December 24, 2023 • 39 mins
From the basketball court to the heart of the community, Kyle Ingram shares his extraordinary transition from a Division I college basketball official to the Executive Director of Richmond's Circle U Help Center. His tale is one of personal growth and dedication, shaped by the profound influence of his father and his own experiences both on and off the court. Listen to Kyle's inspiring story and learn about the impact he's making through Circle U, providing hot meals and pantry assistance to those in need, especially during challenging times like the recent pandemic.
Circle U Help Center's journey is as remarkable as the people it helps. Kyle takes us behind the scenes of the center's significant expansion, including a new warehouse that propelled their food distribution capabilities to unprecedented levels. Hear how their approach to food assistance is designed with respect and dignity at the forefront, and how the center has become a vital lifeline for the local community, adapting and expanding to meet growing demands.
The spirit of giving shines bright in our discussion of Circle U's Thanksgiving volunteer service, an event that brings joy and togetherness to the community. Kyle also highlights the essential financial and partnership support that fuels the center's operations, ensuring that vulnerable groups like students and veterans are not forgotten. His story is a powerful reminder of the difference one can make with passion and perseverance. Join us for an episode that's not just about the food on the table, but the hands that come together to make it happen.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hello and welcome to the hub powered by manpower of
Richmond.
I am your host, michael Allen,and here on the hub we interview
local business leaders,community partners and various
special guests, and our missionis to share unique and untold
stories of companies,organizations and people who are
making a difference in ourcommunity.
(00:25):
Manpower of Richmond, thesponsor of the hub, is a
national staffing brand, yetwe're a locally owned franchise
and we are familiar with thechallenges businesses face.
It is tough recruiting andretaining talent and we are here
to help manage your hiring andtraining and provide some
ongoing support.
So today's guests here in thehub is Kyle Ingram.
(00:48):
He's the executive director ofthe Circle U Help Center located
at 19 or 13 street.
Given the time of the year, wereally wanted to try to talk to
a local not-for-profit that'sreally designed to help meet
some of the basic needs ofpeople in our community, and
(01:09):
Circle U has been serving thelocal community since 1979.
And presently they serve over1600 hot meals monthly, and this
includes about 80 meals thatare delivered each Saturday to
shut-ins around our community.
And they currently servebreakfast and lunch on Mondays,
tuesdays and Saturdays, andtheir food pantry operates on
(01:33):
the third Saturday of each month.
So Kyle Ingram welcome to thehub, mr Allen, great to be here.
Hey, so happy to have you here,get to talk to you.
Full disclosure, kyle is a goodfriend of mine and, despite that
, I'm having life more thanhaving me here today and but had
(01:55):
a lot of good times with Kyleand just excited about having
him here to talk about Circle U.
We're definitely here to talkabout Circle U, kyle, but,
however, I do want to spend alittle bit of time talking to
you personally about just youbeing from Richmond and where
you spent most of your life inour community, and I just
(02:18):
believe that you know hearingyour personal story would be
really interesting to ourfollowers.
So I guess, that being said,would you just tell us a little
bit about yourself.
You know, being from Richmondand on going.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Grew up, obviously here.
My father, mother, I think wemoved in here in 1961.
Father started his high schoolteaching career at Madora High
School, which is down aroundSeymour, and his high school
basketball coach, Mr John Baston, took the position as head
(02:54):
basketball coach at Richmond andasked dad if, as a former
player, if he would like to joinhim as his assistant here at
Richmond.
And it's kind of how we cameabout being here and attended
Joseph More elementary, DennisMiddle School, Richmond High
School, graduated in 1977 andmoved back here in 1987 after
(03:21):
attending college at theUniversity of Southern
Mississippi and first job out ofcollege was with local company
Bell and Warren Cable.
Then I fell in love with mywife who is now a physician at
Reed Hospital.
She's a vascular interventionalradiologist, Dr Beth Ingram,
(03:41):
and she's from Connorsville andwe've been home here since 1987.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
One question.
When I met with you beforewhich you know, even knowing you
the years that I have I didn'treally know the story.
But tell us a little bit aboutgoing to Southern Mississippi,
right?
I mean because it's kind of.
I thought that was kind ofinteresting how you ended up
there and the people that werethere.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
It was like old home week.
There were five or six guysfrom Richmond who were at the
University Frank Maurer, DavidColeman, Chris Bolli, his
brother, Greg Bolli, FrankMaurer, Jack Warfield and they
were all down there to play golfand obviously attend school and
(04:28):
for different academic reasons,and I was looking for a place
obviously to go and I was goingto go to Hanover College from
the time that I was probablyeight years of age and attended
their first basketball camp downthere with coach John Collier
and just having to be talkingwith the bullies about making a
visit who went down there andreally fell in love with the
(04:52):
University of SouthernMississippi and that's where I
decided to go, Kind of shockedparents and those who knew me
real well, but that's where Iended up.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
I'm sure your parents were supportive once you got
going down there and once theyrecovered from the shock of
going where.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Yeah, they, they, they fell in love with it too.
It was, it's very good to me.
Several just wonderful peopledown there had an opportunity to
play a basketball for a fineman by the name of coach MK Turk
and the folks and my academicadvisor just great people kind
(05:30):
of kept me in line and I got outof there and with a degree in
marketing and came home and nextthing I know I'm working for
Belden.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Right.
So, but the, the, the careerthat I'm aware of you most
spending a lot of your time isdoing officiating, and you were
a division one collegebasketball official.
Is it official or referee?
What's the proper word?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
There's a lot of words to go with it, not the
ones that the crowds yell at you.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
More of the vocational terms.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
It's either or official or referee.
Yeah, spent 28 years with that,yeah, and I would do it all over
again.
I had a great career.
My dad was obviously verysuccessful at a tier in the
state of Indiana and he was kindof the the one who I would, you
(06:25):
know, idolized.
You know, growing up alwayswanted to be like my father and
you know he just was extremelysuccessful with not only the
officiating part of, butobviously his ability to educate
young people.
And I mean I started going withdad when I was about six years
of age and traveling all overthe state of Indiana and it was
(06:49):
kind of that that once I leftschool and still want to be part
of something, the basketballofficiating kind of fell into
that category and three yearsago we called it quits you know
the different conferences thatyou worked in and I mean there's
probably some, some well-knowncoaches that you know that you
(07:13):
came across, sure, at differentschools, and you know when, when
, when, when you're watchingGames on television or maybe
you're attending, I mean thatseems like the coaches.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
I mean they're really giving you guys a hard time,
but I would a lot of times therethey're griping about calls or
whatever.
But I always suspect, whenyou're not seeing all that, some
of those you did you buildrelationships with these guys?
Or did they get to know you atall?
Or like, hey, you know they,you know, hey, kyle, how's it
going?
Or or was it more adversarialtype?
Speaker 2 (07:46):
of no, I don't think it's ever Adversarial.
I mean, there might be a shortperiod of time, you know, three
seconds or whatever word.
They're going to voice theiropinion or dissatisfaction with
any one particular thing thatmight be going on and.
You know, as far as socializingand that type thing afterwards,
prior to, that's not anythingthat we really do or did and
(08:12):
it's.
It's a give-and-take type thing,because we as officials, we
don't get it All right.
You know we're not perfect.
We're gonna miss a few,hopefully not more than a few,
because you are observed.
Every game Checks and balances,good calls, bad calls, calls.
(08:33):
It should have been made towarrant that type thing, right.
