Janet Lewis loves her job.
Every day, she goes to work at Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School, where she’s an assistant teacher helping kids with disabilities learn life skills.
But no one becomes a teacher for the money, and things are often a squeeze for Lewis and her two kids.
Three years ago, Lewis got a bit of a break when she was chosen to participate in a universal basic income program through John Boner Neighborhood Centers. From October 2022 to March 2024, hers was one of 15 families who received $500 a month that they could spend on whatever she wanted.
“That extra income coming in, it definitely helps,” said Lewis. “It’s a mental relief.”
Now, more Indianapolis residents will get that extra cash, too. The effort, called the IndyEast Guaranteed Income Initiative, restarted in October with $500 payments to 25 Indianapolis families. By 2028, the program will have expanded to serve 125 families.
The basic income program is run by the IndyEast Economic Mobility District, a partnership between three eastside community organizations — the Boner Centers, Edna Martin Christian Center and Southeast Community Services. In addition to cash, participants receive financial coaching and are required to attend events and connect with fellow recipients.
Program manager Tylyn Johnson hopes the program will show people and organizations a different model for providing resources to neighbors.
“We don’t have to be so stringent in supporting people,” Johnson said. “Sometimes you can just give people money, and we can trust and respect that they will make the decisions they need to in order to live.”
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The eastside Indianapolis groups chose 15 families to test a universal basic income program for a year and a half.
Back to income basics
Support for low-income families is often focused on providing resources such as food, clothes or toiletries.
There’s a place for those types of services, Johnson said. But sometimes, people just need a little extra cash to make ends meet.
“A lot of times, what people need is money,” Johnson said. “People just don’t have enough money to afford that one car breakdown, that week where they’re sick with the flu, or things like that.”
That’s the gap the basic income program has aimed to fill since it started over three years ago. In the first round, 68% of participants reported that they were able to cover their basic needs thanks to the extra money.
In the new round, the model is similar. There aren’t any income, citizenship or residency requirements to participate. Each of the three eastside organizations identifies people who are already involved with its financial programs and invites that person to participate.
Like before, recipients are required to meet with a financial coach and attend events with other program participants to talk about money.
The idea is that people can spend the money on what they need in the short term while also learning about finances for the future.
“Coaches don’t make decisions for people,” said Johnson, “but they can help provide guidance on ways to maximize those funds.”
Investing in yourself
For Lewis, deciding what to use her $500 for was usually pretty simple.
She often spent the money on groceries or other monthly bills. Lewis also bought two plane tickets to New York so her sons could see their dad for the first time in a year and a half.
The extra cash gave her some breathing room that opened up opportunities for her to provide for her kids, now 8 and 11.
“I can celebrate the birthday or I can celebrate a holiday that I wouldn’t normally be able to do, because all income is going towards bills,” said Lewis.
But just as valuable, in Lewis’ eyes, was the financial advising. As part of the program, Lewis learned how to budget, save and invest. She paid off some medical bills and started automatically saving part of each of her paychecks.
Lewis was proud of what she’d built up by the time she stopped receiving payments.
“It’s an investment,” she said. “Even without the monetary part, you still invest in yourself.”
A correction was made Dec. 4, 2025: This story has been updated to clarify the selection process for the basic income program.
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Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, on most social media @clairerafford or on Signal 317-759-0429.
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