17 Jan - A New Hope Associate Reflects

by Dorothy Nowlin-Love, Transportation Assistant I think it is the spirit of hope and love that is demonstrated throughout New Hope. That is how my journey began at New Hope. I started working as a teenager in the year of 1978, in the Food Service Department as an associate. Looking back through the years, I can still hear the voices of laughter of the past between the staff and the individuals we still serve enjoying and interacting with each other at meal times. When St. Vincent took over New Hope, the vision of New Hope continued to grow...

Read More

15 Jan - Mission Minute

by Kathe Rae, Manager of Mission Integration It’s January and you know what that means: time to make that often dreaded list of resolutions; lose weight, get more exercise, save more money, etc. All great ideas, but what usually happens with New Year’s resolutions? We join a gym, perhaps start a diet or maybe avoid the sales at our favorite stores; all of which typically lasts about a month. Good intentions and initial “gung ho” motivation; however, very challenging to maintain, especially if there is little progress or success. With 2018 being such a special year for NHI, I would like...

Read More

02 Jan - New Hope Celebrates 40 Years of Hope!

2018 marks a momentous year for New Hope of Indiana as we celebrate 40 years of hope. Since our doors opened in 1978, we have provided those with disabilities and families in need of care and support with programs that are impactful, innovative and compassionate. Whether clients have been with us for one week or 40 years, they have found staff who are devoted to providing support and ensuring that they have the tools to reach their full potential. Over the years, we’ve heard powerful words from a number our families: “New Hope has created and supported an environment that...

Read More

22 Nov - Join New Hope on #GivingTuesday!

by Sarah Stone, Executive Assistant As a senior studying at IU, I first heard about Giving Tuesday after a professor encouraged me to do some research on charitable giving. I was in the middle of a semester studying and working in Washington D.C. where I felt like everyone I met had been made jaded by the city’s politics and crime. Away from the inclusive, small town community of Bloomington, I wasn’t completely convinced that my nonprofit management major would ever really pay off. But in early November a mentor of mine sent me a link to a short article titled “5...

Read More

31 Oct - New Hope’s Big Idea to Connect People to Employment

by Larry Messing, Manager of Development When I joined the New Hope staff in the Spring of 2016, I was immediately struck by how innovative and empowering our programming is. One of the first projects I heard about was an effort to create a food truck that will be staffed by people with disabilities and serve delicious food around Indianapolis. This program will teach vital workforce skills to young adults coming out of high school, providing them with the tools needed to find a rewarding job. Participants will learn culinary, customer service and sales skills, which are so important...

Read More

30 Sep - New Hope Adds Program for Children with Autism

by Amy Flint, Director of Placement Services Two years ago, a CARF (Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) surveyor asked us if we were familiar with the PLAY Project. That’s all it took for us to research the PLAY Project and figure out how to get certified. New Hope has a team of consultants providing behavior services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and we thought this therapeutic program would fit nicely with our current services. New Hope has one Certified PLAY project consultant and another in training and is the only agency licensed to offer this program...

Read More

10 Aug - Therapy Improves the Life of New Hope Client

By David Sklan, New Hope Client “Recreational Therapy has given me a boost in life skills,” says David Sklan. David has been with New Hope of Indiana for many years and began by living in the facility, then moved to living in an apartment and now resides in one of our Supported Living homes. David has participated in Recreational Therapy for many years. He first received services at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago before moving to New Hope. David has participated in many activities within Recreation Therapy, like card games, sports, arts & crafts and community outings. David...

Read More

26 Jul - 39 years and lucky

by Lynn Feldman, Director of Supported Living Program I came to New Hope as an Occupational Therapist with three years of experience in acute care. As a young professional, long term care was not considered the route to go, so I assumed I would only be here a few years to gain experience. Thirty-nine years later I am still here, having found what cannot be adequately described. I cannot consider it a “calling”, maybe I was just lucky. I was lucky to have found a job that has given me so much joy, a sense of belonging,...

Read More

27 Jun - New Hope Family Perspective: Getting Started at New Hope

by Denise Caudill, parent of New Hope client On St. Patrick’s Day in 2015, I felt that I had the Luck of the Irish… I finally received a call from the FSSA regarding the Family Supports Waiver. After being on the waitlist for nearly 3 years, it was the answer to a well-rehearsed prayer. After interviews, paperwork and more waiting, my daughter, then 8-years-old, finally had a case management group and a case worker. Let the long awaited therapies begin. I look back at that time and marvel at how naïve and uniformed I was. ...

Read More

25 May - “I like the type of work that I do.”

by Claire Bozzano, Director of Human Resources Isn’t that a wonderful thing for a boss or business owner to hear? That is exactly what we recently heard at New Hope of Indiana. New Hope recently participated in an extensive survey as part of the Best Places to Work in Indiana. This is the second year in a row for participation and we saw a dramatic increase in responses from the prior year. Categories for ratings and comments included areas such as Leadership and Planning, Corporate Culture and Communications, Role Satisfaction, Work Environment, Relationship with Supervisor, Training and Resources, Pay...

Read More

19 Apr - It’s the little things!

by Kathe Rae, Manager of Mission Integration Having had the honor to serve at New Hope of Indiana (NHI) for over 36 years, I have seen and experienced first-hand our evolution. From the early struggles as a stand-alone institution, to being “rescued” by St. Vincent and the Daughters of Charity, NHI has emerged a vibrant, compassionate organization with a bright and exciting future. What has remained a constant throughout New Hope’s 39 year history, has been the mission of serving persons in need. While we have cause to celebrate our major accomplishments, particularly in the last three years...

Read More

24 Mar - March is Disability Awareness Month!

by Kathy Ballard PhD, Director of Community Outreach March is Disabilities Awareness Month. The intention being to make all of us, supposedly without disabilities, more aware of people who do have labels of disabilities. Once again, while well-intentioned it is a mechanism for separating people. Our oldest son, Bryan, lives downtown on Mass Ave., a very hip part of Indianapolis. He doesn’t own a car, so like many of the downtown crowd, he uses his bike and the public bus. He has his favorite coffee shop, favorite bike routes, favorite neighbors and favorite things to do. He volunteers with his church, he...

Read More

16 Mar - Increase pay for agency workers who help Hoosiers with disabilities

Recently, New Hope CEO Allison Wharry along with two other area CEOs wrote a Letter to the Editor in the Indianapolis Star to highlight efforts to increase wages for Direct Support Professionals (DSP), who are the backbone of our agencies. Below is the letter that was printed in the March 12th issue. We represent three agencies that provide services to hundreds of individuals with disabilities throughout Central Indiana. Agencies like ours provide services to help Hoosiers with disabilities become more independent, reducing the ultimate cost of those supports and advancing people's opportunities to contribute positively to our community. Central to our missions...

Read More

15 Feb - New Hope Celebrates Three Years

Welcome to our new blog! Through this regular feature, we hope to share with you news and updates, helpful tidbits of information and an overall glimpse of life at New Hope of Indiana! Last month, New Hope celebrated our third anniversary as a stand-alone nonprofit organization on January 1, 2017. This marks another era in New Hope’s nearly 40-year history. The transition from a ministry of St. Vincent to our independent status made everyone a little nervous, even though we believed down deep that New Hope would emerge strong and healthy. However, I think we have well-surpassed what...

Read More