But at the end of the day, thecoaches, at that particular
level, they're gonna say whatthey got to say and then they go
back to coaching.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Yeah, they got to concentrate on the game.
A hand and their players andwhat's going on?
Speaker 2 (08:44):
So exactly yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
I just think that's interesting, that you know
that's just all the kind ofpersonalities that you would
have got to meet over.
You know, that long of a career, you know it's probably kind of
a neat thing that you got toexperience.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
It was a 28 years of just a lot of fun.
And I don't miss the, thetravel you know people ask you
know, what is it that you missthe most about it?
And it's the interaction withthe guys you know, the ones that
you work with day in, die, youknow, day out.
But the travel with theairports, the rental cars, the
(09:19):
hotels, the missed flights, the,you know, catching a new
connection After a while, that's.
I don't miss that one bit.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Yeah, yeah, so well, congratulations on such an
awesome career doing that, andso you know I Want to go back to
something that we ask everyonethat's on the hub is Because of
our association in myassociation with manpower.
(09:47):
What was your first job thatyou ever did that you can
remember like you would have gota paycheck or someone paid you
to do?
Speaker 2 (09:53):
It was your father, okay, room and power, that had a
opportunity to work at Phillipsrecording out on Rich road,
rich road.
Okay, summer between my highschool senior year in my
freshman year of college and IBelieve, if I'm correct, your
(10:16):
father was a student manager Formy dad and mr Baston with the
basketball program.
Oh, that's right.
Yeah and when the opportunitycame to look for work, you know,
dad said good, I'll see, mrAllen, and your father hooked me
up and that was my first realpaycheck, my first real job.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
You know I and it's so funny that you Tell that
story about having that job,because I never knew that and
all the times that you know Iworked at manpower and
everything that that it justnever came up to hey, I worked
there at one time, you know, soAt that time they were probably
making records, not even or wasthe cassettes or eight tracks,
(10:57):
oh no no, it was albums, yeah,yeah.
Funny, how I mean, times havechanged.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Yeah, quite a bit.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
I mean later, that facility I think transitioned
even then to Making compact discand now that that's even gone,
you know.
So that's pretty made youremember.
You remember what you got madean hour back then.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Whatever it was, I was overpaid.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
I'm sure it probably wasn't more than a couple, two
or three bucks, I don't know.
But well, that's really cool.
So as far as circle you, canyou go into a little bit about
the history of the organization,kind of how it got started and
because it's been around since79, I believe I got that part
(11:44):
right.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
And so just tell me about circle you and when a lady
who lived in the home there oneday walked out her front door
and was I don't know if she wasbreaking up leads or something
in her front yard and there wastwo or three folks that came by
on the on the sidewalk there andthey looked a little bit
(12:08):
despondent and she asked if youknow she could do anything to
help them out.
And they said well, we'rehungry.
So she offered them to comeinside and gave them bowl of
soup and a sandwich or somethinglike that.
And I think at that point timesomething went off a light bulb
went off and in essence that'spretty much how circle you got
started was the lady who firstlived in that house offered
(12:34):
somebody who was a little bitdown on their luck an
opportunity to grab a meal.
And here we are today.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
And that kind of became, I suspect, the kind of
personal ministry of hers thatjust continued to grow, and it's
in the same location is whereshe lived right, it's in the
same location.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Obviously there's been some additions to the
building that we today couldn'tdo without in terms of the
numbers that we serve right, andbut it was her, her vision that
, you know, started this thingcalled circle you help center
right.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
I mean I like to go and, like you know, we had met a
few days ago and, just becauseI wanted it, a little bit more
about the facility andeverything, because I hadn't
really I'd been in, actuallybeen in one part of it.
But you know, you've had theaddition of the warehouse and I
(13:32):
didn't really haven't seen, youknow how all the operation works
until you took me through it.
The, the warehouse is I what?
How many square feet is that?
It's like 70?
7200 square feet, okay, and soI mean there was nothing that
didn't replace the warehouse,that just was additional space.
(13:54):
Correct, correct?
Speaker 2 (13:56):
there were two properties that were where that
warehouse currently sits youknow, homes that needed to be
torn down, and we went through Iguess you know the city and the
proper procedures cut throughthe red tape to purchase those
two lots for us then to expandlike we have with with the
(14:17):
warehouse, and it's been a huge,huge benefit to us because we
can, you know, store a lot ofour items that are there, and
then we may get into this later,but during the height of the
pandemic, you know, we weregetting about 27,000 pounds of
food, you know, per month, andthat was prior to the warehouse,
and so we were having thingsstill in the lunchroom area.
(14:38):
We had a, an upstairs, threefloors in that house that we
were taking food upstairs andbringing it back downstairs as
needed.
We had a place out on the eastside of town, kronan Toyota had
a huge warehouse and back thatwas basically empty, that we
ultimately moved all of ourthings out there and ran our
(14:59):
food pantries basicallypreparing for our food pantries
out there with all the boxes andthings that we were doing, and
then would bring them back intoCircle U and with the addition
of the facility, now we're ableto do all of that in-house, just
keep it all in one locationyou've got.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
You've got the original home, you've got, I
guess, the original extension,which is really kind of where
your kitchen and the wherepeople come for their meals,
correct, and then that kind oftunnels over to where the main
warehouse is now, where you keep, you have freezers there and
you have your inventory there,and then I don't.
(15:40):
I guess we can talk about thispart of it now when, so you
you're on sat one Saturday everymonth, you do like a food
pickup, correct, and it's kindof neat how you, how you set up
that warehouse.
You have a door on each end ofit and so people, what time do
you start serving or giving,distributing the food on?
Speaker 2 (16:01):
our pantry runs from two to about three, three thirty
to put up on one.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
You know we run out of boxes, okay, and that's the
third Saturday of each month sopeople, they come anticipating
to go through the line and theyactually pull their cars in yep
and then pop the trunks andvolunteers put the food in, and
how do you track, I mean, who'scoming or going?
(16:28):
I mean I mean I'm sure thatjust out of people's privacy you
don't really collect a lot ofpersonal information, but I mean
, how does that work?
Is there coming through theline?
All we?
Speaker 2 (16:39):
ask for is a name, an address, number of folks in
your household.
I mean, if there's, you may bepicking up for a friend and we
usually like to have thatindividual.
Maybe they can't drive or theydon't have transportation okay,
with that particular person.
To clarify, there are twodifferent households.
(17:01):
But if you know, my thoughtsare, and the board and the folks
that are closely affiliatedwith circle you.
Our thoughts are that if you'rehungry and you have a need for
food, we're not going to askquestions, we're just going to
get you your name, get youraddress and get you what you
(17:21):
need to get by for the nextcouple three weeks, right?
Speaker 1 (17:24):
so people drive there , but they also just they should
arrive on foot, oh yeah, andcarry it back wherever they're
going because you know a lot ofthe the folks here around north
13th, 14th, 12th street.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
There the weather here right lately has been
excellent.
They walk there and they takethe box and go home.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Do you?
Do you find that most of yourclients um at Circle U are
really kind of just from theneighboring, from the
neighborhood, or does it expandout greater than that?
Do you even know?
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Well, no, I would say that 80% of of who we serve on
our pantry days are fromprobably a six block area, um,
closer to 90,.
95% of who we serve during ourmeal services Monday's, tuesdays
and Saturdays are from rightwithin that area.
