New Hope of Indiana | Blog

For over forty years, New Hope of Indiana has been committed to supporting individuals and families, encouraging them to live their most independent, fulfilling lives. Through services for individuals with disabilities, counseling for families in the child welfare system and advocacy efforts, New Hope of Indiana is making an impact in our communities every day.

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20 Nov - Zeller, Speak

Posted at 14:40h in Zeller, Speak! 0 Comments

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Greetings, friends! Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it is my favorite holiday. Not just because I might get a bite of turkey, but because it gives me pause to count my blessings. So here is my top ten blessings list. 1. I work at New Hope, which is an awesome place! 2. I am surrounded by people who love me. 3. I have about 1,000 friends (some are people; some are dogs). 4. I have my own couch at the office. 5. I see a LOT of smiles! 6. Occasionally I get a Milk Bone. 7. In February people sing "Happy Birthday" to me. 8. Some of my friends play fetch with me in the...

15 Nov - Welcome, Cassi Dean!

Posted at 15:05h in New Hope Stories, News, Service Spotlight 1 Comment

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As we say goodbye to Lynn Feldman after her 41 years of service to New Hope, we are glad to welcome back Cassi Dean as our new Director of Supported Living. Cassi has twenty years of experience serving individuals with disabilities. She started at New Hope as a Team Leader in Supported Living in 2007 and left in 2017 after becoming a Manager. Since then she has gained leadership experience at the Arc of Greater Boone County and, most recently, as the Executive Director of INcare Solutions where she expanded their supported living program. Her peers describe her as hard-working,...

15 Nov - Mission Minute: Appreciating our Friends

Posted at 14:21h in Mission Minute, Volunteer Highlights 0 Comments

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by Kathe Rae, Manager of Mission Integration and Volunteers Every November we often have a heightened awareness of thankfulness, even if we feel and express gratitude throughout the year. The Thanksgiving season is a perfect time to reflect on the many blessings in our lives. At New Hope, we have so much to be thankful for: a strong mission, the individuals and families served, dedicated associates, caring volunteers, a vibrant board, an exciting future and so many “friends.” How important are friends in your life? Do they support you through thick and thin? Do they love you unconditionally?...

15 Nov - Service Spotlight: Henrietta Day

Posted at 13:24h in New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight 4 Comments

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Henrietta’s co-workers and friends would probably say she missed her calling and should be in the party planning business. While she does love parties and is very good at planning them, it's who the parties are for that is her passion: the individuals served by New Hope. In January, Henrietta will be celebrating her 26th year with New Hope and she can certainly confirm that time does fly when you are having fun! Years ago, prior to relocating to Indiana, Henrietta was working and volunteering for persons with disabilities in California. After Henrietta’s move here, she was encouraged to apply for...

29 Oct - Employment Inclusion

Posted at 18:11h in Community and Corporate Partners, New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), but at New Hope and other disability service providers, we celebrate employment inclusion year-round. In 2016, New Hope began offering Vocational Services using referrals from Indiana's Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VR). Our Vocational Services team works with dozens of individuals who are looking for assistance preparing for, finding and keeping meaningful employment. Vocational Services Team Leader, Patrick Mitchell, loves working with the people he serves. He enjoys the challenge of helping them set and achieve their goals, sometimes lofty. He says that the trick is helping to find realistic, attainable goals that have...

29 Oct - A Note from Allison: INARF Goes to Washington

Posted at 17:07h in A Note from Allison, Community and Corporate Partners, News 0 Comments

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Happy fall! I hope you’ve all been enjoying this beautiful autumn! We certainly have here at New Hope. We’ve been so busy meeting new people this month! Thanks to everyone who was able to join us for our Let’s Get Cheesy event on October 3rd! If you weren’t able to attend, check out the photos. It was great fall event with pumpkin painting, music, games and, of course, mac-n-cheese! We met some new friends and introduced them to New Hope, and we were happy to see some old friends like Indiana State Senator J.D. Ford! Outside of New Hope, I’m honored to...

