Connecting Muncie Neighborhood partners and resources
Paige Brown, Elisabeth Edgell, Kim Hampton, Danielle Heimlich, David Robbins, Monique Vargas, and Kylee Tremaine
The CenterPoint Scholars Program kicks off with a weekend retreat that sets the framework for the year-long program and builds connections between participants.
Regular meetings are held monthly at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center (400 W. Minnetrista Blvd.)
Article by Napoleon Price Jr., CenterPoint Scholar Alumnus
The 5:50 Alliance Free Food Fridge aims to bridge the gap in food insecurity by providing essential ingredients such as meats, proteins, and fresh produce. We believe that sharing a meal fosters the communication and sense of belonging necessary to sustain a community. The concept is simple: we stock the fridge, and it remains available to anyone in need. By eliminating most barriers to access, we only require a household count and zip code. This allows us to track our impact, which currently exceeds 31,000 pounds of food provided to residents from various areas.
Our mission is powered entirely by volunteers whose dedication turns this concept into a daily lifeline. Their efforts have transformed the Common Market into a hub of mutual support where neighbors look out for one another. We would like to extend a special thanks to the YMCA for supporting our first non-perishable food drive this January. While many individuals have contributed to this project’s success, please know that your influence is deeply appreciated.
For those interested in volunteer opportunities, please contact me at napoleonprice7@gmail.com or follow the Common Market Muncie IN on Facebook. Monetary donations can be made directly to curehunger.org by mentioning the 5:50 Alliance at the Common Market.
CenterPoint Scholars is a program of the Muncie Action Plan, funded through generous support from the CenterPoint Energy Foundation and the City of Muncie. 5:50 Alliance is one of the 2 groups of the Inaugural Center Point Scholars program
Article by Alexis Dishman | CenterPoint Scholars 2024-2025 cohort
When I was selected to be part of the inaugural CenterPoint Scholars 2024-2025 cohort, I knew the experience would be one of learning, growth, and collaboration. What I didn’t anticipate was how deeply meaningful the journey would become or that it would lead to the creation of a project rooted so strongly in empathy, dignity, and community connection.
As part of the program, we were tasked with forming small groups to identify and address a pressing need within our community. While there were many important issues to consider, our group quickly found common ground around one that felt both urgent and deeply personal: food insecurity.
Our conversations revealed that food insecurity looks different for everyone. For some, it meant growing up in a household where food was often scarce. Others shared experiences of needing just one or two ingredients to complete a meal. Some group members had never personally faced food insecurity but were eager to learn and understand its broader impact. Through open and honest dialogue, we began to recognize not only the lack of food itself, but also the stigma that too often accompanies asking for help.
From these discussions, The Helping House was born.
The Helping House is designed to address food insecurity in a way that is welcoming, accessible, and free of judgment. It offers a standalone structure where individuals can access non-perishable food items and hygiene products through a simple, respectful process that honors personal dignity and autonomy.
Each Helping House structure is painted with unique, vibrant scenes meant to spark curiosity, warmth, and engagement. These designs help shift the experience from one of need to one of connection, making the act of taking or exchanging food and hygiene items feel uplifting, human, and community-centered rather than transactional or stigmatizing.
Every detail of The Helping House was created with intention – including our logo. The calming blue color represents peace and stability, while the dove symbolizes hope, love, and new beginnings. What began as a group assignment quickly became a shared passion. Our planning meetings evolved into safe spaces for laughter, conversation, and genuine connection. The Helping House became more than a project, it became a reflection of the community we hoped to build.
The inspiration behind The Helping House comes from the concept of a Little Free Library – small neighborhood book exchanges where people are encouraged to take what they need and leave what they can. We embraced this honor-system model and reimagined it with non-perishable food and essential items, creating a space that is available, accessible, and rooted in trust.
Today, we are proud to have one Helping House structure in place at the Muncie Public Library / Maring-Hunt Library, with plans underway to establish a second location. Each new structure represents another opportunity to reduce barriers, meet needs, and strengthen community bonds.
Looking ahead, we are fully committed to keeping our Helping House structures stocked, maintained, and accessible for the long term. Our hope is to continue raising awareness about these resources while expanding their presence throughout the community. By installing additional structures and increasing visibility, we aim to ensure that more individuals know support is available quietly, consistently, and without judgment. The Helping House stands as a reminder that addressing food insecurity isn’t just about providing food, it’s about offering compassion, restoring dignity, and creating spaces where people feel supported and seen.
Our Helping House is now open at Muncie Public Library – Maring-Hunt Branch (2005 S. High St., Muncie, IN 47302). Community members are encouraged to donate items or take what they need. Learn more and follow our journey by visiting our Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/TheHelpingHouseMuncie
CenterPoint Scholars is a program of the Muncie Action Plan, funded through generous support from the CenterPoint Energy Foundation and the City of Muncie.
Kiwani Pine, Rachael Robertson, Isabel Heimlich, Joseph Scholl III, Eliana Heimlich, Sam Atlas McCollum (Jasmine Taylor not in photo)
Photo by Shantanu Suman
Since 2010, Muncie Action Plan (MAP) has been supporting neighborhood leaders through its Neighborhood Leadership Council. In October 2023, MAP expanded this commitment by launching a new initiative—thanks to a generous grant from CenterPoint Energy—to train emerging leaders in grassroots advocacy. This initiative, the CenterPoint Scholars Program, offers a year-long leadership development experience focused on building skills that directly impact Muncie’s neighborhoods.
The program began with a competitive application process in January, and the second cohort of Scholars was officially introduced at the March 2025 IDEA Conference. In April, the Scholars participated in a weekend retreat at highlighted locations in Muncie to kick off the program. This retreat laid the groundwork for a year of learning, connection, and community impact.
This class of CenterPoint Scholars is exploring topics like project management, conflict resolution, and trust building, all while working on neighborhood-based projects designed to create lasting, positive change. They are joining our Neighborhood Leadership Council in monthly trainings from March 2025 through March 2026, and their efforts will culminate in a final presentation led by the Scholars at the 2026 IDEA Conference. MAP is proud to support these emerging leaders and excited to see the impact of their work across our community.
For more information about the CenterPoint Scholars Program, visit muncieneighborhoods.org/centerpoint-scholars.