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, 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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New Hope Stories

27 Mar - Staying Connected

Posted at 16:49h in Client Profile, New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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Every month, Bill McCreary looks forward to visiting his father in an assisted living facility. He checks the calendar and knows exactly when he'll get to see his father next. Nearly 30 years ago, New Hope Team Leader started serving Bill and eventually organized these monthly dinners. Today, it is the dedicated staff of Justin Group Home that ensure that Bill gets to see his family each month. But this month, and for the foreseeable future, Bill won't get to visit his dad. Bill is deaf and communicates using limited, basic sign language. Last week he was obviously upset and kept pointing...

26 Mar - Behavior Services Make A Difference

Posted at 14:09h in New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight 0 Comments

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by Lonya Thompson, LCSW, Manager of Behavior Services What does a Behavior Consultant do, and how does their work impact the lives of the clients here at New Hope? This is question that often come up during the initial meeting with clients, parents, and sometimes even from direct support professionals (DSPs). In order to get a better understanding of what Behavior Consultants do and how their work impacts the life of the clients, it may be helpful to first gain some background information about the Behavior Consultant’s role. Each Behavior Consultant at New Hope of Indiana is required to have at minimum a...

25 Feb - Finding My Joy

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

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by Denise Caudill Irons, NHI Board Member Because I have not felt inspired the past few months, I have not attempted to contribute an article. I have been mindlessly struggling with the endless routine of daily life. Nothing exceptional has occurred, and it’s been disheartening. Recently, my daughter and I visited her honorary grandparents in Florida. During our stay, Mims came across this poem by William Martin, and she reminded me of it. I read it years ago, but it was long forgotten. As I needed the reminder, it appeared again. However, it wasn’t for...

24 Feb - A New Hope Love Story

Posted at 09:54h in Client Profile, New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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James and Kyle first met in the late '80s when they were living at our residential facility and began dating shortly after. Even after moving out into the community, into different parts of the city, these two have been inseparable. You'll never find James without his baseball cap which he likes to match to his outfit for the day. He has a caring heart and likes to help the staff at his house by taking out the trash. James loves to spend time with Kyle, even after over 30 years together! Kyle enjoys listening to country music and getting dolled up...

14 Feb - Valentine’s Day at the Statehouse

Posted at 14:18h in New Hope Stories, News 0 Comments

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New Hope clients gave some Valentine’s love to lawmakers and state officials this week! The members of our AIM program participated in The ARC of Indiana and Self-Advocates of Indiana’s annual Valentine’s Day at the Statehouse event on February 13th. The clients connected with state legislators and other elected officials to thank them for their hard work and remind them that people with developmental disabilities and their families are people that should be considered when making decisions in Indiana. The New Hope clients first gave handmade Valentine’s to Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson outside her Statehouse office and got...

13 Feb - Mission Minute: Connections of Hope

Posted at 09:50h in Mission Minute, New Hope Stories 1 Comment

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by Cassi Dean, Director, Supported Living Program I first heard of New Hope in 2007 from a co-worker of mine. At that time, I was working a full time weekend position with at-risk juveniles. Although I loved my job and felt like what I was doing mattered, I was also concerned about missing family time each weekend. Working from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM every Saturday and Sunday was difficult for me and I was missing my then 2-year-old son tremendously. At first, I was reluctant to make a change, but my co-worker continued to talk about his work at...

27 Jan - AIM Continues to Grow

Posted at 13:30h in Client Profile, New Hope Stories 1 Comment

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It's been so fun to see new faces in our AIM program this winter. We wanted to get to know them a little better, so we asked them some interesting questions. Q: What is your theme song? A: Old Town Road A: Anything by the Backstreet Boys A: Free Falling by Tom Petty Q: What would be the most amazing adventure or to go on? Where would you like go on vacation? A: Australia A: Hawaii A: The beach where it's warm A: Visit family in New Jersey A: New Orleans Q: What's your dream car? A: Cadillac A: Purple and blue Hummer A: Convertible Mustang A: Big truck Q: What do you want people to...

27 Jan - Caregiver Support

Posted at 10:29h in New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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by Amy Flint, Dir. Community and Family Connections You may have heard the term "respite care" and wondered how it applies to the community that we serve. Respite is a service providing caregivers an opportunity for rest and relief from care giving duties. Depending upon a variety of eligibility factors, individuals with disabilities and/or special health care needs and their families may have different respite options. Individuals who are currently on the Family Supports Waiver waiting list may apply for Caregiver Support. Caregiver Support services provide temporary assistance to families caring for eligible persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are...

15 Jan - Mission Minute: Connections of Hope

Posted at 13:04h in Mission Minute, New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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by Sarah Stone, Mgr. Development and Communications Happy New Year! At New Hope, we love celebrations, and this year we are celebrating our Connections of Hope. How are you connected to New Hope? How did you learn about our organization? Why is our work important to you or your family? What can we do to better connect the families we serve to one another, and how can we become better connected throughout the community? These are all questions that we are excited to explore with your help in 2020. Personally, New Hope came into my life at a time when I was...

15 Jan - Service Spotlight: Lucinda Peterson

Posted at 12:28h in New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight 2 Comments

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Lucinda came to New Hope 28 years ago when she was still a college student looking to earn some money. It was the only job she applied for at the time and she was excited to begin serving others as a direct support professional (DSP). She remembers coming to orientation as the only new hire and watching a lot of training videos by herself. After she graduated with a degree in Human Development, she was promoted to Team Leader, overseeing the same homes that she had been working in for years. Lucinda went on to earn her masters degree in...