29 Oct - Zeller, Speak

Posted at 14:59h in Zeller, Speak! 0 Comments

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Greetings Friends, It is National Disability Employment Awareness (NDEAM) Month and we are celebrating the many gifts people with disabilities bring to employers. There are so many benefits to hiring people with disabilities. Not the least of which is high quality work and dedication. Besides getting the job done, hiring people with disabilities changes the culture of a workplace for the better. It broadens the understanding of people without disabilities. Instead of assuming someone cannot do the job if they have a disability, they are able to see in action that indeed they can! And just like all the rest of us,...

29 Oct - Hanging onto Hope

Posted at 13:23h in New Hope Stories 1 Comment

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by Denise Caudill-Irons, NHI Board Member and Parent If you really want to scare people this Halloween, answer honestly when they ask you how you are doing. When I do, I see the blood drain from their faces; their eyes widen and dart around the room looking for a way out; and then, they quickly escape as though my pain is contagious. Luckily, most people step into my tale of gloom, giving me the strength and comfort that has sustained me through this unexpectedly long season of extraordinary situations. As the weeks turned into months, I felt disheartened and...

23 Oct - Change is a Good Thing

Posted at 19:31h in Client Profile, New Hope Stories 1 Comment

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Christy Bowser does not like change. However, one change in her life that she feels has been wonderful was her move to the Laboure Group Home in July of 2018. She previously lived in her own apartment in Noblesville, and she was feeling lonely, especially after she lost her job at Marsh when it closed. Christy had loved working there for over 20 years and had many co-worker friends. She said her sister, Michelle, thought Laboure would provide opportunities to meet new friends, get to do things she enjoys and also help her monitor her diabetes....

15 Oct - AIM Experiences AdaptFit

Posted at 17:38h in Community and Corporate Partners, New Hope Stories, The Year of Creativity 1 Comment

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According to the CDC, "nearly half of all adults with disabilities don’t get any aerobic physical activity." Nearly half! Can you believe that?? Our friends at Summit Strength and CrossFit have been helping our AIM groups practice physical fitness through CrossFit training. Their new class, AdaptFit, allows nearly a dozen young adults with disabilities to enjoy the benefits of CrossFit training each week including learning new functional skills, setting personal goals and getting out of their comfort zones. Not only are the individuals we serve getting fit and enjoying themselves, their coaches are enjoying this partnership as well. Here's what Summit...

14 Oct - Mission Minute: Traditions – Old and New

Posted at 18:23h in Events, Mission Minute, The Year of Creativity 0 Comments

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by Kathe Rae, Manager of Mission Integration and Volunteers As we approach the holiday season, we often think about and celebrate traditions. At New Hope, the holidays seem to begin in October with the annual Fall Festival. Traditions, especially at New Hope, often include everyone’s favorite thing: eating! We like to cook together, host big family dinners, bake cookies and maybe even serve meals at a shelter. For most of us, the holiday season means celebrating many traditions. Some people continue to brave the crowds at the mall the day after Thanksgiving each year. Others decorate...

14 Oct - Service Spotlight: Tracy Brabec

Posted at 18:02h in Service Spotlight, The Year of Creativity 2 Comments

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This month, Tracy Brabec is celebrating her twenty-fifth year at New Hope! For Tracy, her many years of service have truly been a life journey. Tracy was working for another provider in a direct care position and wanted to become a supervisor. She heard about New Hope from several co-workers and decided to apply for a behavior clinician position in the residential facility. Tracy was hired and later helped with the transition and closure of the facility. She was even one of the last to leave along with several of the clients. She became a supervisor in the Supported Living...

24 Sep - Exploring Indy!

Posted at 19:09h in Client Profile, New Hope Stories 1 Comment

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Jacob Nydam first joined New Hope's AIM program as a high school student at the beginning of 2019, attending only a couple of days a week. After graduating from Hamilton South Eastern this spring, Jacob began coming more often. His favorite part of the AIM program is spending time with his friends. He enjoys their trips to the park where he can explore the woods and to the library where he can read and learn new things on the computer. He also enjoys their volunteer activities with Meals on Wheels and other local nonprofits. “Jacob is constantly experiencing new adventures each...

