How The Way Church and We Care Indy are creating opportunity, belonging, and brighter futures for Indianapolis youth
PARTNER STORY CASE STUDY
Beyond the Church Walls
In the summer of 2014, Dr. Charles McCray found himself watching yet another news report about youth violence in Indianapolis. Like many people, he felt frustrated. “Somebody needs to do something right to help these youth in our community,” he remembers thinking. Then came a conviction he couldn’t shake: “No, I need to do something.”
At the time, Dr. McCray had recently launched The Way Church on Indianapolis’ near east side. The congregation was committed to helping people thrive spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially, and relationally, but responding to the needs of young people required more than concern. It required action.
He started with five teenage boys, some of whom were struggling in school or had been involved with the juvenile justice system. All of them needed positive adults in their lives, so Dr. McCray gave them a purpose. “We started cutting grass for senior citizens,” he said. “We would mentor and pay the youth.”
What began as a small summer program eventually grew into We Care Indy, a youth development organization serving young people from across Indianapolis through mentorship, leadership development, workforce readiness, educational support, and mental health empowerment. Today, through a partnership between The Way Church and We Care Indy, dozens of young people each year are discovering confidence, purpose, and opportunities they may never have imagined for themselves.
Growing Beyond the Original Vision
The lawn care program quickly gained traction, eventually expanding to serve approximately 45 youth while maintaining more than 100 lawns each summer for senior citizens throughout the community. The program provided much more than employment. Young people learned responsibility, built relationships with mentors, developed leadership skills, and experienced the value of serving others.
When COVID forced the organization to rethink its approach, leaders also noticed that many participants were developing skills in photography, videography, and digital content creation. What began as a temporary adjustment soon became a new direction. “We shifted and moved to media, and it has been phenomenal,” Dr. McCray said.
Today, students create videos, photography, and promotional content for churches, nonprofits, and businesses throughout Indianapolis. Their work has supported organizations such as Common Ground and Faith, while also providing real-world experience in a growing career field.
Serving Youth Beyond Church Membership
One of the most distinctive aspects of the partnership is its reach. While many volunteers come from The Way Church, most of the young people served through We Care Indy do not. “Ninety percent of the youth who are in the program do not belong to the church,” Dr. McCray explained. “And 90% of the volunteers do.” That statistic captures the heart of a partnership focused not simply on creating opportunities for members of a congregation, but on investing in young people wherever they come from.
We Care Indy serves youth from across Indianapolis, creating spaces where they can build confidence, explore future careers, develop leadership skills, and connect with adults who genuinely care about their success. As Paula Quarles explains, the organization takes a holistic approach to youth development, recognizing that young people need support not only academically, but emotionally, socially, and professionally as well.
More Than a Paycheck
At first glance, some people assume the program’s greatest draw is the opportunity to earn money, but the youth tell a different story. Each year, program leaders ask participants what stood out most about their experience, and Dr. McCray expected students to focus on compensation and bonuses.
Instead, they consistently point to the relationships they built, the mentors who supported them, the sense of community they found, stronger communication skills, opportunities to serve others, and having a place where they felt safe. “I thought that they would talk about the money. They never talk about the money,” he said. In one year, only a single student mentioned pay when reflecting on the program.
Perhaps most surprisingly, participants often emphasize mental health. “They’re finding value in mental health empowerment more than anything,” Dr. McCray said. Program outcomes reinforce that observation: 85% of participants can define mental health in their own words, nearly all can identify multiple healthy coping strategies, and more than 60% report increased confidence recognizing when a friend may need help. For Quarles, those outcomes represent something larger than program success. “That’s peer leadership in motion,” she said.
Seeing New Possibilities
For Dr. McCray, one student’s journey reflects the kind of transformation the partnership hopes to create. When Isaiah first joined We Care Indy, he wasn’t connected to a church or another youth program. During an early conversation about life after high school, he admitted that college probably wasn’t in his future. He thought he might pursue welding, but he wasn’t sure what came next.
Over the next three years, Isaiah became part of a community that challenged him to think differently about himself and his future. Through mentorship, leadership development, service opportunities, and relationships with caring adults, he gained confidence and direction.
Dr. McCray recalls one moment that stood out. Isaiah shared that he had walked away from a situation involving friends and firearms because he remembered conversations and lessons from We Care Indy. It was a reminder that the program’s impact extended far beyond workshops or activities.
This spring, Isaiah graduated from high school and is preparing to attend the University of Cincinnati, where he plans to study marketing. For Dr. McCray, stories like Isaiah’s represent the true measure of success: “That type of story for me is why we do this.”
the impact
10%
Youth participants of We Care Indy are not members of The Way Church, however 90% of program volunteers are.
10
Applicants submitted this summer (2026) purely through word-of-mouth referrals from existing participants.
10%
Participants can define mental health in their own words, and nearly all can identify three or more healthy coping strategies.
What started as a small effort to mentor five young men has evolved into a thriving youth development program. Today, We Care Indy helps young people across Indianapolis build confidence, develop life skills, and discover pathways to education, careers, and community leadership.
A Community Taking Notice
This year, We Care Indy set a goal of hiring 50 youth for its summer program. Without advertising on social media or launching a major recruitment campaign, 75 young people applied, forcing the organization to close applications before the deadline. Students were hearing about the opportunity from friends who had already participated, encouraging one another to apply and often bringing friends directly to interviews. “The friends were bringing friends,” Dr. McCray recalled. “Literally carloads.”
For program leaders, that response says as much about the impact of the program as any statistic. In a time when many organizations struggle to engage young people, participants were actively recruiting their peers because they believed the experience was worth sharing.
Community support extends beyond the youth themselves. Partnerships with organizations such as Pepsi and Lake City Bank have created opportunities for workforce development, interview preparation, financial literacy, and community service. The organization’s recent fundraising campaign exceeded expectations, raising more than $120,000 against an $80,000 goal, while media coverage from local news outlets and community publications continues to highlight the impact of the program and the growing demand for youth-centered opportunities across Indianapolis.
More Than a Grant
Support from Congregations With Community helped strengthen and expand the partnership, but both leaders emphasize that the experience has been about more than funding. Quarles describes CWC as responsive, collaborative, and deeply invested in helping organizations succeed. Through Collective gatherings, training opportunities, and relationships with other grantees, the partnership gained not only resources but also a network of peers facing similar challenges.
“We were able to build relationships within CWC,” she said. “You don’t see that.” Dr. McCray also appreciates the culture of encouragement he has experienced throughout the process. “We want you to succeed,” is the message he says CWC consistently communicates to organizations.
That spirit of partnership continues to shape the work. More than a decade after five boys first picked up lawn mowers, The Way Church and We Care Indy are helping young people discover what is possible when someone believes in them, invests in them, and walks alongside them. For dozens of Indianapolis youth each year, that investment is changing the trajectory of their lives.
Interested in the impact a partnership with CWC can have on your community? Get in touch for more information.