27 Dec - A Note from Allison: The End of a Decade

Posted at 14:32h in A Note from Allison, New Hope Stories, News, The Year of Creativity 0 Comments

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Happy 2020! I really cannot believe it is New Year’s Eve and the end of a decade! Tomorrow it will be 2020! 2019 has been a great year for New Hope of Indiana! On January 1, 2019, New Hope celebrated its fifth year as a stand-alone not for profit. Thank you to everyone who has made the last five years possible! As we reflect on 2019 specifically, below is a recap of what we have accomplished this year: Approved new Mission and Vision Statements: Mission: New Hope of Indiana is a leader in providing holistic services and resources to persons with disabilities...

26 Dec - You Met the Match!

Posted at 19:31h in New Hope Stories, News, The Year of Creativity 0 Comments

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Thanks to a generous gift from our Board of Directors, your #GivingTuesday donations were matched up to $4,000 this year! And better yet, you met the match by donating over $4,000!! Did you know that New Hope receives the majority of our funding through Medicaid reimbursement? This means that many of the services we provide to our clients are paid for by the government. However, this funding often leaves a gap between what is paid for by Medicaid and the quality of care that we are committed to providing to our clients. Your support this Giving Tuesday and throughout the year...

23 Dec - New Hope’s Aktion Club Gives Back

Posted at 19:08h in New Hope Stories, News 0 Comments

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New Hope’s Kiwanis Aktion Club collected non-perishable items as part of their Annual Food Drive supporting a local pantry. This year they chose to donate to the Pike Township Trustee’s office to help start their own food pantry in 2020. The Aktion Club enjoys finding ways to give back to the Indianapolis community throughout the year, but they especially enjoy their annual food drive to help others during the holidays. A huge THANKS to everyone who donated this year. There were two full trunk loads of goods to deliver!! To celebrate their donation success and the holidays, they had their...

23 Dec - A Spirit of Grace and Perseverance

Posted at 18:08h in Client Profile, New Hope Stories 1 Comment

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Rosemary Bostick's middle name should be perseverance as she has faced many challenges in her life yet has been able to overcome all with grace and spirit. Before she found her way to New Hope, Rosemary was living in a shelter. In 2002, she moved to the Rendu group home, which provided a safe environment and assisted her with health issues. Even though she had lived out on her own with her family for many years, she enjoyed living at the group home. In July of 2005, Rosemary moved to an apartment in the CYCS program, now...

16 Dec - Service Spotlight: Ralph Gehrung

Posted at 14:28h in New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight 1 Comment

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When Ralph Gehrung interviewed for the maintenance technician position almost fourteen years ago, he assumed he would be working in the Payne Road building. This seemed like a good fit as he had previously worked for a large retirement complex. When Ralph returned for a second interview, he was taken out to see several of our homes and realized the magnitude of maintaining so many homes. Fortunately for New Hope, Ralph was hired as he had both construction and maintenance experience. He continues to be a dedicated, skilled, caring and valued member of the maintenance team. One...

16 Dec - Mission Minute: It’s Been an Honor

Posted at 13:46h in Mission Minute, New Hope Stories 2 Comments

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by Kathe Rae, Manager of Mission Integration and Volunteers In recent years, I have had the pleasure of writing monthly Mission Minute articles highlighting the importance of New Hope’s mission: our core values, vision, history, traditions, recognition, fun, etc. However, writing this month’s article was quite bittersweet as it is my last one. After 39 years with New Hope, I am retiring to pursue my next life journey. Please indulge me as I share of few memories and reflections. Of course, I certainly could write not only one book but several volumes of New Hope stories and...

13 Dec - Thanks to American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation

Posted at 17:20h in Community and Corporate Partners, New Hope Stories, News 0 Comments

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This fall, New Hope was proud to accept a grant of $2,500 from the American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation. It wasn't a typical grant, though, and we never asked for the money. In fact, it was a New Hope mother who believes in our mission that wanted to give back to us. Eldonna Merritt, the mother of one of the individuals we serve, saw an email from her insurance company, American Family Insurance, inviting her to nominate a deserving nonprofit for their Dreams Foundation Community of Dreamers grant program. After years of working with New Hope to provide her son with...

25 Nov - Setting a New Goal

Posted at 21:06h in New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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by Denise Caudill-Irons, NHI Board Member and Mom I finally accepted that there was nothing I could do to change my current and stressful circumstances. Thus, I decided to redirect my energies and focus on a new mission in order to keep my sanity. Like some sharks that must keep moving to breathe, I need to keep thoughts going through my head to feel productive. I need to prepare, analyze, predict, and plan for ways to help my daughter achieve her best life. A year ago, a friend connected me with another parent who has an older daughter with...

25 Nov - He Keeps on Ticking

Posted at 19:54h in Client Profile, New Hope Stories 1 Comment

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Happy Birthday to Kenny Lyons, who just turned 50 this month! Kenny stated he is like a Timex watch: he “takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” When Kenny was 17, he fell asleep while driving late at night and hit a bridge. He sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) which required significant medical care and rehabilitation. In 1990 he was admitted to the New Hope residential facility on Beta Hall, which was the unit designated for individuals with TBIs. At that time, he needed a wheelchair for mobility, but through his determination and therapy with Reba Kerkhof, New Hope's...

21 Nov - Saying Goodbye

Posted at 19:17h in New Hope Stories, News, Service Spotlight, The Year of Creativity 3 Comments

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With heavy but happy hearts, two of New Hope's longest serving leaders are saying goodbye to their careers at New Hope. Lynn Feldman, Director of Supported Living, and Kathe Rae, Manager of Mission Integration and Volunteers, are both retiring after a collective 80+ years of dedicated service to New Hope's mission and to those we serve. Lynn Feldman started at New Hope shortly after its doors opened in 1978 as a occupational therapist. She fondly remembers sitting on the floor and assembling furniture for the 200-bed facility on her first day and intending to find a new job after a...