A Commitment to Service
A commitment to service is at the core of Heath Outdoor. Every year, the entire team, along with community volunteers, spends Juneteenth in service, transforming the outdoor space of a central Indiana Black-owned business or organization.
“For me, this is one of the most important days of the year,” said founder and CEO Heath Hurst. “Service to the community is one of the values this company is built on, and I believe that we owe this day to those whose ancestors built the foundation of our country. It’s not enough to talk about DEI. We need to put action behind our words. For us, it feels like the very least we can do.”
Heath Outdoor partner and vice president Travis Hurst added, “Juneteenth is also a great day for our employees. Not only do they have the satisfaction of seeing the transformation take place, but it’s also one of very few days where we can all be together as a team and eat lunch together. The admin and sales teams gain a great understanding of the challenges of field work and everyone has a chance to work side-by-side for a change. It makes me really happy.”
Justin Wedges, residential sales and design expert added, “It’s meaningful to me to head up this project every year. We give our labor for free in acknowledgement of those whose ancestors had their labor stolen.”
Previous Juneteenth projects include:
2024: The Elephant Gardens The Elephant Gardens is an Indianapolis-based, family-owned and operated, urban farm founded by the mother-daughter team of Vivian Muhammad and Joyce Randolph. It’s located in an area known as the Northeast Corridor (NEC), in one of Indianapolis’ designated “food deserts”. The Heath Outdoor team spent the day clearing brush, installing concrete pads and paver paths, building garden beds and generally improving the space, along with Green Arbor Tree Experts, Inc. and other community partners.
2023: Mackida Loveal and Trip Outreach Center Mackida LoVeal Outreach Ministry was founded in 1997 to address the need for quality child care and educational programs for inner city youth who were struggling in and expelled from traditional schools. They focus on dropout prevention by giving at-risk youth a second chance in a healthy learning environment. Over the past twenty years, their staff has helped hundreds of students improve their study habits, comprehension, and test-taking skills. As a result, these students have earned better test scores and grades, and grown in self-esteem and confidence.
In collaboration with the Stone Center of Indiana StonePros, Automatic Supply, Tiffany Lawn & Garden Supply, Inc., Greendell + Musselman Landscape Solutions Partnership, Ameri Turf, Bluegrass Farms and Indy Insulation and Spray Company, Heath Outdoor created a tranquil wellness garden and cleared a lot for future development.
2022: The Oaks Academy The Oaks Academy is a Christ-centered school that exists to provide a rich, classical education to children of diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, preparing them to succeed in a rigorous secondary educational program and to demonstrate spiritual, social and emotional maturity. The Heath Outdoor team renovated the outdoor play area at The Oaks Academy Middle School and added a play area to The Oaks Academy Brookside.
Applications for the 2025 Day of Service are now available
From August of 2024 through February of 2025, we’re accepting applications for our 2025 Juneteenth day of service. The recipient will be chosen on March 1, 2025. We seek a Black-owned business or organization with a brick-and-mortar space that serves the local community and would benefit from the transformation of their outdoor space. All of the labor and design work is completely free; the business pays only for the materials used.
Who should apply?
Ideal candidates for this opportunity are Black-owned and/or operated: schools, day care centers, community centers, public gardens and parks, churches, civic organizations, restaurants and retail stores, or any other public-facing business that serves the community with a mission for the greater good.
Heath Outdoor, a premier, local, family-owned landscaping company established in 2009, proudly serves the vibrant communities of Indianapolis and its surrounding areas. Strategically located in the heart of Indianapolis, we extend our expert landscaping and hardscaping services to both commercial and residential customers in Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, Geist, Noblesville, Zionsville, Avon, Plainfield, Brownsburg, McCordsville, Greenwood and beyond.
Custom gardens and landscapes, paver patios and walkways, water features and recreation ponds, custom outdoor fire pits and fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, pool and spa vaults, tiny houses, storage sheds, pergolas and decks, retaining walls, fencing and playgrounds.
Mowing, mulching, planting and watering service, irrigation and drainage system installation and repairs, seasonal property clean-ups, and snow and ice management. In 2024, Heath Outdoor added eco-focused private gardening and garden coaching to our property maintenance services through a partnership with Spotts Garden Service.
Planning a wedding or other celebratory event and looking to create an extraordinary backdrop? Let the event design team at Heath Outdoor transform your space with rental plants, lighting and custom structures. We’ll work with your event designer to bring the vision for your event to life and create an experience your guests will never forget.
We’re not just in the business of landscaping—we’re in the business of finding solutions and bringing dreams to life. Whether it’s crafting breathtaking commercial outdoor spaces or creating custom outdoor living areas from scratch, we’ve got the passion, expertise, creativity and team to make it happen.
At Heath Outdoor, we’re also committed to giving back to the community, through our Juneteenth service project, annual participation in the Indy Pride parade, Butter Art Fair and Feast of Lanterns sponsorship and neighborhood beautification efforts.
Heath Outdoor is a Hurst Brothers company. Other brands in the Hurst Brothers family of companies include: Indy Insulation and Spray Company and Spotts Garden Service.
Get in touch with Heath Outdoor today.
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