Beautifying Indy's Neighborhoods for over 10 Years
 

ADOPT-A-BLOCK: Renewing its Commitment

Now with 500 Blocks Adopted! Over 500 individuals volunteer to clean their street and build community in their neighborhood across Indianapolis. Receiving tools, trees and plants, we beautify our city together block by block.

Please consider becoming a Block Coordinator by completing the ONLINE FORM.  

Check out our Adopt-A-Block neighborhood map!

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AAB Commercial

Check out our commercials that Channel 16 produced in partnership with KIB.

WORDS FROM THE STREET:  Read how Adopt-A-Block has transformed neighborhoods, and lives.

A Building Block to Vibrant Communities

The Adopt-A-Block program empowers neighbors to bring beautification and neighborhood revitalization down to the smallest unit, the block. Neighbors keep their block clean of litter on an on-going basis, and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful provides them with tools and resources to help in their efforts.

Adopt-A-Block energizes new neighborhood volunteers to participate in community activities. Street by street, neighbors inspire each other by setting an example of environmental and community stewardship and dramatically improving their quality of life.

Adopt-A-Block builds capacity for neighborhoods to create vital, beautiful greenspaces. Neighborhoods with high Adopt-A-Block participation are leaders in developing pocket parks, community tree plantings and vibrant greenspace projects throughout the city.

What Do I Do As a Block Coordinator?

Bring your neighbors together – young and old – to set goals, share the work for beautifying your block and being together.

Gain the cooperation of your neighbors to keep your block clean, whether that means daily pick up, a weekly cleanup or a monthly effort.

Let your neighbors know about the resources available for your block through Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.  From free trainings to trees, we are here to help!

Talk to residents about what you are doing when you are out cleaning your block. See if you can recruit new block coordinators on other streets in your neighborhood in order to expand your impact. Work with new block coordinators to create a larger vision for greenspace projects.
 

We Will Help You Go Above and Beyond the Call of Beauty!

We provide each block coordinator with a cleanup kit including a broom, shovel, bags, gloves, a litter grabber, dust pan and a bucket. On an annual basis, KIB will provide a new supply of gloves and trash bags to aid in your cleanup activities!

Each block is scored two times May – October (A score of “1” indicates no litter, “4” indicates heavily littered). In a monthly score letter, blocks are notified of scores as well as of upcoming events and resources available through KIB.

Flowers are awarded each spring to blocks with an average score of “2” or better for the previous year. The Flower Distribution Day is a fun event where block coordinators pick out flowers from a variety of colorful annuals and perennials. Coordinators then distribute these flowers to their neighbors or plant them in community areas to improve the curb appeal of their block.

All blocks, regardless of their cleanliness score, have the opportunity to receive FREE TREES in the fall through Keep Indianapolis Beautiful’s NeighborWoods program!

We host trainings and social events that allow blocks to learn from each other and celebrate their successes. Plus, every AAB Coordinator receives a 50% discount on our Workshop Series.

Program History

Adopt-A-Block (formerly known as Operation My Town) was formed in 2002 to answer a need to bring litter abatement and prevention down to the smallest unit—the block. This program began as the brainchild of City Councilor “King Ro” Conley as an attempt to get citizens and neighborhood people involved in keeping the city clean from a platform they were very familiar with—their own streets and alleys!

MY BLOCK: Are you currently an Adopt-A-Block coordinator? Visit this page to learn about local neighborhood resources and leave feedback about the program!

Adopt-A-Block Handbook
Adopt-A-Block Printable Brochure

Complete the ONLINE FORM to sign up to be an Adopt-A-Block Coordinator, or contact Joseph Jarzen with any questions at jjarzen@kibi.org.

Donate!

Continued success of the Adopt-A-Block Program depends on our sponsors and individuals like you! Consider donating to Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.

Thanks to our Adopt-A-Block sponsors!