Students turn neglected Indiana playground into symbol of hope

GARY, Ind. - Every change starts somewhere. In Gary, Indiana, it started with an old playground. 

Rust turned into roots when two natives decided to care — and what they built now grows far beyond them.

What we know:

The message "Someone Cares" sits on the back of a bench — two words that face anyone walking at the intersection of 35th and Jefferson. Behind it is the vision of two Indiana University Northwest students who grew up knowing this corner of Gleason Park.

"So the park was rusted over, swings were broken, it was pretty like the grass was overgrown," India Smith said. "People genuinely stayed away from this area."

As children, Smith and Elizabeth Downey saw the downward spiral up close.

"So I remember when they installed it," Downey said. "We never came over here just to swing. We would ride our bikes more than we would swing, because it was just a swing."

But they also saw the potential.

"Our advisor for the Black Student Union brought it up to a group of a group of us in the organization and, so you know, we really didn't think much of it because we didn't have the resources," Smith said.

But IUN’s student engagement office connected them to Love Your Block, a city of Gary program. They submitted a proposal and won a $15,000 grant. A local connection helped that money go further.

"The gentleman who originally put the swing set in contacted us," Downey said. "He said, 'Hey, I'm the one who put that in. I have a playground place here in Gary.' He said, 'Hey, this is what I have that you guys could get for under $15,000. And so with the money, we were able to get, everything you see here."

From March to mid-July, planning turned to pieces you can touch. The pace surprised even them.

"They got this done in three days. They were like, Jesus," Downey said. "I was just in amazement."

"I would have never imagined myself being a part of an initiative this big and that something this impactful, so really getting to see the work actually being done aside from like the blueprint was just mesmerizing," Smith said.

And they did more than install equipment. They built a garden that grows with words — the Kids College Kindness Garden.

Kids College is a group of sixth- through eighth-grade students who come to IU for two weeks to experience college. The students were asked to make rocks that had their favorite characters or inspirational quotes on them.

"And so this is a garden where we put a rock, take a rock," Smith said. "We're going to have them come out and do this every year."

Leaving a loving piece of yourself becomes a reminder that the neighborhood is a living thing.

"I'm here to show you this is what can be done when we all come together as a community like we're actively teaching them young what a community is what it is to volunteer and what it is to give back," Smith said.

The city of Gary repaved walkways, raised lights over the equipment and grabbed drivers’ attention with a sign that wears a heart, saying, "Please drive slowly. We <3 our kids." The warning carries a truth — one careless second can alter a child’s brightest minute, like a father lifting his little girl.

This moment holds two names for Elizabeth — her daughter, who plays at the park, and her father, who passed before he could see it finished.

"Yesterday was my dad's birthday," Downey said. "He is watching this. And my dad is like, I am. We are not proud or prideful people. So he is taking it to the stride, but I know he's happy. I know, he's proud of me."

This build also needed partners beyond campus. Pastor Dexter Harris of Flourish Church brought in youth groups for the heavy work.

"When we broke ground here, we didn't just break ground for a playground, but we broke into hope," Harris said.

The name of the playground is Blossoms of Change. The name calls out a new future. The scripture sets a charge. The project sparks momentum.

Tiara Williams serves in the mayor’s cabinet and sees the possibilities citywide.

"I hope they feel empowered," Williams said. "I hope they feel like some of these things that they want to do, they have the ability to do it."

What's next:

From panels and tables, they envision additions that welcome more people and more moments.

"I've been pushing for a gazebo," Smith said.

"We would like to see it slide," Downey said.

"Maybe like a toddler-sized playground somewhere that would be very nice," Smith said.

"My daughter mentioned the seesaw thingies," Downey said.

Plans grow, paint sets, paths fill. Let promise meet practice, right here where the bench faces the block. Someone cares.

Downey runs My Sisters’ Keeper, and Smith leads the Black Student Union. Their groups promised five years of care — upkeep on the equipment, pulling weeds and watering the flowers.

If you live in Gary and see a place that needs some love, the city wants to hear from you. Love Your Block connects residents with grants and hands to help bring neighborhood projects to life.

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