23 Feb A Note from Allison: Advocates Needed
Happy February, friends!
Onward – that is my “one word” for this year! After nearly a year of COVID, we all want to move onward with our lives! With the vaccine being available to New Hope’s direct caregivers we have slowly but surely begun to move onward. This week things will speed up. Beginning Thursday, New Hope nurses will vaccinate 190 New Hope individuals living in congregate settings! Next week, New Hope nurses will also provide vaccines to DSPs and other direct caregivers at a clinic in our Payne Road building. As I have said before, this will really bring new hope to New Hope!
New Hope has also moved onward in its commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Thanks to both the DEI committee and New Hope’s Board of Directors, New Hope added a new Core Value of Inclusivity to join: Service, Dedication, Integrity, Wisdom, Creativity, Reverence. This new Core Value is so important to our teams and is an important addition to the list of things we hold most valuable in our daily work. Learn more here.
As the Indiana General Assembly progresses onward, I want to be sure that everyone reading this note, knows that an extremely important increase for DSP wages is included as part of the State Budget bill (HB 1001) that will pass out of the House this week and be sent to the Senate! This is amazing news as it will increase statewide DSP wages on average by approximately $2 per hour. Our DSPs are always amazing, but COVID has highlighted their dedication and their love for the individuals we serve. This will also allow funds that would have otherwise been targeted to DSPs to be spread throughout the organization, so it is a win-win for everyone! However, the bill has only made it through the House, we will need your grassroots support in the Senate. Learn more here and please watch for additional emails regarding this important bill.
Finally, March is Disability Awareness Month. We will be celebrating by sharing stories from individuals we serve and their families. I hope you will follow New Hope on social media and help us share our stories of hope throughout the month. Use your voice to speak up for those whose voices are often unheard. It’s easy to be an advocate in the age of social media. Simply share our posts and spread our message of hope and inclusion. New Hope also celebrates its 43rd anniversary and marks the one-year anniversary of COVID’s impact at New Hope in March. I am very happy to report that currently we have no positive individuals or staff at New Hope, and it has been this way for nearly a month. As we move onward, let us pray we can keep it this way!
Take care and stay healthy,
Allison
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