Helping Immigrant and Refugee Families

Grassroot Projects plays a vital role in supporting immigrant and refugee families in Central Indiana, and its partnership with Indivisible Central Indiana (ICI) strengthens a shared commitment to dignity, inclusion, and community-powered democracy. The organization’s work fills a gap that too often goes unnoticed: ensuring that children from immigrant and refugee families have the resources, stability, and opportunities they need to thrive. 

Grassroot Projects’ mission is to provide underserved immigrant and refugee children, youth and families in our local communities the opportunity to reach their full potential and provides ease of access to resources they need to learn, thrive, and succeed.

Grassroot Projects focuses on the everyday needs that shape a child’s ability to learn, grow, and feel secure. Its programs are built around direct support and community connection, including:

Care and Connect — offers essential items such as clothing, diapers, formula, hygiene products, and car seats to children ages 0–17 who are starting over with very little. We also include books and age-appropriate literacy kits to encourage reading and early literacy.

Healthy Families — provides grocery cards to families experiencing food insecurity so they can purchase culturally appropriate foods.

Sponsor a Passion — supports children and youth by sponsoring enrichment classes that help them thrive and succeed.

Community Integration — creates welcoming spaces for children and offers workshops for parents to build relationships, ask questions, and find a sense of belonging.

In 2025, Grassroot Projects supported 1235 children in Indiana from 40 different countries of origin. 

These efforts recognize that when children feel supported, safe, and included, they are better able to succeed in school and in their communities.

Central Indiana is home to a growing number of immigrant and refugee families who contribute to our cultural, economic, and civic life. Yet many face barriers that make daily life difficult:

• Limited access to resources due to language or transportation challenges

• Confusing or intimidating public systems

• Social isolation in communities without established support networks

• Economic hardship during the resettlement process

Grassroot Projects steps in where public systems and traditional nonprofits often fall short, offering flexible, community-driven support. By focusing on children, the organization strengthens long-term outcomes for our entire community.

ICIs mission is rooted in building a more just, inclusive, and democratic society. Partnering with Grassroot Projects advances that mission in several meaningful ways:

• Shared values of inclusion and equity — Both organizations believe that every family deserves safety, opportunity, and respect, regardless of where they come from.

• Community-centered impact — Grassroot Projects works directly with families at the neighborhood level, complementing ICI’s advocacy and civic engagement efforts.

• Strengthening democratic participation — When immigrant and refugee families feel supported and welcomed, they are more likely to engage in civic life, from school involvement to community advocacy.

• Amplifying voices — ICI’s platform helps elevate the experiences of newcomer families, while Grassroot Projects provides on-the-ground insight into the challenges they face.

• Building long-term community resilience — Supporting children today creates stronger, more connected communities tomorrow—communities that are better equipped to stand up for democratic values.

Together, ICI and Grassroot Projects form a partnership that blends direct service with civic empowerment, ensuring that families who are new to Indiana are not left behind in conversations about justice and democracy.

This partnership reflects a simple but powerful truth: a healthy democracy depends on the well-being and inclusion of all its children and families.

To learn more about Grassroot Projects, please visit www.grassrootprojects.org.

Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash