Tear Down the Walls Ministries
Homeless & Urban Outreach
Welcome to
For nearly 10 years, TDWM has worked in the Indianapolis commmunity to help better the lives of those most in need in the city. Now more than ever, there is a tremendous need for this kind of work in urban areas. We hope and pray each day that God is using us to better the community and the lives of those we work with. Thank you for taking an interest in our ministry. If you have any questions or are interested in serving with us, please visit the contact portion of this website.
The Story of Tear Down the Walls
I am Brian Walls, founder of TDWM. In my youth I began using drugs and alcohol, which led me to drop out of school and runaway from home. Later in my life I found Christ who turned my life around. Today I strive to be more like Him and encourage others, who now live like I once did, to give their lives to Him.
Approximately 10 years ago, while working in Indianapolis I noticed a group of homeless living under an overpass downtown. I had trouble sleeping that night and told my wife I was going to take some cold water and my Bible and visit the people I saw there. There I found several people, no different than you or I- they were just living in different circumstances with different problems and different stories. I became friends with a few of those whom I met and began to visit them regularly.
I soon found that, not only were my predispositions wrong about those living on the streets, but my ideas of the size of the homeless population were wrong also. Some of my new friends informed me that there were over 40 people sleeping in just that one camp. I couldn't believe it! I did some research and found statistics stating that there are as many as 3,000 people experiencing homelessness each night in Indianapolis and as many as 13,000 each year. I had no idea there were that many people living without homes in our community.
Soon after, our church got involved, and then a few other churches too, and before we knew what was happening there was a full-time ministry/organization which had begun to grow. We began organizing street outreach teams and holiday meals. These holiday meals led us into a relationship with the chaplain at the Salvation Army Central City Corps. We began several programs there, including a clothing pantry, Bible study and lunch, case management; as well as a computer lab and job training programs. The Chaplain then suggested starting some programs for the youth living in the homeless women and childrens center nearby, and we agreed to do that as well. We then decided to help the children living in the low income apartments near the Corps as well, and this was the beginning of our work with at-risk urban youth.
We have been partnering with churches and the Indianapolis Parks Department in Riverside for over four years now. Today, in addition to our programs mentioned above, we are encouraging the youth in Riverside to partner with us to develop the community there. We are working on some abandoned buildings and empty lots to renovate those properties for ministry use and plant community gardens, empowering the students of Riverside to make change in their neighborhood. We would love for you or your group to join us. To see how you or your group can get involved with our programs for homeless and/or community development by planning a mission trip or service project, please visit the Outreach and Contact portions of this website.
Street Outreach
We hit the streets of downtown Indianapolis every Wednesday & Saturday night to serve dinner to our homeless friends. Each week, we provide meals. clothing, hygiene products, blankets, and other essential items.TDWM makes every effort to give more than just handouts.Our hope is to build and develop relationships and trust with those living in the streets.
Day Center
TDWM operates a day center Tuesday through Friday. Individuals are offered support in case-management, literacy and/or GED tutoring, Biblical counseling, as well as housing and job-search assistance. Each Wednesday and Friday at 12:00 noon, we provide lunch followed by a practical, easy-to-understand study of the Bible.
At-Risk Urban Youth Programs
Tear Down the Walls Ministries works with youth to serve the community in a variety of ways. We utilize church youth groups and youth volunteers to serve others in our city.
Each year, a number of college and high school students intern with TDWM, giving them opportunities to both serve the community and learn important job skills for their futures. Education assistance for area youth is also available through GED programs, computer labs, and tutoring.
Each summer we host Vacation Bible School for Kindergarten to Middle School-aged students. By participating in our programs, students have the opportunity to receive a one week scholarship to Camp Allendales Tree House Camp.
All youth participating in our programs and living in our community are invited to fellowship through meetings, games, and other activities.
Volunteer
This is our most pressing need: the hard work and help of people like you. Most of the work we do is possible because of all the wonderful volunteers who have helped us throughout the years. If you or your church group are interested in serving with us, please visit the contact portion of this website.
Needs List:
Batteries
Blankets
Bottled Water
Flashlights
Gloves
Individually Packaged Food Items
Electric Furnace
Electric Water Heater
Electrical Skills
Insulation
Plumbing Skills
Large Trash Bags
Sleeping Bags
Socks
Donate:
Mail Donations to:
P.O. Box 512
Greenwood, IN 46142
1253 South East Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46225
Brian Walls
bwalls_tdwm.org
317.457.8974
Sam Richardson
srichardson_tdwm.org
317.937.0841