You know two or three blocks,um, you know you'd have to take
(18:20):
a look at the addresses that weget from those, uh, that you
know the drive in for the foodpantry, um, but primarily it's a
I would probably play six toeight block area that the
majority of our clients comefrom.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
I mean, actually I'm pretty familiar with that
neighborhood because I literallygrew up only nine blocks from
where, from where your, yourcenter is, where Circle U is, uh
, on North 22nd street, and also, um, during high school I
worked on a bus route a churchbus route that picked up kids
(18:55):
and took them to the church onSunday, and uh, so all those
homes in that area were were thefamilies that we took their
kids to church sometimes adultswould, but it was mainly just
little kids were going toSonny's School and church and uh
so, uh, that that neighborhoodis, for whatever reason, has
(19:19):
really been kind of a needy areafor a long time.
Yes, the North end, yeah itreally has and uh, I don't know
what that speaks of ourcommunity, but uh, it's just,
it's just been that way and uh,it's really great that Circle U
has been there as a help to allthose families in that area.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
And and they truly appreciate to have an
opportunity or a place withwhich they can go, uh, to help
offset some of us, particularlyhere of late, you know, with the
prices of groceries and uh, youknow the paycheck only goes so
far.
And it's not like, uh, themajority of our people aren't
(19:59):
trying to find employment oraren't employed, it's just, you
know, they may have, you know,household of four and are
working for 14, 15 bucks an hour.
And you know, you're trying topay for, uh, your car payment,
you're trying to pay yourutility bills, you try to pay
your phone bills.
At the end of the month it'slike, well, you've only got next
number of dollars left.
And to have a resource likeCircle U for them to come to
(20:23):
when those times are uh andthey're in need, it's fulfilling
from our end.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
You do your your weekly um service, you do the
monthly.
But Thanksgiving is kind of abig day for Circle U, or at
least the biggest holiday where,where your services are most
put to work, correct?
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
What's what?
How does that?
How's that different?
Or what does that look like?
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Well, what's different is that, through
volunteers who come into ourfacility and help pack a a box
of of of yams, green beans Uh,you know, in this case it was
hamsticks, pumpkin pie, roll andbutter Uh, we, we had the
(21:11):
clamshells and we probably hadclose to 60 volunteers come in
this year, uh, along with folkswho drive, and we delivered over
I think it was approximately842 meals on Thanksgiving day
that normally we don't deliverbecause we just don't have the
resources.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Right.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
But on this particular day, uh, thanksgiving
day, and it's been somethingthat's been going on for quite
some time folks in this cityfrom around the area, uh, they
show up Thanksgiving morningright around eight o'clock and
next thing, you know, at nine,nine, 15, we're out the doors
and by noon everybody has aThanksgiving meal.
(21:49):
And it's a.
It's a huge undertaking, uh,but the the organization of it,
and, again, it was all put inplace long before I got there.
It's just an amazing thing tosee.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Right, I mean it's.
I think probably it's a kind ofan annual kind of service
tradition for a lot of peopleand a lot of families that this
is something that they decidethat they're going to do every
year from the standpoint of thevolunteers.
Yeah, the volunteers?
Yeah, Probably.
Uh well, uh, how many yearshave you been the director?
Speaker 2 (22:19):
This is my third year , so you've probably just in
three years you've probably seenthe same lot of state people
coming and they respond withemails leading up to hey, we're
still playing on volunteering,we're still going to be doing
the Thanksgiving meals.
What do you need me to do?
What can we do to help?
And you don't ever want to turnvolunteers away, obviously.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Right.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
And um so the fact that they they're willing to get
that.
We had volunteers this yearcame and helped organize our
shelves, our pantry shelves,until it was time to either take
meals to deliver or begin.
You know the rotation ofputting the clamshells and the
meals together just because theywanted to be there.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
So uh, we talked about your.
You know your previous career.
How did it come about that youdecided that you're going to get
involved and circle you andbecome executive director?
Speaker 2 (23:13):
I mean, I had been on the board probably for seven,
maybe eight years Okay, prior to, uh, my taking the position as
executive director, the previousexecutive director took another
position and I was, you know, Iwas on the board, I had just
really retired, if I can usethat word, from, you know,
officiating basketball and Ijust knew that I had to be doing
(23:38):
something.
I mean, I can only play golf inIndiana so many days out of
year.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Right.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
So, unfortunately, yeah, unfortunately, and so I, I
approached the board, or madeit known that if they were
comfortable with hiring me orputting me in that position, I
would, you know, relish theopportunity, would maybe, uh,
would love to have theopportunity to do it.
And they voted yay, and so herewe are.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
Yeah, that's awesome.
That's all I think it's greatthat you're doing that.
Back to the mission and whatyou do.
How is Circle U funded?
How do you get the money to dothe things that you've got to do
?
Speaker 2 (24:20):
A lot of it, the majority of it, uh, in terms of
paying for the lights, thephones, uh, some of the food
through private donations.
Okay, um, we do a lot of, uh,fundraising.
Uh, we have this uh, there's aprogram through the state of
Indiana called the neighborhoodassistance program and we had
(24:44):
this year roughly $11,250 ofstate tax credits that we could
sell.
But for those folks and for usto get the full $11,250 that we
had to sell $22,500 worth ofdonations for the last five, six
(25:06):
, seven years.
By the December 31st we havesold 100% of those state tax
credits.
So that's part of a fundingthat we get.
The others come from corporatefolks here in town, private
citizens, and we just started afundraiser here first part of
(25:27):
the month.
We have a private donor who haspledged $25,000, dollar for
dollar up through the end ofJanuary, up to and including
$25,000 for each month dollar wecan raise.
So if we can raise $15,000,this individual said he'll
donate $15,000.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
But you're hoping to get the whole 25,000?
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Hoping to get the 25,000.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Well, how does that?
Speaker 2 (25:52):
look, just this past week in fact.
I just made a deposit today andwe're right around $4,800.
And the checks really just wentout right after Thanksgiving.
So we're already starting tosee folks respond.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
So those following this podcast, they still have a
chance to help make up that20,000 that you can still match
Absolutely, and they can sendtheir donation to post office
box 491 here in Richmond, 47375.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
And there's a 501C3.
All those donations are taxdeductible and as we're a
nonprofit so I say it all time,mike, what we do at Circle U
we're not the only food pantryin town, there are several
others, but we're not really incompetition with any of them we
(26:45):
can't do what we do without thesupport of the folks here in
Wayne County and it's this cityis a very, very.
This county, this area is avery, very giving place.
And shout out to them becausefolks like us and others can't
do what we do.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Right.
It does amaze me how many notfor profits exist within our
county, within, within Richmond,and the money that they need to
receive to do, to operate whatthey do, and there's a lot.
We have a lot and there's a lotthat's done and for a community
(27:25):
that isn't necessarily seen alot of growth, but we but there
are.
There are great givers andcompassionate people and, and so
you know, you speak well ofthem and it speaks well of our
community.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
We have a collaboration with communities
and schools and there are 22schools in Wayne County and of
those 22 schools there's roughly, I'd say, 9,000 students maybe
a little bit more and there's astatistic out, according to
Feeding America, that just inthis area of Wayne County,
(28:02):
roughly 20% of those students ofthat 9,000 are food insecure.
Food insecure for those who maynot understand what that term
or phrase means is that, as anexample, you might go home today
after school and you may noteat until you come back to
school on Monday morning.
So part of our collaborationwith communities and schools is
(28:24):
to seek funding through grantsthat we at Circle U and
communities and schools with thecollaborative effort can seek
funding for, to purchase healthy, nutritious snacks for those
students who've been identifiedby the 22 site coordinators as
being food insecure or needy.
