisa Butler, AM LCSW, Co-Producer

• Dr. Janice Collins, Executive Director and Documentarian

• Dr. Ruby Mendenhall, Co-Producer

• Josette’ Robinson, Moderator

More about the Film:

The documentary delves into the enduring trauma and the limited resources available to families impacted by gun violence in Chicago. Producers Lisa Butler, a clinical social worker based in Chicago; Dr. Ruby Mendenhall, associate professor of sociology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; executive director and documentarian Dr. Janice Collins, an award-winning journalist and media expert, offer an exploration of the lives of individuals lost to gun violence through the voices of their families.

PLEASE RVSP BY FRIDAY, MARCH 21

If you have any additional questions about this event, please contact info@womensfund.org.

Join JCRC for a unique interfaith Seder where faith leaders and community partners come together to explore the traditions, symbols, and meaning of Passover. This special gathering offers an opportunity to learn about the Seder ritual, engage in meaningful discussion, and strengthen connections across faith communities.

Please contact yshmukler@indyjcrc.org if you have any questions.

Location: Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, 600 W 70th St, Indianapolis, IN 46260

Date and time: Tue, Mar 25, 2025 5:30 PM ET

Organizer: Yaniv Shmukler, (317) 523-1480, yshmukler@indyjcrc.org

Salam and greetings of peace,

 ISNA and the Hendricks County Community Foundation invites you to join an Interfaith Iftar. You will learn about the importance of Ramadan in the Muslim community and experience an Iftar (breaking of the fast) with us. Information about the event are as follows:

Date: March 21, 2025

Time: 6:30 - 9:00 PM

Location: 6555 S County Rd 750 E, Plainfield, IN 46168

We kindly ask that you RSVP: Register Here

Join the Marion County Reentry Coalition for a day of valuable resources from 34 vendors, including support for housing, employment, food assistance, disability services, legal aid, mental health care, community programs, and more!

Food trucks will be on-site, and attendees will receive meal tickets for a free lunch. There will also be a computer lab available for resume writing and job applications. Take advantage of onsite interviews, a resume-writing workshop, and the chance to practice your "elevator pitch" with helpful tips.

You're invited to become part of a single unified voice.

Hello, and welcome to Congregations with Community! As we continue our journey into 2025, we'd love to have you come and join us to meet with the team and your fellow community members, as well as enjoying some networking, project progress sharing and more.

Details:

When: Wednesday, March 12, 4-7PM ET
Where: Our headquarters, at 303 N. Alabama St., Suite 230 Indianapolis, IN 46204
Activities: CWC website preview, hors d'oeuvres, drinks, music and socializing

Get equipped to fight poverty and housing instability

Concerned about the increasing number of individuals, families and children facing homelessness and housing instability in our city and state?

Join CTS on March 11 for the 2025 Faith & Action Spring Conference, where we’ll deepen our understanding of the actions we can take to create more safe and affordable housing, more stability and support for children and families, and more hope for strong communities.

This year’s event will feature:

• A personal and instructive keynote by poverty and child welfare expert David Ambroz, award-winning author of A Place Called Home

• Effective practices shared by organizations creating transitional and permanent supportive housing

• Advocacy and public policy strategies for addressing the structural issues behind homelessness and evictions

Morning session attendance is a prerequisite for Faith & Action 2025 grant applicants.

The 2025 Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality symposium will explore transformative approaches to lawyering that diverge from traditional tactics emphasized during the civil rights era. Civil rights litigation traditionally focused on isolated lawsuits and top-down strategies. In contrast, the discussion will consider interconnected philosophies such as Rebellious Lawyering, Movement Lawyering, and Collective Liberation, which each seek to dismantle systemic injustices through collaborative, grassroots-driven efforts.

Tabling available for organizations.

Meeting with legislators is not rocket science - they’re people just like us! And they’re interested in connecting with faith leaders; in conversation, without blaming, rancor, or finger waving. If we want legislators to listen to us, we need to listen to them. Civil dialogue requires more listening that speaking! Join us to help our legislators learn what issues are important to us. Create relationships for the future.

Join Peace Learning Center at The Block Bistro and Grill in downtown Indianapolis for peace, equity, and delicious food.

Date: Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Time: 12p-2p

Location: The Block Bistro 115 W Market St, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Parking: Paid street parking and garage parking is available in the surrounding blocks.

The National Day of Racial Healing is an annual observance that takes place on the Tuesday following Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It is an opportunity to bring ALL people together and inspire collective action to build common ground for a more just and equitable world.

