Indianapolis, IN
State grant helps Damien Center expand support for LGBTQ+ community
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — For nearly 40 years, the Damien Center has provided services and support for Hoosiers living with HIV and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Soon, the center will be able to expand some of its services, thanks to funding from the state.
Last week, Damien Center announced that it is the recipient of a four-year, $800,000 grant from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction.
Damien Center will use the funding to offer more mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment services for LGTBQ+ individuals and hire two full-time licensed mental health therapists.
The funding also enables the creation of group therapy programs tailored to specific needs, including LGBTQ+ older adults (55+), transgender and gender-diverse individuals, and other groups identified through community input.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community tend to experience addiction, substance use disorder, and mental health needs at a much higher rate than the general population, Alan Witchey, president and CEO of the Damien Center, said Monday on Daybreak.
Witchey says that it’s critical, but often difficult, for LGBTQ+ individuals to find mental health care in a supportive environment.
“They might go to medical care or mental health care…and not have, necessarily, a friendly experience,” Witchey said. “Some people might make them feel like they should be back in the closet, or they don’t belong, or sort of build up that stigma. What we really try to do is break that down and create a very safe place for people to come and get the care they need.”
The goal for the future, Witchey says, is to provide a “one-stop shop” for the local LGBTQ+ community by offering as many services as possible under one roof, including medical care and food and housing support.
“We we hope to create a whole environment in our community where people are safe; regardless of who you are, walking into our doors feels like a safe and welcoming place for care,” Witchey said. “We want to partner with people who are the most disenfranchised and our community who needs support the most and create that environment where they can come in and get the hope and the support that they need.”
Anyone in need of Damien Center’s services is encouraged to visit damien.org. People interested in mental health services can go to the patient portal and fill out an interest form and someone will be in touch, Witchey says.
Previous Coverage
IndyGo serves 22,000 riders daily who rely on it for jobs and healthcare. The funding is voter-approved and separate from road budgets.
IndyGo paratransit services have possible 57% rate hike
Ryan Malone appreciates IndyGo paratransit rides. He has vision impairments and MS. He talks about the rides and the proposed 57% fare increase.
The April 14 letter titled, “Indianapolis doesn’t prioritize pothole repairs” raises a fair frustration shared by many drivers, but it misrepresents priorities, ignores dedicated funding streams, cherry-picks numbers and overlooks how IndyGo delivers broad, measurable value that helps roads and the city overall.
The 2026 Indianapolis city budget directs unprecedented funding to roads. The Department of Public Works’ most recent capital plan included $218 million for transportation infrastructure in 2026, in addition to key investments in additional snow removal and road maintenance equipment. DPW’s transportation capital funding has nearly tripled since 2016. Since that time, the city has resurfaced 1,279 lane miles and strip-patched 1,169 more.
The city is prioritizing basics; roads got a massive boost even with tighter revenues.
The state funding formula has disadvantaged Indianapolis by using two-lane road mileage and ignoring urban complexity. But House Enrolled Act 1461 shifts to a lane-mile formula and provides $50 million extra annually to Marion County — and state law restricts those funds to construction and reconstruction of local streets.
There are several points aimed at IndyGo that are worth correcting and adding important context the public should understand about this critical city service.
The claim that IndyGo’s $432 million budget “could go a long way toward streets” is the most misleading. The 0.25% income tax was voter-approved in 2016 — with nearly 60% voting yes — specifically and exclusively for public transit. These locally raised dollars leverage up to a 400% federal match, multiplying their impact several times over and ensuring Indianapolis captures funding that would otherwise go elsewhere. Diverting them would break a voter promise.
The “less than 2% uses the bus” stat is a classic distortion. IndyGo’s 2025 ridership included 6.7 million trips, or nearly 22,000 riders Monday through Friday. Transit serves disproportionately low-income, senior, disabled and car-free residents who rely on it for jobs, healthcare and school. It isn’t a luxury — it’s mobility infrastructure.
Public transit isn’t in competition with roads; it complements them. Every $1 invested in public transit generates $5 in broader economic activity. The Red Line alone delivered more than $7 per $1 invested, and IndyGo’s BRT network has already attracted more than $1.2 billion in corridor development.
By completion of the Blue Line, IndyGo will have paved more than 90 miles of Indy streets and built or repaired more than 1,300 ADA ramps. Nearly 7 million riders take cars off the road — fewer vehicles mean less congestion and less wear-and-tear on pavement, directly reducing potholes.
Potholes are real, but scapegoating IndyGo distracts from the actual balanced progress underway. Indianapolis is a world-class city with a great future, and the best is yet to come.
Richard Wilson is treasurer of the IndyGo Board of Directors.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WISH) — Purdue University has received a $20 million commitment from the Ricks Family Foundation to establish the Purdue Institute for Healthcare Systems Innovation at the Indianapolis campus.
The institute in the Mitch Daniels School of Business aims to improve health care efficiency and effectiveness, the university said in a news release issued Wednesday afternoon.
Dr. Christina Ricks and her husband, David A. Ricks, the chair and CEO of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co., are the primary leaders of the foundation.
James “Jim” Bullard, a dean for the Daniels School of Business, said in the release, “Considering the health care situation in the U.S. today, there is a clear need for rigorous, market-informed research that challenges conventional thinking and drives new solutions. This institute will allow Purdue to lead that work and make a lasting difference.”
As Purdue works to develop its relatively new Indianapolis campus, the university recently announced that plans for a 12-story apartment building on recently acquired canal property in Indianapolis are now on hold as the university develops its campus, Mirror Indy reported.
This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.
INDIANAPOLIS — A woman was critically injured in a shooting on the northeast side of Indianapolis Tuesday night.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the 5500 block of East 41st Street around 8:45 p.m. to investigate a shooting. When police arrived at the scene, they located an adult female with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.
Per IMPD, the victim was transported from the the scene to a local hospital in critical condition. Police reported that hospital staff later provided them with an update that indicated the victim remains in critical condition.
Investigators believe the shooting occurred inside a residence on 41st Street. One shell casing was found in the front yard of that residence near its driveway. Police do not believe that stray shell casing is related to the shooting in any way.
Law enforcement detained a person of interest during its investigation of the shooting. IMPD has not yet provided any of the detainee’s identifying information like sex, age or name.
Police do not believe the shooting poses any ongoing threat to the public. Investigators are, however, still encouraging area residents to call IMPD at (317) 327-3475 or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-8477 to pass along any information they may have on the shooting.
-
Austin, TX51 seconds agoCamp Mystic drops summer reopening plan over outrage by families and Texas lawmakers
-
Alabama7 minutes agoAlabama names first state AI officer to coordinate agency efforts
-
Alaska13 minutes agoOpinion: Alaska’s schools are being hollowed out by policy choices, not inevitability
-
Arizona19 minutes agoStudy: Mexican community faces barriers to nature access in southern Arizona
-
Arkansas25 minutes ago
#22 Arkansas Faces #17 Ole Miss in Pivotal SEC Weekend Series at Baum-Walker Stadium
-
California30 minutes agoCalifornia’s Rainy Day Fund and Other Budget Reserves Overview
-
Colorado39 minutes agoCensus data shows population losses in Colorado resort counties amid housing, cost pressures
-
Connecticut45 minutes agoConnecticut Senate Approves More Towing Reforms, Expanding on Landmark 2025 Legislation