Or in that case, some, someyoung person comes to school
(28:47):
Monday and they're just hungry,right, give them a little snack
to get them through untillunchtime.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
You know because I'm a community and schools mentor
and I had no idea that they had.
You had a, you know, apartnership with them and and
there's food there that I see,Yep, and that's coming from your
partnership.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
The snacks would be absolutely yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Absolutely.
Who are some of your otherpartners in the community?
We do a lot with the Boys andGirls.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
Club.
But they're, they and and andof themselves are are wonderful
people.
I mean, what they do for theyouth of this community is
really unmatched.
We get along and do some thingswith the veterans VFW post 1108
.
And every the fourth Tuesday ofeach month we have a food
(29:39):
pantry specifically for theveterans, and the difference
being there is that they run it.
We will supply some of the drygoods and they in turn will
finance us to pick up frozenmeat items.
But they ask for and rightfullyso, you know an ID and I don't
(30:01):
know probably anywhere from 90,95 to 100, 110 boxes each month
that through the VFW we willhelp support that cause.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
So we're, but that's not done at your location, or is
it?
Speaker 2 (30:12):
No, it's not, it's at the V off the VA clinic there
off of North J.
Okay.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
Behind the VA clinic, but that's another partnership
that you have.
So what are some of?
We've talked about how generousthe community is, but I would I
don't want to make too manyassumptions, but I would assume
that one of the one of yourpotential struggles or
(30:37):
opportunities is is is financing, getting enough money to do the
operation Correct?
So that's one of it.
Is there any other, anythingelse that presents that?
You have Anything else thatpresents kind of a challenge to
the organization right now thatwould be good for people to know
about?
Speaker 2 (30:52):
The you hit on it.
Our, our biggest issue is andwe understand that we can't be
everything to everyone Sure Um,finances, monetary donations,
things that we can do on our onour own to go out and purchase
(31:16):
necessary food items to offset.
I think I mentioned earlierthat during the high of the
pandemic we were getting 27,000pounds of food a month.
Just this past month we've gota little over 2000.
Well, that's over a 90% dropand the pandemic itself was a
(31:36):
pandemic, obviously, but foodinsecurity in and of itself is a
pandemic and that issue here,as amongst other places
throughout the country, isgrowing.
So you get a 90% drop in whatyou were being given through
(31:57):
Gleaners Food Bank and then anincrease of roughly 20% or more
in what you're having to serve.
We got to figure out a way tomake up that shortage.
And if you've, like I've said,if you've seen the prices in the
grocery store, it's almostimpossible.
We got a great donation fromDot Foods here not too long ago
(32:19):
Roughly $5,000, where we wereable to fill out a list of
things that we would want tohelp through our food
distribution.
If it weren't for somethinglike that as a community partner
from them, we'd have to put$60,000 in our budget just to
feed about 100 people, becausethat's about what $5,000 goes,
(32:42):
that's about how far it goes.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
And you don't really have a lot of employees I mean
it's just volunteers and thenthe resources that you need to
gain to feed people Right.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
There's three employees, yeah, other than
myself.
Now, like I said, I've got thistitle of executive director,
but there are six women who havebeen there almost from day one,
who have over 120 years ofvolunteer experience.
So I just do what they tell me.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Yeah, I'm sure it's a wise.
It's wise of your part.
Don't say that too loudly.
So currently, in the future, Imean facility-wise, do you think
you're in pretty good shaperight now?
I mean, do we have it?
Is that?
What are some of the needsmoving forward there, you think?
Speaker 2 (33:32):
We are in probably as good a shape as we could
possibly be in all thingsconsidered, you know, with the
addition of the warehouse.
As far as you know needs andwants and those type things,
again, it just boils down to themore we can get in terms of
(33:54):
food products dry goods inparticular that we can hand out,
the better.
We've had schools that you knowhave done, you know, food
drives.
We've had local businesses thatdo food drives and, like you
said in your introduction andintroductory remarks, this is a
time of year where a lot of thatgets done and we're just
blessed to have, you know, thatkind of support because every
(34:17):
little bit helps.
I mean, you see on Fox 59 Newsall the time about the food
banks, cleaners and Midwest foodand that $5 will feed a family
of four for, you know, two weeksor whatever the case may be.
Well, a lot of what they do atcleaners and Midwest that's, who
supplies or helps supply uswith the products that we need
(34:41):
Cleaners is once a month dropand you know what they do is a
food bank.
The service bank is 20, 22, 23counties about the state of
Indiana and people will say,well, how come the shortage?
You know from the pandemic.
Well, during the pandemic thefederal government was pushing
things out to help with theissue of hunger and food and the
(35:07):
pandemic itself.
Well, as the country got a holdof the pandemic, well then the
federal government kind ofpulled back on what they were
forcing out.
So the cleaners they get, sothey get a thousand pounds and
they've got 22 counties.
There's only so much that theycan distribute equally to the
(35:28):
you know, food pantriesthroughout the state.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
So financial contributions are great because
that allows you to use thosefunds to get exactly what you
need.
Definitely, if people have timethey want to serve, they
contact Circle U.
You'll do everything you can tokind of plug them in where they
(35:52):
can help the organization.
And then it comes to fooddonations and although I'm sure
you appreciate any kind ofdonation that is made, there's
probably some donations that arebetter received than others.
Is that fair to say?
Speaker 2 (36:12):
Yeah, absolutely.
We have a part of the foodrescue program here locally with
Reed Hospital, kroger, walmart,needlers, starbucks.
Those places, particularly Reed, will take food that they serve
through the week for you knowtheir patients, and then what
(36:33):
they have left over they havefrozen and we pick up once a
week to then use, you know, forour own hot meal service.
Places like Walmart and Krogerdonate dry good items, frozen
meat items, pastries, starbucksbagels, cake pops.
I mean it's a great thing.
Speaker 1 (36:59):
So what's the best kind of donations that you can
give?
Someone says, hey, I'd reallylike to donate, but what should
I give them?
You know what are the mostefficient types of food
donations that you could receiveif just the general public's
trying to help out Can goods,box goods, dry goods, as they're
called, it's hard to take, meatitems and that type thing.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
We really don't want to do that, even though you know
we're getting them from you,say like Walmart and you know
Kroger and that type thing.
But those things are, they'redated, you know what you're
getting when they're past a duedate and that type thing.
There are certain things thatyou have to do, obviously from a
standpoint of the best used bydate.
(37:48):
Milk, dairy products we don'tget into because it's I mean, we
do through cleaners, but as faras donations and that type
thing, we tend to shy away from.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
Well, I just want to cover that because if you know,
if people want to help us,sometimes you know we want to
direct them, how they can helpthe most you know and you don't
want to be, you know, pickyabout those kind of things, but
it is important that, especiallywhen we're talking about food
items, I just thought it wasimportant for the public to
understand, you know.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Bottled water, gatorade it's about anything
that anybody would be thinkingwould be helpful to someone who
might be hungry, other than afrozen food item.
Sure, we're good.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Great.
Anything else that you want toshare?
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Thank you for the opportunity for us to come here
and, you know, tell our story.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Well, you're a real trooper.
I know that it hasn't shown,but I know you're just a little
bit under the weather today, soI do appreciate you coming and
doing this.
So so I hope that, afterhearing about Circle U today,
that our followers areencouraged to support them by
donating, volunteering or evenboth, and if you go to
(39:02):
circleUorg, there is a linkgiving you several options to
help and that's Circle theLetter U.
