People for Urban Progress (PUP, now that we’re friends) has always embodied what I love about nonprofits. There’s something incredibly energizing about groups of people coming together to achieve a goal and make an impact. Nothing in the world is more rewarding or inspiring. PUP has reached a milestone, 10 years of remaking, dreaming, doing. What started as a simple idea to save a huge resource became a rallying point for change. It’s truly amazing what we’ve accomplished together so far and what comes up for me time and again is the fact that PUP seems to always be doing ‘the next right thing’ in a city that is constantly evolving. In this next chapter for PUP, you’ll be seeing more ‘next right things’ and we’re inviting you to come help us achieve our vision.

As you probably know, I’m new here. Being new to an organization is exciting. You have fresh eyes and the ideas just keep flooding in. You also spend a lot of time learning what makes this place special and the people who are special to the work. I’ve spent the last six months discovering these things about PUP and I could not be more delighted. The ingenuity and creativity of the PUP team is unmatched. I would be remiss to not give a big, heartfelt thank you to Michael, Jessica, Emma, Jason, Amy, Michelle, Linz, Sara, Jenny, Meagan, Liz and our amazing board headed by Donna for helping me acclimate to PUP.

I came to PUP from another great nonprofit that had a very direct and simple mission. It was easy to digest and carried little nuance on the surface. When I came to PUP, it was different. This organization resonates with different people for different reasons. Some people are interested in civic engagement, some are passionate about sustainability issues, some are attracted to our work with the built environment, some really enjoy well-made slow fashion. The touch points of this organization are many and varied. I can’t count the number of times I’ve said ‘yes, and ...’ when referring to PUP’s work. For me, PUP’s magic comes from the unity of empathy and action, that’s when real change comes.

What I think connects the diverse aspects of PUP is that mantra of doing that next right thing for the organization and for the city. Our niche has been, and will continue to be, addressing how to repurpose event, building, and infrastructure waste as our city evolves. We have a lot of work to do and we’re bringing people together to match those existing resources with great design. This is the responsible and responsive future of cities and this is the responsible and responsive future of PUP.

The first next right thing is going to be changing up our programming, starting with our Daylight series for 2019. We learned a lot from last year’s Daylight series and are excited to bring a deeper look into issues this year. I’ve spent over a decade advocating for underserved populations and I’m thrilled that PUP will be tackling Inclusive Design this year. We’re taking a critical, yet not judgmental look at issues in our community. We will invite thought leaders both local and national to define Inclusive Design and talk through how Justice, Equity and Dignity can be effectively addressed through the design of the built environment. I can not think of a more perfect time to talk about these issues as so much change is happening in many of our neighborhoods.

Thanks to our partnership with Amtrak, our work has a broader audience than ever before. In October we launched our first national product (!!!) and made news around the country. People with no ties to the Hoosier Dome or Indianapolis are learning about our work in reuse. This project has been tough and stretched the entire team in ways we didn’t know were possible. The results are beautiful and have allowed the PUP team to grow. I look forward to more growth in this area as we continue to create demand for our products and employ more local makers.

If you’re a fan of PUP’s work, you’ve already heard of PUP’s involvement in Exhibit Columbus as one of the participants in the Washington Street Civic Projects in downtown Columbus, Indiana. Michael, who assumed the role of Founder and Director of Design in July, will be spending the majority of his time in Indianapolis focused on this prestigious project. We walked the streets of downtown Columbus together and did a lot of imagining. I have no doubt that he will develop a project that thoughtfully challenges the Columbus community and concepts of urban design. More about Exhibit Columbus here.

We have a big opportunity with Central State Summer Fest. Our studio is located on a historic and evolving area of the Hawthorne neighborhood on the near west side of Indy. Our campus is home to many new people and we aim to make Summer Fest an event for our friends and neighbors to better get to know what the near west has to offer. We will also be highlighting the progress we’ve made on our Central State Master Plan.

The biggest change you’ll see at PUP in this year is that we’re inviting you in to be a bigger part of our team. We’ve got big goals of expansion and we can’t do this without our community. Be on the lookout for new volunteer opportunities, events (stay tuned, big news ahead) and ways to get involved and advance the PUP mission.

Thank you for your support of the constant evolution of PUP, our city, and our mission. We’re here for Indy, each other, and our future. Join us, as we put up our hands and agree to do the next right thing.

 - Andrea