Jiffy Lube of Indiana proudly honors Tamara Long-Ajimati through their Do More™ initiative. Tamara is the Founder and Director of Caring for a Cause Supportive Services, Inc., an organization that provides low-income and disadvantaged individuals or families with basic necessities.
Tamara founded Caring for a Cause in 2015 after watching her aunt “give the shirt off her back” for community center members in Detroit, Michigan. Tamara worked with her aunt in the summers and could see the impact she could make in the community.
Since 2015, Caring for a Cause has helped over 5,000 families. Tamara and 50 Caring for a Cause volunteers work to provide items like hygiene products, diapers, wipes, and other basic necessities to low-income and disadvantaged families. They have also worked through the holidays every year to provide for families in need.
Caring for a Cause asks for sponsors every year around the holidays where families can receive free toys, clothes, gift cards, meals, or present options from a family’s wish list. The organization works to support households with children, and senior citizens, but anyone can apply for assistance. Caring for a Cause aims to provide the household with children with gifts as well as boxes for food for the entire family.
Simply put, Tamara uses her car to make sure families have what they need. Much of the non-profit’s work has been mobile due to the pandemic, causing Tamara to use her personal vehicle to deliver donations and support to families in Central Indiana.
Jiffy Lube of Indiana is happy to gift Tamara an entire year of free oil changes and AAA Hoosier Motor Club insurance coverage. Tamara has expressed her gratitude to Jiffy Lube of Indiana and the community who nominated her. The car care she will receive will allow her to help more families in need in Central Indiana.
Care for a Cause’s Current Projects
Diaper Drive Initiative Program
“Our diaper pantry program is entitled, “Diaper Drive Initiative Program.” Our Diaper Drive Initiative Program is committed to connecting those in need with a reliable supply of diapers and other needed resources. We provide diapers monthly as part of our ongoing services and programs. We also offer partnering organizations information as a resource for needy families.”
Holiday Assistance Outreach Programs
“We are partnered with Toys for Tots and would love to partner with you. We work yearly to gain sponsors and donations for low-income families in need. If you are interested in sponsoring families for one or all the programs, please feel free to contact us. During the holiday season, low-income families can get free toys, clothes, gift cards, meals, or present options from the families’ wish list. We support households with children, and senior citizens, however, anyone that is currently struggling can apply for assistance.
Our goal is to make sure we serve households with children with gifts as well as boxes of food for the entire family.
Millions of families are struggling, and the holidays make those challenges more apparent. The goal is to ensure that every low-income family has both food and some type of gift given to them.
It is highly important to us to be able to provide gifts along with dinner for the family.
Our holiday assistance programs are the following:
– Thanksgiving
– Christmas
– Easter”
Free Haircut & Styles
“Our free haircut and style program aims to reach homeless and low-income disadvantaged families in need. Our goal is to build a community of skilled hairdresser volunteers who are open and willing to give their time free of charge to give haircuts, styles, make-up, and face painting to homeless and low-income families in need.
Homeless individuals and low-income families have many challenges to face, one of them often being low self-esteem. A haircut or style has a great effect on someone, giving them a real boost. Oftentimes a new hairstyle is at the bottom of the list for those that are in need and struggling financially. One of the people’s basic rights is for them to feel and look good. Remember it may be a haircut or style to you, but to someone in need it’s a kind gesture and you have given them hope.”
C4AC Operation Care Package – Back to School Efforts
“We are collecting toiletry and school items to give to girls and boys in need within the community.
We are in need of the following:
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Toothpaste
- Dental floss
- Fold-up toothbrush
- Breath strips
- Mouth wash
- Small first aid kit
- Very smallest travel-size sewing kit (minimum thread and needle)
- Deodorant
- Travel soap or body wash
- Body spray (perfume or cologne)
- Lotion
- Lip balm (i.e. Chapstick)
- Hair bands/Rubber bands
- Notebooks
- #2 Pencils
- Colored pencils
- Pencil sharpeners
- Erasers
- Pencil case
- Glue sticks
- Crayons
- Washable markers
- Watercolor paints (8 ct.)
- Pair of scissors (blunt-tip)
- Pocket folders
- Lunchbox
- Backpack
- Construction paper
- Wide-ruled notebook
- Hand sanitizer
- Box of tissues”
If you would like to donate to Caring for a Cause, volunteer your time, or assist in other ways, please reach out to Tamara via Facebook or at:
(317) 886-0724