So, circleuorg, kyle, thank youfor joining us on the hub and I
really thank you for the workyou're doing in our community
and Circle U as a whole, mikethank you, and don't forget, you
(39:25):
give me three shots aside.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
I'm starting in March .
Speaker 1 (39:28):
Okay, we're talking about golf.
Hey, thanks to Manpower, oursponsor, we've been in the
community since 1966 andinvested community partner
helping companies and employmentseekers when.
So, for more information onManpower, you can go to
mprichmancom.
(39:49):
That's mprichmancom, thank you.
Hello and welcome to the hub powered by manpower of
Richmond.
I am your host, michael Allen,and here on the hub we interview
local business leaders,community partners and various
special guests, and our missionis to share unique and untold
stories of companies,organizations and people who are
making a difference in ourcommunity.
(00:25):
Manpower of Richmond, thesponsor of the hub, is a
national staffing brand, yetwe're a locally owned franchise
and we are familiar with thechallenges businesses face.
It is tough recruiting andretaining talent and we are here
to help manage your hiring andtraining and provide some
ongoing support.
So today's guests here in thehub is Kyle Ingram.
(00:48):
He's the executive director ofthe Circle U Help Center located
at 19 or 13 street.
Given the time of the year, wereally wanted to try to talk to
a local not-for-profit that'sreally designed to help meet
some of the basic needs ofpeople in our community, and
(01:09):
Circle U has been serving thelocal community since 1979.
And presently they serve over1600 hot meals monthly, and this
includes about 80 meals thatare delivered each Saturday to
shut-ins around our community.
And they currently servebreakfast and lunch on Mondays,
tuesdays and Saturdays, andtheir food pantry operates on
(01:33):
the third Saturday of each month.
So Kyle Ingram welcome to thehub, mr Allen, great to be here.
Hey, so happy to have you here,get to talk to you.
Full disclosure, kyle is a goodfriend of mine and, despite that
, I'm having life more thanhaving me here today and but had
(01:55):
a lot of good times with Kyleand just excited about having
him here to talk about Circle U.
We're definitely here to talkabout Circle U, kyle, but,
however, I do want to spend alittle bit of time talking to
you personally about just youbeing from Richmond and where
you spent most of your life inour community, and I just
(02:18):
believe that you know hearingyour personal story would be
really interesting to ourfollowers.
So I guess, that being said,would you just tell us a little
bit about yourself.
You know, being from Richmondand on going.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Grew up, obviously here.
My father, mother, I think wemoved in here in 1961.
Father started his high schoolteaching career at Madora High
School, which is down aroundSeymour, and his high school
basketball coach, Mr John Baston, took the position as head
(02:54):
basketball coach at Richmond andasked dad if, as a former
player, if he would like to joinhim as his assistant here at
Richmond.
And it's kind of how we cameabout being here and attended
Joseph More elementary, DennisMiddle School, Richmond High
School, graduated in 1977 andmoved back here in 1987 after
(03:21):
attending college at theUniversity of Southern
Mississippi and first job out ofcollege was with local company
Bell and Warren Cable.
Then I fell in love with mywife who is now a physician at
Reed Hospital.
She's a vascular interventionalradiologist, Dr Beth Ingram,
(03:41):
and she's from Connorsville andwe've been home here since 1987.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
One question.
When I met with you beforewhich you know, even knowing you
the years that I have I didn'treally know the story.
But tell us a little bit aboutgoing to Southern Mississippi,
right?
I mean because it's kind of.
I thought that was kind ofinteresting how you ended up
there and the people that werethere.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
It was like old home week.
There were five or six guysfrom Richmond who were at the
University Frank Maurer, DavidColeman, Chris Bolli, his
brother, Greg Bolli, FrankMaurer, Jack Warfield and they
were all down there to play golfand obviously attend school and
(04:28):
for different academic reasons,and I was looking for a place
obviously to go and I was goingto go to Hanover College from
the time that I was probablyeight years of age and attended
their first basketball camp downthere with coach John Collier
and just having to be talkingwith the bullies about making a
visit who went down there andreally fell in love with the
(04:52):
University of SouthernMississippi and that's where I
decided to go, Kind of shockedparents and those who knew me
real well, but that's where Iended up.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
I'm sure your parents were supportive once you got
going down there and once theyrecovered from the shock of
going where.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Yeah, they, they, they fell in love with it too.
It was, it's very good to me.
Several just wonderful peopledown there had an opportunity to
play a basketball for a fineman by the name of coach MK Turk
and the folks and my academicadvisor just great people kind
(05:30):
of kept me in line and I got outof there and with a degree in
marketing and came home and nextthing I know I'm working for
Belden.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Right.
So, but the, the, the careerthat I'm aware of you most
spending a lot of your time isdoing officiating, and you were
a division one collegebasketball official.
Is it official or referee?
What's the proper word?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
There's a lot of words to go with it, not the
ones that the crowds yell at you.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
More of the vocational terms.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
It's either or official or referee.
Yeah, spent 28 years with that,yeah, and I would do it all over
again.
I had a great career.
My dad was obviously verysuccessful at a tier in the
state of Indiana and he was kindof the the one who I would, you
(06:25):
know, idolized.
You know, growing up alwayswanted to be like my father and
you know he just was extremelysuccessful with not only the
officiating part of, butobviously his ability to educate
young people.
And I mean I started going withdad when I was about six years
of age and traveling all overthe state of Indiana and it was
(06:49):
kind of that that once I leftschool and still want to be part
of something, the basketballofficiating kind of fell into
that category and three yearsago we called it quits you know
the different conferences thatyou worked in and I mean there's
probably some, some well-knowncoaches that you know that you
(07:13):
came across, sure, at differentschools, and you know when, when
, when, when you're watchingGames on television or maybe
you're attending, I mean thatseems like the coaches.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
I mean they're really giving you guys a hard time,
but I would a lot of times therethey're griping about calls or
whatever.
But I always suspect, whenyou're not seeing all that, some
of those you did you buildrelationships with these guys?
Or did they get to know you atall?
Or like, hey, you know they,you know, hey, kyle, how's it
going?
Or or was it more adversarialtype?
Speaker 2 (07:46):
of no, I don't think it's ever Adversarial.
I mean, there might be a shortperiod of time, you know, three
seconds or whatever word.
They're going to voice theiropinion or dissatisfaction with
any one particular thing thatmight be going on and.
You know, as far as socializingand that type thing afterwards,
prior to, that's not anythingthat we really do or did and
(08:12):
it's.
It's a give-and-take type thing,because we as officials, we
don't get it All right.
You know we're not perfect.
We're gonna miss a few,hopefully not more than a few,
because you are observed.
Every game Checks and balances,good calls, bad calls, calls.
(08:33):
It should have been made towarrant that type thing, right.
But at the end of the day, thecoaches, at that particular
level, they're gonna say whatthey got to say and then they go
back to coaching.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Yeah, they got to concentrate on the game.
A hand and their players andwhat's going on?
Speaker 2 (08:44):
So exactly yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
I just think that's interesting, that you know
that's just all the kind ofpersonalities that you would
have got to meet over.
You know, that long of a career, you know it's probably kind of
a neat thing that you got toexperience.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
It was a 28 years of just a lot of fun.
And I don't miss the, thetravel you know people ask you
know, what is it that you missthe most about it?
And it's the interaction withthe guys you know, the ones that
you work with day in, die, youknow, day out.