As a part of this day, Peace Learning Center will be hosting a National Day of Racial Healing Luncheon and Resource Swap. This event is designed to allow attendees to build community with those that are different from themselves through conversation and listening to the lived experiences of others. Racial healing is at the core of racial equity, the vehicle that allows the collective to transform communities, organizations and systems.

Attendees are asked to contribute to the resource swap by bringing a resource that connects to their identity. Examples of resources include books (adult, young adult, or children's), articles, or podcasts. Participants will be invited to leave a resource for someone else to continue their learning and select another resource for themself.

Join us for this unique community learning experience designed to move us away from divisiveness to a place of learning and respecting our differences as human beings.

A buffeted lunch will be served during the event featuring: Grilled Chicken Breast - Multigrain Seasoned Rice - Grilled Mixed Vegetables - Side Salad with Dressing - Dinner Rolls

We’ll review:

• GIMA’s housing legislative agenda for 2025

• What you can do to get the legislature to act

• “Court Watching” and reforming the Marion County Eviction Courts

• About proposals to outlaw the Homeless and what you can do to counter those

Advocacy: The act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, idea, or policy; active support. Whether we realize it or not, we all advocate for things that are important to us. So, how can we best use our advocacy skills to move housing policy in Indiana?

Join us November 13 to learn from Danielle Coulter, Vice President of Dant Advocacy. Danielle has firsthand knowledge of the intricacies of government, the result of her experience working for the Indiana General Assembly and representing Indiana county officials.

Danielle previously served as a policy analyst for the Indiana Primary Health Care Association. Before that, she served as deputy director of government affairs for the Association of Indiana Counties, where she lobbied on behalf of county elected officials, including circuit court clerks, coroners, recorders and surveyors.

She also served as a legislative assistant for the Republican caucus of the Indiana House of Representatives, a government relations staffer for Indiana University, and a governmental relations intern for Ball State University.

As we prepare for the 2025 legislative session, Danielle will walk us through the real process of how legislation becomes law and how we can advocate for housing law reform.

Our friends at the Human Solidarity Project are bringing their Creating Human Solidarity Workshop back to Indianapolis, and thanks to the Herbert Simon Family Foundation these workshops are free.

Additionally, HSP is offering their Human Solidarity for Black and Jewish Community Leaders on November 13 and 14.

Join our friends at Indy Habitat for their 2024 Multifaith Build, bringing together the faith community to build a home for a member of our community.

Join United Women in Faith for this powerful webinar that centers the voices of migrants as they share personal experiences and insights on immigration detention and incarceration in the US. This discussion will explore the challenges they face in the detention system, the impact on their lives and families, and the urgent need for reform. Hear directly from impacted migrants and gain a deeper understanding of the immigration system that keeps over 40,000 immigrants in detention facilities daily.

This webinar is offered by Immigration Law and Justice Network, United Women in Faith, and numerous partner organizations. All are welcome. There is no cost to participate. Registration is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. This webinar will be offered in both English and Spanish through the help of an interpreter.

Join Mariposa Legal for a "Know Your Rights" Presentation hosted by Christ Church Cathedral on October 27, following the 1 pm service. We will provide legal information, share resources to protect constitutional rights, and discuss obstacles Indianapolis immigrant communities may face under a new president.

Únase a Mariposa Legal para una presentación "Conozca sus derechos" organizada en la Catedral de Christ Church el 27 de octubre, después del servicio de la 1 pm. Proporcionaremos información legal, compartiremos recursos para proteger los derechos constitucionales y discutiremos los obstáculos que las comunidades de inmigrantes de Indianápolis pueden enfrentar bajo un nuevo presidente.

Unresponsive and irresponsible out-of-state landlords. Rapidly rising rents and declining quality of housing. Modest homes gobbled up by mysterious purchasers paying entirely in cash.

The culprit behind all of these pain points in the affordable housing crisis are often the same: private equity companies.

The private equity business model enables investors to take over companies such as rental properties and quickly restructure them—usually in ways that are harmful to tenants, and ultimately, state & local economies. Their focus is on turning a quick profit for investors regardless of the risks and consequences for our communities.

Attendees will learn:

• How private equity works and what other industries it exists in

• Indiana's private equity risk level

• The types of policies states and municipalities are exploring to fight private equity

The presenters are from the Private Equity Stakeholder Project. Check out their Private Equity State Index rankings. Indiana doesn’t fare too well!