Fletcher Place Community Center celebrates 150 years

Fletcher Place Community Center celebrated its 150th anniversary this month at the Indiana State Museum.

The local nonprofit provides programs to assist low-income families with basic needs.

Executive Director Melissa Drew said the center will continue to grow. 

“We continue to see it as an opportunity,” Drew said. “We've added younger classrooms, and we are continuing to look at what we anticipate will fill all of our current seats this year. So, we'll look at how we add space and preschool seats and new classrooms and add teachers."

Drew said the organization continues to bring on partners to help break the cycle of poverty for the pre-K families it serves and families with needs around hunger and other issues.

Board member and volunteer Randy Sorelle said the local nonprofit has rich roots in the community.

“We were founded in 1872. In the heart of downtown Indianapolis. People from across the nation, European immigrants were getting off the train at the newly built Union Station. And they were hungry, and they didn't have a place to go," Sorelle said. "And a group of Methodist ministers noticed that there was a need, so they randomly began feeding them and, you know, that quickly turned into Fletcher place community center.” 

Fletcher Place is currently located at the corner of Prospect and State Street- just east of the Fountain Square historic district.

Contact WFYI Morning Edition newscaster and reporter Taylor Bennett at tbennett@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @TaylorB2213.