But the travel with theairports, the rental cars, the
(09:19):
hotels, the missed flights, the,you know, catching a new
connection After a while, that's.
I don't miss that one bit.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Yeah, yeah, so well, congratulations on such an
awesome career doing that, andso you know I Want to go back to
something that we ask everyonethat's on the hub is Because of
our association in myassociation with manpower.
(09:47):
What was your first job thatyou ever did that you can
remember like you would have gota paycheck or someone paid you
to do?
Speaker 2 (09:53):
It was your father, okay, room and power, that had a
opportunity to work at Phillipsrecording out on Rich road,
rich road.
Okay, summer between my highschool senior year in my
freshman year of college and IBelieve, if I'm correct, your
(10:16):
father was a student manager Formy dad and mr Baston with the
basketball program.
Oh, that's right.
Yeah and when the opportunitycame to look for work, you know,
dad said good, I'll see, mrAllen, and your father hooked me
up and that was my first realpaycheck, my first real job.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
You know I and it's so funny that you Tell that
story about having that job,because I never knew that and
all the times that you know Iworked at manpower and
everything that that it justnever came up to hey, I worked
there at one time, you know, soAt that time they were probably
making records, not even or wasthe cassettes or eight tracks,
(10:57):
oh no no, it was albums, yeah,yeah.
Funny, how I mean, times havechanged.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Yeah, quite a bit.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
I mean later, that facility I think transitioned
even then to Making compact discand now that that's even gone,
you know.
So that's pretty made youremember.
You remember what you got madean hour back then.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Whatever it was, I was overpaid.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
I'm sure it probably wasn't more than a couple, two
or three bucks, I don't know.
But well, that's really cool.
So as far as circle you, canyou go into a little bit about
the history of the organization,kind of how it got started and
because it's been around since79, I believe I got that part
(11:44):
right.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
And so just tell me about circle you and when a lady
who lived in the home there oneday walked out her front door
and was I don't know if she wasbreaking up leads or something
in her front yard and there wastwo or three folks that came by
on the on the sidewalk there andthey looked a little bit
(12:08):
despondent and she asked if youknow she could do anything to
help them out.
And they said well, we'rehungry.
So she offered them to comeinside and gave them bowl of
soup and a sandwich or somethinglike that.
And I think at that point timesomething went off a light bulb
went off and in essence that'spretty much how circle you got
started was the lady who firstlived in that house offered
(12:34):
somebody who was a little bitdown on their luck an
opportunity to grab a meal.
And here we are today.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
And that kind of became, I suspect, the kind of
personal ministry of hers thatjust continued to grow, and it's
in the same location is whereshe lived right, it's in the
same location.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Obviously there's been some additions to the
building that we today couldn'tdo without in terms of the
numbers that we serve right, andbut it was her, her vision that
, you know, started this thingcalled circle you help center
right.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
I mean I like to go and, like you know, we had met a
few days ago and, just becauseI wanted it, a little bit more
about the facility andeverything, because I hadn't
really I'd been in, actuallybeen in one part of it.
But you know, you've had theaddition of the warehouse and I
(13:32):
didn't really haven't seen, youknow how all the operation works
until you took me through it.
The, the warehouse is I what?
How many square feet is that?
It's like 70?
7200 square feet, okay, and soI mean there was nothing that
didn't replace the warehouse,that just was additional space.
(13:54):
Correct, correct?
Speaker 2 (13:56):
there were two properties that were where that
warehouse currently sits youknow, homes that needed to be
torn down, and we went through Iguess you know the city and the
proper procedures cut throughthe red tape to purchase those
two lots for us then to expandlike we have with with the
(14:17):
warehouse, and it's been a huge,huge benefit to us because we
can, you know, store a lot ofour items that are there, and
then we may get into this later,but during the height of the
pandemic, you know, we weregetting about 27,000 pounds of
food, you know, per month, andthat was prior to the warehouse,
and so we were having thingsstill in the lunchroom area.
(14:38):
We had a, an upstairs, threefloors in that house that we
were taking food upstairs andbringing it back downstairs as
needed.
We had a place out on the eastside of town, kronan Toyota had
a huge warehouse and back thatwas basically empty, that we
ultimately moved all of ourthings out there and ran our
(14:59):
food pantries basicallypreparing for our food pantries
out there with all the boxes andthings that we were doing, and
then would bring them back intoCircle U and with the addition
of the facility, now we're ableto do all of that in-house, just
keep it all in one locationyou've got.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
You've got the original home, you've got, I
guess, the original extension,which is really kind of where
your kitchen and the wherepeople come for their meals,
correct, and then that kind oftunnels over to where the main
warehouse is now, where you keep, you have freezers there and
you have your inventory there,and then I don't.
(15:40):
I guess we can talk about thispart of it now when, so you
you're on sat one Saturday everymonth, you do like a food
pickup, correct, and it's kindof neat how you, how you set up
that warehouse.
You have a door on each end ofit and so people, what time do
you start serving or giving,distributing the food on?
Speaker 2 (16:01):
our pantry runs from two to about three, three thirty
to put up on one.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
You know we run out of boxes, okay, and that's the
third Saturday of each month sopeople, they come anticipating
to go through the line and theyactually pull their cars in yep
and then pop the trunks andvolunteers put the food in, and
how do you track, I mean, who'scoming or going?
(16:28):
I mean I mean I'm sure thatjust out of people's privacy you
don't really collect a lot ofpersonal information, but I mean
, how does that work?
Is there coming through theline?
All we?
Speaker 2 (16:39):
ask for is a name, an address, number of folks in
your household.
I mean, if there's, you may bepicking up for a friend and we
usually like to have thatindividual.
Maybe they can't drive or theydon't have transportation okay,
with that particular person.
To clarify, there are twodifferent households.
(17:01):
But if you know, my thoughtsare, and the board and the folks
that are closely affiliatedwith circle you.
Our thoughts are that if you'rehungry and you have a need for
food, we're not going to askquestions, we're just going to
get you your name, get youraddress and get you what you
(17:21):
need to get by for the nextcouple three weeks, right?
Speaker 1 (17:24):
so people drive there , but they also just they should
arrive on foot, oh yeah, andcarry it back wherever they're
going because you know a lot ofthe the folks here around north
13th, 14th, 12th street.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
There the weather here right lately has been
excellent.
They walk there and they takethe box and go home.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Do you?
Do you find that most of yourclients um at Circle U are
really kind of just from theneighboring, from the
neighborhood, or does it expandout greater than that?
Do you even know?
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Well, no, I would say that 80% of of who we serve on
our pantry days are fromprobably a six block area, um,
closer to 90,.
95% of who we serve during ourmeal services Monday's, tuesdays
and Saturdays are from rightwithin that area.
You know two or three blocks,um, you know you'd have to take
(18:20):
a look at the addresses that weget from those, uh, that you
know the drive in for the foodpantry, um, but primarily it's a
I would probably play six toeight block area that the
majority of our clients comefrom.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
I mean, actually I'm pretty familiar with that
neighborhood because I literallygrew up only nine blocks from
where, from where your, yourcenter is, where Circle U is, uh
, on North 22nd street, and also, um, during high school I
worked on a bus route a churchbus route that picked up kids
(18:55):
and took them to the church onSunday, and uh, so all those
homes in that area were were thefamilies that we took their
kids to church sometimes adultswould, but it was mainly just
little kids were going toSonny's School and church and uh
so, uh, that that neighborhoodis, for whatever reason, has
(19:19):
really been kind of a needy areafor a long time.
