New Hope of Indiana | New Hope Stories

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 and advocacy efforts, New Hope of Indiana is making an impact in our communities every day.

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New Hope Stories

28 Sep - Thank You Notes for our DSPs

Posted at 14:57h in Mission Minute, New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight 0 Comments

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Celebrating DSP Appreciation Week, September 12-18, 2021 "A great big thank you to everyone at New Hope. I hope you all know how very much my family supports you all. Without each and everyone of you these residents could not be the happy people they are. You all are the best and may God bless you." "Thank you so much for all you do!" "Words are not enough to express the gratitude I feel to the NHI DSPs- you are the heart and soul of NHI!" "We would like to send a huge thank you to the DSP’s and staff of Justin home. They...

31 Aug - Voices of New Hope

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Marrie Dollahan, known around New Hope simply as Marrie Lou, has lived in Indianapolis her whole life. She loved school as a child but learned to be tough in her large, blended family as one of 15 children! While she has struggled with many medical issues over the years, her time at New Hope has been great. Marrie Lou really appreciates the DSPs and other caregivers who help her look pretty and take her to her favorite places including New Hope’s Day Services program. She loves puzzles, games, baby dolls and traveling. Her dream trips are to Paris and Disney World....

27 Jul - Aktion Club Hosts Reunion

Posted at 13:09h in Community and Corporate Partners, Events, New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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This July, New Hope's Aktion Club enjoyed its first in-person event since February 2020. The group hosted its reunion cookout with the help of volunteers from Kiwanis Club of Northwest Indianapolis. Despite some rain, the group enjoyed being together for the first time in well over a year. The meeting took place thanks to Kiwanis advisors and support from New Hope associates. While most of the club's business was pushed to the next meeting in order to make room for fellowship and fun, the group was excited to discuss plans to host the annual Fall Festival at New Hope in...

27 Jul - Voices of New Hope

Posted at 09:48h in New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight 0 Comments

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by Moon Ndiaye, NHI Team Leader I grew up in the Capital of Senegal called Dakar, in West Africa. Dakar is a great place to live, and is the most developed city in Senegal, offering many amenities. As a child, I went to a private Catholic school for elementary and to public school for middle and high school. I graduated in 1992 and pursued my education to College St. Michel where I graduated with my Bachelor's degree in Computer Science Programming and graduated for my Master's degree in Economics and Finance in 1998 at University Cheick Anta Diop Dakar. After getting...

27 Jul - Caring for the Disabled in the Pandemic and Beyond

Posted at 09:34h in New Hope Stories, News, Service Spotlight 0 Comments

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By Gay Murry, Direct Support Professional (DSP), New Hope of Indiana The pandemic did so much to shine a light on the tough jobs of frontline workers. Yes, my work caring for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a New Hope of Indiana home was difficult. It was even scary at times. We had to mask up, social distance and take many other precautions. We couldn’t go on our usual outings with clients to help them feel part of the community and their social isolation was devastating to watch. But there were some amazing things, too. Life-changing things. I hope...

28 Jun - From Haiti to New Hope

Posted at 15:21h in New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight 2 Comments

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by Kenaze Navarre, SLP Team Leader I grew up in a small rural town called Desdunes, Haiti. It was awesome to live there. As a kid I did not have any electricity up until I was 12 years of age. It was all fun living there. There was such connection with nature and family. Haiti is best known for being fierce and unafraid as well as for its good cooking. I miss the sea, the rivers, walking, and seeing old distant family members. As a child, my dad was the school principal and he taught me at home. I didn’t go to...

15 Jun - Celebrating Juneteenth

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by Margo Green, HR Director As we approach Juneteenth this year, I find myself reflecting on how it is still somewhat of a “new” day of commemoration for me. It was not something I learned about in school. I do not recall any family members talking about it when I was growing up. In fact, I knew nothing about it until I was an adult. In hindsight, that is interesting to note because on both sides of my family, my grandparents were children or grandchildren of slaves. I can only speculate as to why it was not celebrated within my family....

25 May - Promoting Wellness Among Months of Stress

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Certainly a pandemic takes its toll on everyone. But for those who give their time to care for others, the stress can easily become too heavy for them to carry. For many caregivers, long-term stress can lead to burnout and can lower the quality of care that they provide to clients like the individuals we serve. This May, New Hope is recognizing Mental Health Month and is proud to support the hundreds of caregivers who give so much of themselves to ensure that New Hope's clients are happy, healthy and safe. New Hope made an intentional decision to include this...

25 May - Voices of New Hope

Posted at 09:00h in Client Profile, Mission Minute, New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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Nikeita Smith has been served by New Hope for 24 years and has been making people smile her whole life! She loves to be involved in art, games, exercise, and socializing. She is very friendly and kind. Nikeita is often wearing jewelry she has made and her hair is always perfectly done. We are proud to serve such kind and caring people like Nikeita and want to share her kindness with our friends. It's been hard not going to see my mom on the weekends since the virus came, but New Hope has always been nice to me. This year,...

24 May - Aktion Club is Still Taking Action

Posted at 15:46h in Mission Minute, New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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While service projects in the time of COVID have been difficult to safely organize, New Hope's Aktion Club has continued to find meaningful ways to give back to the community. Kiwanis Aktion Clubs are important opportunities for adults with disabilities to gain leadership skills and practice community-based philanthropy and service. Our Aktion Club typically enjoys organizing bake sales, food drives and other small fundraisers to support local nonprofits. They also enjoy volunteering for organizations like Meals on Wheels. In the midst of the pandemic, however, these typical activities were no longer safe. Rather than giving up the things they are...