24 Sep - Zeller, Speak

Posted at 17:20h in Zeller, Speak! 0 Comments

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Greetings friends, At my job here at New Hope of Indiana, I get to meet a whole lot of really special people. Not just the individuals that we serve, but my coworkers, too. There are a lot of important jobs to fill at New Hope, but one of the most important jobs is that of a DSP. DSP stands for Direct Support Professional, but I think it should stand for Delightfully Super Professionals! Because that is what our DSPs are. They provide exceptional care for those we serve. Our DSPs take their jobs seriously, while still having fun doing it. They...

24 Sep - A Note from Allison: We Love our DSPs!

Posted at 17:11h in A Note from Allison 0 Comments

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Happy Tuesday! If you drove by New Hope the week before last you saw the sign "We ❤ our DSPs!” and at New Hope, we certainly do! September 8-14 was National Direct Support Professional Recognition Week, where we pause to take an extra minute to thank the heart and sole of all service providers - our Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). These are the folks that provide 24/7 service to the individuals entrusted to New Hope. The support provided is really awe inspiring: from friendship, love and a feeling of home to assistance with activities of daily living, transportation, general behavior support,...

13 Sep - Mission Minute: DSP Recognition Week

Posted at 12:41h in Mission Minute, Service Spotlight, The Year of Creativity 0 Comments

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by Kathe Rae, Manager of Mission Integration and Volunteers Every year in September there is a week designated to recognize and thank Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), This year, DSP Week is September 8th – 14th. While we strive to recognize DSPs on an ongoing basis, having the special week provides an excellent opportunity to express our sincere appreciation and highlight their dedication, service, compassion and so much more. Governor Eric Holcomb, by executive order, signed a proclamation recognizing the more than 26,000 DSPs in Indiana. Here is an excerpt from that proclamation: “WHEREAS, Every day, Indiana’s direct support professionals make a tremendous difference...

27 Aug - Zeller, Speak!

Posted at 13:20h in Community and Corporate Partners, Zeller, Speak! 0 Comments

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Greetings friends, I arrived at New Hope on February 14, 2011! I turned 2 on February 17, 2011. I am now 10.5 years old. I remember what a fun first week it was. I came from Canine Companions for Independence, a wonderful national organization that places service dogs like me at no cost. On Saturday 8/24/19, New Hope hosted a puppy raiser workshop and a day of re-certifications for current working dogs for Canine Companions for Independence. I felt like I was watching my life all over again. From the littlest puppies to dogs in service to humans for years, they were all...

26 Aug - Let’s Get Cheesy!

Posted at 18:50h in Community and Corporate Partners, Events, Food Truck Program, The Year of Creativity 2 Comments

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It's been a wild ride to get our food truck, Cheese and Thank You, up and running. Since our Grand Opening in July, we've been excited to connect with dozens of partners in the Indianapolis community including some of our sponsors and donors as well as new friends. We're so thankful for the positive reception that Cheese and Thank You has received in the last several weeks, and we can't wait to share it with you. Join us and our partners from Sun King Brewery on October 3rd from 5:30-7:30pm here at New Hope for our event, Let's Get Cheesy, to...

26 Aug - Taking Action

Posted at 17:52h in Client Profile, New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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In the five years Patty Cooper has been served by New Hope in the Supported Living Program, she has been involved in a lot of interesting, fun and community service-oriented activities, which is just the way she likes it. She resides at The Lakes apartments with two roommates, one of which is her very good friend, Cindy. She has had two jobs, Pizza Hut and MCL, which she really enjoyed. She's disappointed that she is unable to work at this time due to health issues. Patty is a charter member of the New Hope of Indiana Kiwanis...

26 Aug - A Note from Allison: Saying Goodbye to Summer

Posted at 16:53h in A Note from Allison, Events, Food Truck Program, News, The Year of Creativity 0 Comments

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New Hope greetings! Can you believe Labor Day is next week? Summer is quickly (and sadly) coming to an end! However, New Hope is not slowing down! The food truck is going great! If you have not visited yet, I encourage you to come by an try the wonderful mac-n-cheese. It really is delicious! Take some to go to feed your family; they will be happy that you did. You can check out our upcoming locations on cheeseandthankyou.org or by following @Cheeseandthanks and @SayCheeseIndy on social media. Or if you would like to have us come to your office for lunch some...