Yes, the North end, yeah itreally has and uh, I don't know
what that speaks of ourcommunity, but uh, it's just,
it's just been that way and uh,it's really great that Circle U
has been there as a help to allthose families in that area.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
And and they truly appreciate to have an
opportunity or a place withwhich they can go, uh, to help
offset some of us, particularlyhere of late, you know, with the
prices of groceries and uh, youknow the paycheck only goes so
far.
And it's not like, uh, themajority of our people aren't
(19:59):
trying to find employment oraren't employed, it's just, you
know, they may have, you know,household of four and are
working for 14, 15 bucks an hour.
And you know, you're trying topay for, uh, your car payment,
you're trying to pay yourutility bills, you try to pay
your phone bills.
At the end of the month it'slike, well, you've only got next
number of dollars left.
And to have a resource likeCircle U for them to come to
(20:23):
when those times are uh andthey're in need, it's fulfilling
from our end.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
You do your your weekly um service, you do the
monthly.
But Thanksgiving is kind of abig day for Circle U, or at
least the biggest holiday where,where your services are most
put to work, correct?
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
What's what?
How does that?
How's that different?
Or what does that look like?
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Well, what's different is that, through
volunteers who come into ourfacility and help pack a a box
of of of yams, green beans Uh,you know, in this case it was
hamsticks, pumpkin pie, roll andbutter Uh, we, we had the
(21:11):
clamshells and we probably hadclose to 60 volunteers come in
this year, uh, along with folkswho drive, and we delivered over
I think it was approximately842 meals on Thanksgiving day
that normally we don't deliverbecause we just don't have the
resources.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Right.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
But on this particular day, uh, thanksgiving
day, and it's been somethingthat's been going on for quite
some time folks in this cityfrom around the area, uh, they
show up Thanksgiving morningright around eight o'clock and
next thing, you know, at nine,nine, 15, we're out the doors
and by noon everybody has aThanksgiving meal.
(21:49):
And it's a.
It's a huge undertaking, uh,but the the organization of it,
and, again, it was all put inplace long before I got there.
It's just an amazing thing tosee.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Right, I mean it's.
I think probably it's a kind ofan annual kind of service
tradition for a lot of peopleand a lot of families that this
is something that they decidethat they're going to do every
year from the standpoint of thevolunteers.
Yeah, the volunteers?
Yeah, Probably.
Uh well, uh, how many yearshave you been the director?
Speaker 2 (22:19):
This is my third year , so you've probably just in
three years you've probably seenthe same lot of state people
coming and they respond withemails leading up to hey, we're
still playing on volunteering,we're still going to be doing
the Thanksgiving meals.
What do you need me to do?
What can we do to help?
And you don't ever want to turnvolunteers away, obviously.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Right.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
And um so the fact that they they're willing to get
that.
We had volunteers this yearcame and helped organize our
shelves, our pantry shelves,until it was time to either take
meals to deliver or begin.
You know the rotation ofputting the clamshells and the
meals together just because theywanted to be there.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
So uh, we talked about your.
You know your previous career.
How did it come about that youdecided that you're going to get
involved and circle you andbecome executive director?
Speaker 2 (23:13):
I mean, I had been on the board probably for seven,
maybe eight years Okay, prior to, uh, my taking the position as
executive director, the previousexecutive director took another
position and I was, you know, Iwas on the board, I had just
really retired, if I can usethat word, from, you know,
officiating basketball and Ijust knew that I had to be doing
(23:38):
something.
I mean, I can only play golf inIndiana so many days out of
year.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Right.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
So, unfortunately, yeah, unfortunately, and so I, I
approached the board, or madeit known that if they were
comfortable with hiring me orputting me in that position, I
would, you know, relish theopportunity, would maybe, uh,
would love to have theopportunity to do it.
And they voted yay, and so herewe are.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
Yeah, that's awesome.
That's all I think it's greatthat you're doing that.
Back to the mission and whatyou do.
How is Circle U funded?
How do you get the money to dothe things that you've got to do
?
Speaker 2 (24:20):
A lot of it, the majority of it, uh, in terms of
paying for the lights, thephones, uh, some of the food
through private donations.
Okay, um, we do a lot of, uh,fundraising.
Uh, we have this uh, there's aprogram through the state of
Indiana called the neighborhoodassistance program and we had
(24:44):
this year roughly $11,250 ofstate tax credits that we could
sell.
But for those folks and for usto get the full $11,250 that we
had to sell $22,500 worth ofdonations for the last five, six
(25:06):
, seven years.
By the December 31st we havesold 100% of those state tax
credits.
So that's part of a fundingthat we get.
The others come from corporatefolks here in town, private
citizens, and we just started afundraiser here first part of
(25:27):
the month.
We have a private donor who haspledged $25,000, dollar for
dollar up through the end ofJanuary, up to and including
$25,000 for each month dollar wecan raise.
So if we can raise $15,000,this individual said he'll
donate $15,000.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
But you're hoping to get the whole 25,000?
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Hoping to get the 25,000.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Well, how does that?
Speaker 2 (25:52):
look, just this past week in fact.
I just made a deposit today andwe're right around $4,800.
And the checks really just wentout right after Thanksgiving.
So we're already starting tosee folks respond.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
So those following this podcast, they still have a
chance to help make up that20,000 that you can still match
Absolutely, and they can sendtheir donation to post office
box 491 here in Richmond, 47375.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
And there's a 501C3.
All those donations are taxdeductible and as we're a
nonprofit so I say it all time,mike, what we do at Circle U
we're not the only food pantryin town, there are several
others, but we're not really incompetition with any of them we
(26:45):
can't do what we do without thesupport of the folks here in
Wayne County and it's this cityis a very, very.
This county, this area is avery, very giving place.
And shout out to them becausefolks like us and others can't
do what we do.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Right.
It does amaze me how many notfor profits exist within our
county, within, within Richmond,and the money that they need to
receive to do, to operate whatthey do, and there's a lot.
We have a lot and there's a lotthat's done and for a community
(27:25):
that isn't necessarily seen alot of growth, but we but there
are.
There are great givers andcompassionate people and, and so
you know, you speak well ofthem and it speaks well of our
community.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
We have a collaboration with communities
and schools and there are 22schools in Wayne County and of
those 22 schools there's roughly, I'd say, 9,000 students maybe
a little bit more and there's astatistic out, according to
Feeding America, that just inthis area of Wayne County,
(28:02):
roughly 20% of those students ofthat 9,000 are food insecure.
Food insecure for those who maynot understand what that term
or phrase means is that, as anexample, you might go home today
after school and you may noteat until you come back to
school on Monday morning.
So part of our collaborationwith communities and schools is
(28:24):
to seek funding through grantsthat we at Circle U and
communities and schools with thecollaborative effort can seek
funding for, to purchase healthy, nutritious snacks for those
students who've been identifiedby the 22 site coordinators as
being food insecure or needy.
Or in that case, some, someyoung person comes to school
(28:47):
Monday and they're just hungry,right, give them a little snack
to get them through untillunchtime.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
You know because I'm a community and schools mentor
and I had no idea that they had.
You had a, you know, apartnership with them and and
there's food there that I see,Yep, and that's coming from your
partnership.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
The snacks would be absolutely yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Absolutely.
Who are some of your otherpartners in the community?
We do a lot with the Boys andGirls.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
Club.
But they're, they and and andof themselves are are wonderful
people.
