DT Community Day keeps growing

By Steve Page
Correspondent

The plan was to expand and grow the Decatur Township Community Day by moving the event from the small middle school parking lot to Devere Fair Stadium.

But when weather threatened the daytime happening, organizers opted to move it into the spacious confines of Armstrong Pavilion on the Decatur Central High School campus.

“We wanted to bring more people into the event,” explained Kelly Ivey, Executive Director for the Decatur Township Drug-Free Coalition. “This day was meant to connect people with resources.”

More people, more resources.

Kelly and Jess Sandvold, Coalition Coordinator, began the event in 2019, but it was wiped out by Covid 19. Last year, they resurrected the event.

This year, they grew it, thanks in part to a grant.

“The opioid settlement grant follows more on the township with adult instruction,” Ivey noted. “That’s just the thing to save lives. That’s what it’s all about.

“We’ve had a lot of people connected with lots of giveaways. This year, we wanted to focus on young entrepreneurs. We wanted to challenge those kids to come out, be a part of Community Day.”

One of them is Noel Baker, owner of Camby-based Crochet Creations. She had a table-full of her crochet productions.

“I’ve done this since I was 10 years old,” Baker said. “I love it; I love doing it for all these people.
“The turnout today has been pretty decent – not too bad.”

There’s more, noted Ivey.

“There are a lot of cheerleaders and athletes who can give back to the community that supports them,” she said. Nearby, DC cheerleaders provided entertainment by dancing to music and other athletes provided help where needed.

“We had one food truck last year,” Ivey said. “We needed more, and we have (3) more. The Taco Truck is from Decatur Township.”

The exhibitors themselves seemed to come from all over.
Creating one stir were the people from the plan to create the “Southwestway Park Greenway” with a Decatur Corridor Plan. They want, among other things, to focus on modern village infrastructure and a new town center.

“We need housing diversity, they say. “We have limited amenities.”

That’s all fine and dandy, as long as it fits the neighborhood, says Pat Andrews of the Decatur Township Civic Council and the Decatur Township Alliance of Neighborhood Associations.

“We must be realistic about what the Greenway proposed in the Draft Corridor Plan could be,” she said. “We must require that, if it is built, it be far more attractive and a far better asset than the Southern Dunes Greenway example. There must be standards in place in this corridor plan that would give substantial protection to our community.

That was just one of the many options provided to fairgoers.
 
Taking a step
There was a large area, just inside the pavilion’s south doors, devoted to “Changing Footprints,” a non-for-profit organization that collects used shoes and provides them to the needy. It also provides food.

“We reach out all over the world with our community centers,” said Scott Splichal of Helping Our Own People, Inc. (HOOP).

“We started making food for people in need, working with the police department and the sheriffs.”

Building trust
Decatur Township Trustee Jason Holliday was there, explaining to people just what a trustee does and how helpful his office can be.

“The trustee does several things: fire protection, emergency medical for the township,” said Holliday, whose office is in the Decatur Township Fire Department building.

“We’re also assisting utilities and rent. We provide corporation assistance as well. We’re also maintaining cemeteries in townships; Decatur has two of them. We have an assistance program to help pay utility bills. We work with the state department of insurance.

“We’re here to remind the community that we’re here to help.”

Spectators also came upon a display that had a model of a deceased young girl on the floor, surrounded by barriers and police tape. She was there as the exhibit for the Marion County Coroner’s Office.

“People like Molly,” said Chief Assistant Leteefah Birks. “They like to think about things like this. Some people find death fascinating.”

As well as life.
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“We’re here to help people with overdoses,” Birks said. “Overdose is the leading cause of death in Marion County.”

The top of the Changing Footprints brochure says it all about giving shoes to the needy.

Noel Baker’s Crochet Creations table inside the Decatur Central Pavilion was full of her loving labors.

This rendering shows a portion of what the proposed Decatur Greenway could look like.

Decatur Township Trustee Jason Holliday was on hand in the DC Pavilion to explain to residents how his office serves the community.