Community on the Westside

Written By Jennifer Whitt

Love Where You Are + Rock the Trail:

This weekend was a powerful reminder that community care does not have to be complicated. Sometimes it looks like showing up with gloves, grabbing a trash bag, clearing a trail, pulling weeds, moving branches, painting rocks, cheering each other on, and choosing to love the place we call home.

Love Where You Are brought neighbors, businesses, schools, churches, civic leaders, and community groups together across the west side of Indianapolis for a shared goal: take a little time to care for our community.

And wow, did people show up.

From neighborhood cleanups to trail work, from park care to family-friendly activities, the day reflected what is possible when people stop waiting for “someone else” and decide to be part of the solution.

Love Where You Are

Love Where You Are is our annual westside cleanup effort focused on encouraging neighbors and community partners to care for the places around them. Groups cleaned along roadsides, neighborhoods, parks, trails, and public spaces, collecting litter, removing debris, and helping reset areas that needed attention.

This year’s effort included residents, students, families, businesses, churches, public agencies, and nonprofit partners. Some teams worked in highly visible areas. Others tackled hidden spots that too often collect illegal dumping or storm debris.

  • Every bag mattered.

  • Every volunteer mattered.

  • Every hour given made a difference.

One of the best parts of the day was seeing how many different groups found a way to participate. Some came with full teams. Some came as families. Some joined for an hour. Some stayed for the entire morning. That is the beauty of community work. There is room for everyone.

Rock the Trail - Trailmixer

Alongside Love Where You Are, we also celebrated Rock the Trail, a trail activation effort focused on bringing energy, creativity, and attention to the B&O Trail corridor. Thanks to a grant from Visit Indy in partnership with https://thetrailways.com/trailmixer/

Rock the Trail is about more than cleaning up. It is about helping people see the trail as a shared community asset. It is a place to walk, run, bike, learn, connect, and imagine what is possible for the west side.

This year’s trail activation included cleanup teams, outdoor activities, community engagement, and creative touches designed to make the trail feel welcoming and alive. Volunteers helped care for the corridor while also creating moments of joy and connection for families and neighbors.

Because trails are not just infrastructure. They are places where community happens.

A Big Thank You

This kind of day does not happen because of one person or one organization. It happens because a village shows up.

A huge thank you to our volunteers, team leaders, cleanup captains, families, students, churches, schools, businesses, public servants, and community partners who made the day possible.

Special thanks to:

  • Ben Davis Christian Church

  • Carrier

  • Chapel Hill United Methodist Church

  • Chapel Rock Christian Church

  • Covenant Christian High School

  • Councilor Jared Evans

  • FedEx

  • Friends of the B&O Trail

  • Keep Indianapolis Beautiful

  • MSD Wayne Township

  • Speedway Run Club

  • Speedway Trail Association

  • Tibbs Drive-In

  • Visit Indy

  • Wayne Township 4-H

  • Wayne Township Fire Department

  • Wayne Township Trustee

We are especially grateful to the teams who helped provide supplies, organize volunteers, support logistics, host sites, lead cleanup areas, promote the effort, and make sure people had what they needed to participate safely and successfully.

The Power of Showing Up

Community work can feel big. It can feel overwhelming. There is always more trash to pick up, more weeds to pull, more places to improve, and more needs than any one person can meet.

But days like Love Where You Are remind us that progress is built one action at a time.

One neighbor checks on another.
One volunteer fills a bag.
One group clears a block.
One student paints a rock.
One business sends a team.
One church opens its doors.
One trail becomes a little more loved.

That is how momentum grows.

Join Us Next Year

We are already looking ahead.

Join us next year for Love Where You Are and Rock the Trail on April 23 and 24 as we do it all again.

Our planning committee will kick off in October, and we would love to have more neighbors, businesses, churches, schools, and community groups at the table. Whether you want to lead a cleanup site, serve as a block captain, help with logistics, support trail activities, sponsor supplies, or simply show up with a group, there is a place for you.

This is our home.
This is our trail.
This is our west side.

And together, we can keep loving where we are.

Jennifer Whitt