I mean, what they do for theyouth of this community is
really unmatched.
We get along and do some thingswith the veterans VFW post 1108
.
And every the fourth Tuesday ofeach month we have a food
(29:39):
pantry specifically for theveterans, and the difference
being there is that they run it.
We will supply some of the drygoods and they in turn will
finance us to pick up frozenmeat items.
But they ask for and rightfullyso, you know an ID and I don't
(30:01):
know probably anywhere from 90,95 to 100, 110 boxes each month
that through the VFW we willhelp support that cause.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
So we're, but that's not done at your location, or is
it?
Speaker 2 (30:12):
No, it's not, it's at the V off the VA clinic there
off of North J.
Okay.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
Behind the VA clinic, but that's another partnership
that you have.
So what are some of?
We've talked about how generousthe community is, but I would I
don't want to make too manyassumptions, but I would assume
that one of the one of yourpotential struggles or
(30:37):
opportunities is is is financing, getting enough money to do the
operation Correct?
So that's one of it.
Is there any other, anythingelse that presents that?
You have Anything else thatpresents kind of a challenge to
the organization right now thatwould be good for people to know
about?
Speaker 2 (30:52):
The you hit on it.
Our, our biggest issue is andwe understand that we can't be
everything to everyone Sure Um,finances, monetary donations,
things that we can do on our onour own to go out and purchase
(31:16):
necessary food items to offset.
I think I mentioned earlierthat during the high of the
pandemic we were getting 27,000pounds of food a month.
Just this past month we've gota little over 2000.
Well, that's over a 90% dropand the pandemic itself was a
(31:36):
pandemic, obviously, but foodinsecurity in and of itself is a
pandemic and that issue here,as amongst other places
throughout the country, isgrowing.
So you get a 90% drop in whatyou were being given through
(31:57):
Gleaners Food Bank and then anincrease of roughly 20% or more
in what you're having to serve.
We got to figure out a way tomake up that shortage.
And if you've, like I've said,if you've seen the prices in the
grocery store, it's almostimpossible.
We got a great donation fromDot Foods here not too long ago
(32:19):
Roughly $5,000, where we wereable to fill out a list of
things that we would want tohelp through our food
distribution.
If it weren't for somethinglike that as a community partner
from them, we'd have to put$60,000 in our budget just to
feed about 100 people, becausethat's about what $5,000 goes,
(32:42):
that's about how far it goes.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
And you don't really have a lot of employees I mean
it's just volunteers and thenthe resources that you need to
gain to feed people Right.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
There's three employees, yeah, other than
myself.
Now, like I said, I've got thistitle of executive director,
but there are six women who havebeen there almost from day one,
who have over 120 years ofvolunteer experience.
So I just do what they tell me.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Yeah, I'm sure it's a wise.
It's wise of your part.
Don't say that too loudly.
So currently, in the future, Imean facility-wise, do you think
you're in pretty good shaperight now?
I mean, do we have it?
Is that?
What are some of the needsmoving forward there, you think?
Speaker 2 (33:32):
We are in probably as good a shape as we could
possibly be in all thingsconsidered, you know, with the
addition of the warehouse.
As far as you know needs andwants and those type things,
again, it just boils down to themore we can get in terms of
(33:54):
food products dry goods inparticular that we can hand out,
the better.
We've had schools that you knowhave done, you know, food
drives.
We've had local businesses thatdo food drives and, like you
said in your introduction andintroductory remarks, this is a
time of year where a lot of thatgets done and we're just
blessed to have, you know, thatkind of support because every
(34:17):
little bit helps.
I mean, you see on Fox 59 Newsall the time about the food
banks, cleaners and Midwest foodand that $5 will feed a family
of four for, you know, two weeksor whatever the case may be.
Well, a lot of what they do atcleaners and Midwest that's, who
supplies or helps supply uswith the products that we need
(34:41):
Cleaners is once a month dropand you know what they do is a
food bank.
The service bank is 20, 22, 23counties about the state of
Indiana and people will say,well, how come the shortage?
You know from the pandemic.
Well, during the pandemic thefederal government was pushing
things out to help with theissue of hunger and food and the
(35:07):
pandemic itself.
Well, as the country got a holdof the pandemic, well then the
federal government kind ofpulled back on what they were
forcing out.
So the cleaners they get, sothey get a thousand pounds and
they've got 22 counties.
There's only so much that theycan distribute equally to the
(35:28):
you know, food pantriesthroughout the state.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
So financial contributions are great because
that allows you to use thosefunds to get exactly what you
need.
Definitely, if people have timethey want to serve, they
contact Circle U.
You'll do everything you can tokind of plug them in where they
(35:52):
can help the organization.
And then it comes to fooddonations and although I'm sure
you appreciate any kind ofdonation that is made, there's
probably some donations that arebetter received than others.
Is that fair to say?
Speaker 2 (36:12):
Yeah, absolutely.
We have a part of the foodrescue program here locally with
Reed Hospital, kroger, walmart,needlers, starbucks.
Those places, particularly Reed, will take food that they serve
through the week for you knowtheir patients, and then what
(36:33):
they have left over they havefrozen and we pick up once a
week to then use, you know, forour own hot meal service.
Places like Walmart and Krogerdonate dry good items, frozen
meat items, pastries, starbucksbagels, cake pops.
I mean it's a great thing.
Speaker 1 (36:59):
So what's the best kind of donations that you can
give?
Someone says, hey, I'd reallylike to donate, but what should
I give them?
You know what are the mostefficient types of food
donations that you could receiveif just the general public's
trying to help out Can goods,box goods, dry goods, as they're
called, it's hard to take, meatitems and that type thing.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
We really don't want to do that, even though you know
we're getting them from you,say like Walmart and you know
Kroger and that type thing.
But those things are, they'redated, you know what you're
getting when they're past a duedate and that type thing.
There are certain things thatyou have to do, obviously from a
standpoint of the best used bydate.
(37:48):
Milk, dairy products we don'tget into because it's I mean, we
do through cleaners, but as faras donations and that type
thing, we tend to shy away from.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
Well, I just want to cover that because if you know,
if people want to help us,sometimes you know we want to
direct them, how they can helpthe most you know and you don't
want to be, you know, pickyabout those kind of things, but
it is important that, especiallywhen we're talking about food
items, I just thought it wasimportant for the public to
understand, you know.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Bottled water, gatorade it's about anything
that anybody would be thinkingwould be helpful to someone who
might be hungry, other than afrozen food item.
Sure, we're good.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Great.
Anything else that you want toshare?
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Thank you for the opportunity for us to come here
and, you know, tell our story.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Well, you're a real trooper.
I know that it hasn't shown,but I know you're just a little
bit under the weather today, soI do appreciate you coming and
doing this.
So so I hope that, afterhearing about Circle U today,
that our followers areencouraged to support them by
donating, volunteering or evenboth, and if you go to
(39:02):
circleUorg, there is a linkgiving you several options to
help and that's Circle theLetter U.
So, circleuorg, kyle, thank youfor joining us on the hub and I
really thank you for the workyou're doing in our community
and Circle U as a whole, mikethank you, and don't forget, you
(39:25):
give me three shots aside.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
I'm starting in March .
Speaker 1 (39:28):
Okay, we're talking about golf.
Hey, thanks to Manpower, oursponsor, we've been in the
community since 1966 andinvested community partner
helping companies and employmentseekers when.
So, for more information onManpower, you can go to
mprichmancom.
(39:49):
That's mprichmancom, thank you.
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