Community finds happiness in charitable organizations

Someone, somewhere once said, "Money can't buy happiness." \nWell, if happiness equates to Range Rovers or iPods, then he or she was completely wrong. But what if happiness actually had a different meaning? \nIf happiness meant helping others, inspiring, uniting and learning, then this whole community would be in luck. \nBloomington is home to numerous non-profit organizations, all pulling together the little money they have to enrich the lives of community members. These organizations and projects are geared to all backgrounds and ages for those willing to volunteer their services. But, with no profits coming in and not being nationally-sponsored, local projects rely on the community to support them in return for their generous actions.\nBloomington Playwrights Project is one of these non-profit organizations -- it gives people the opportunity to act, write, direct and be part of theater productions, as well as provide educational acting lessons. \n"Profit theaters are always worried about the bottom line, whether the show will make a lot of profit or not. Any money we make goes back to make a new show," said Richard Perez, the theater's artistic director. \nThe Project depends on grants, donors and audience ticket fees to stay afloat. \nAlthough it hasn't always been smooth sailing for the project, Perez remembered a time when lack of money and good administration became a big issue for the project, but today, it's in the best fiscal condition they have ever been in. \n"We've been open for 25 years," Perez said. "We're celebrating our silver anniversary, as well as our mission to produce new plays and playwrights in the community." \nWith such a large theater program, IU gives the project a lot of talented and driven students to work with. So, when it comes to competition, the Project doesn't see the IU Theater as a competitor, simply because of its large scale and profit-seeking status. \n"It's important to me to spread the wealth to other places like the Waldron Theater," Perez said. "It's silly to think about each other as competition. The more ways we become creative with other organizations, the less we need to look at each other as competitors."\nLook no further than right next door to the Playwrights Project, and find Boxcar Books and Community Center, Inc., a non-profit, volunteer-run, new and used book store and community center. \nIt carries books, zines, magazines and comics on topics of social justice, independent media and fiction. A big part of its cause is to take part in the Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project, which sends used literature free-of-charge to prisoners, who otherwise would have limited access to these types of reading material.\n"We started out with $10,000 and long term interest free loans, but we depend on the sales in the bookstore and donations," said Matthew Turissini, the finance director in the 14-person cooperative operation. \nBut, like all other non-profits, they choose not to keep the profit for self-interest, but give right back to the community with their meeting space and unique collection of donated books. \n"We're non-profit because it goes back to the idea of the community -- and that's why we're here. We have books and especially zines that larger book stores don't carry," Turissini said.\nUnlike the Bloomington Playwrights Project or Boxcar Books, the Rhino's Youth Center -- a non-profit, after-school program providing entertainment to Bloomington teens -- is locally funded by the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation, the Monroe County United Way and other local affiliates. And, it, too, counts on donations and volunteers to keep its programs up-to-date and appealing to the youth. \n"As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing else like this program in the country with its longevity and consistency to look out for the community's youth," said Bob Nugent, assistant director and former attendee of the youth center. "We take in some of the brightest kids, and those are the ones who grow to be the brightest adults in the community."\nSo, happiness can come in all shapes and sizes; plays, books, volunteering, support and education -- all of which in the Bloomington community can be done with little money and a desire to give back. \n-- Contact staff writer Beth Litwak at blitwak@indiana.edu.