24 May - Remembering Our Friends

Posted at 14:07h in New Hope Stories, Remembering our Friends 0 Comments

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Sandy Fries 12/15/1950 - 4/30/2021 Sandy was a fun lady who had a great sense of humor. She enjoyed watching her daytime soaps, going to concerts each year, attending church, and spending time outside. She also loved to shop for clothing, go to movies, and go out to eat. She was resilient and strong after overcoming many health issues throughout her life. She loved to laugh and joke around with her friends, housemates, and staff. Sandy was served by New Hope for 43 years in various programs including group homes, supported living and behavior services, most recently living in the Countryside home in...

27 Apr - Volunteer Appreciation

Posted at 13:14h in Mission Minute, New Hope Stories, Volunteer Highlights 0 Comments

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April is National Volunteer Month, a month dedicated to recognizing the importance of volunteering and honoring the significant contributions volunteers make by generously donating their time and talents to worthy causes. At New Hope, volunteers support our mission in so many different ways. From our dedicated Board of Directors and the committees that support them to our friends from Kiwanis and College Park Church, volunteers are helping the individuals we serve live their best lives. Volunteers help with the day-to-day administrative tasks that support our business. They provide their professional expertise and guidance on our Human Rights Committee and our...

27 Apr - Voices of New Hope: Volunteer Leaders

Posted at 12:17h in Mission Minute, New Hope Stories, Volunteer Highlights 0 Comments

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There are so many ways to give back to our community and to make a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors. At New Hope of Indiana, we are especially grateful for the volunteers that choose to support our mission with their time and talent. Their voices are an important part of our story. Loraine Brown is a New Hope Board member with a long history of supporting our mission. She chooses to serve as a volunteer leader with New Hope because she shares our organization's Core Values of Dedication, Service, Reverence, Wisdom, Integrity, Inclusivity and Creativity. "To be...

30 Mar - A Note from Allison: A Month of Celebrations

Posted at 10:43h in A Note from Allison, New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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Happy spring, friends! This month was full of celebration! March is Disability Awareness Month, Social Work Month, and New Hope’s birthday. As our organization marked 43 years of service to the disability community, we shared a simple but hopeful message: the future is looking bright! A year ago New Hope and the rest of the world took cover as we prepared for the arrival of coronavirus in our lives. Today, I’m so happy to say that nearly 100% individuals served in congregate settings and over 60% of New Hope associates have received at least one of their COVID-19 vaccines. Individuals served...

29 Mar - Supporting New Hope’s Future

Posted at 11:14h in Client Profile, Mission Minute, New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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by Bernie Konrady, NHI Supporter and Family Member My brother Jeff was born with disabilities that would not allow him to lead an independent life in the home he was born into. It was not his choice! As Jeff and his disabilities became more severe with age, my parents recognized their own limitations for the long-term care and well-being of their son. They began a search for long term care for Jeff that eventually led to New Hope in 1978. There, my parents found a safe, loving, caring environment for their son. Over time, as Jeff settled in to his new home, my parents...

23 Feb - Raise Your Voice This Disability Awareness Month

Posted at 12:52h in Mission Minute, New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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by Jenny Pfeil, Development Director Before joining the team at New Hope of Indiana, my knowledge of individuals with disabilities was probably to similar to most in our society – very uninformed. I had little experience with the day-to-day life of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I didn’t know how they paid for the support services they need or how difficult daily tasks such as bathing and preparing a meal could be for them. Nor did I understand the extent to which their disability could affect their entire family. What I did know was that individuals with disabilities are not...

23 Feb - A Note from Allison: Advocates Needed

Posted at 10:46h in A Note from Allison, New Hope Stories, News 0 Comments

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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...

19 Feb - Weathering the Storm, Literally

Posted at 15:02h in Mission Minute, New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight 0 Comments

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by Cassi Dean, Director Supported Living Program If we have learned nothing else this year, we have learned what an amazing group of caring professionals work among us at New Hope!! We have faced unforeseen challenges, that have pushed us to our limits, but never changed who we are or what we do! If a global pandemic did not impact the high-quality support we provide, what does a minor (ok, maybe major) snowstorm have on us? Absolutely nothing!! Last week, as Indiana braced for a major winter storm, what did we do? We did exactly what we always do in the face...

19 Feb - Celebrating Black History Month at New Hope

Posted at 14:52h in Client Profile, New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight 0 Comments

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New Hope of Indiana is celebrating Black History Month this February by recognizing some of our brightest black leaders and by honoring black trailblazers with disabilities who have shown just how able the community truly is. New Hope is proud to have an incredibly diverse team with over 50 female or minority leaders and nearly 70% of team identifying as black or African American. Their unique perspective makes our organization a better, more inclusive place to work, to serve and to grow, and we are grateful for their dedicated service to the individuals and families we serve. New Hope Leaders Paula Guynn is...

15 Feb - New Hope’s Black Leaders: Chasatie Finley

Posted at 16:47h in New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight 0 Comments

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As we celebrate Black History Month at New Hope of Indiana, it’s important to us to highlight a few of our amazing black leaders. by Chasatie Finley, NHI Team Leader, SLP I was born in Peoria, Ilinois, and raised here in Indianapolis. I attended school in Warren Township and graduated from Warren Central. My family on my mother's side is originally from Lake, Mississippi and my Dad's side is from Arkansas. To me, Black History Month is a time to celebrate and reflect on how far black people have come. I think about all the accomplishments that have not always been in...