Community centers expand guaranteed income program INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A group of Indianapolis community centers is expanding a program that gives families a monthly financial boost. In October, the Edna Martin Christian Center, John Boner Neighborhood Centers and Southeast Community Serv ices launched the IndyEast Guaranteed Income Initiative. It gives families $500 a month — no strings attached. It can be used to cover bills, buy groceries or just save for a rainy day. The groups wanted to test the concept of Universal Basic Income and had a pilot program that ran from October 2022 to March 2024. Five families from each of the three centers were randomly chosen for the trial run. Along with the extra cash, families received financial coaching. Now they want to reach 125 more families by 2028. Janet Lewis was part of the pilot. She used the money in a different way each month, like paying off debt. “I was able to pay all my bills and still have grocery money,” Lewis said. “Some months, I was able to celebrate birthdays … It relieved that mental stress of being able to do extra, have extra coming in.” Two months after the program finished, Lewis was diagnosed with cancer. She says the financial coaching set her up to tackle those medical bills. “I didn’t worry about the ones that was coming in,” Lewis said. “That was a relief … it made me feel better, that boost of energy, like, okay, so you can do this a little bit at a time.” Thanks to a $2 million grant from the United Way of Central Indiana, the program is expanding. Program manager Tylyn Johnson says participants in the first group were able to complete degrees and improve their credit scores. “People’s income, separate from the $500 a month, was increasing,” Johnson said. “Mental Health was improving. We were just seeing people were just doing way better overall.” Families will be randomly picked from clients already using one of the three centers’ services. Johnson hopes that expanding will allow more families, like the Lewis’s to become financially independent. “[It gives] more options for being able to think about ‘how do I save for a house?’ Johnson said. “‘What kind of programs are available for me to be able to invest in property?’ or things like that.” Lewis is now a year cancer-free. She says she takes pride in being part of the test group for the program. “Don’t be afraid to utilize your village,” Lewis said. “Because it does take a village.” The first cohort of 25 families started this October, and another cohort started in December. ...read more read less