New Hope Stories

26 Jul - Celebrating New Hope’s Incredible Team!

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We are fortunate at New Hope to have so many champions for individuals with disabilities on our team. Earlier this month, we recognized four of our staff members who have gone above and beyond this past year. Amanda Boyd was named our New Hope Champion of the Year. Amanda has been with New Hope for 14 years and leads the AIM Program where she works with young adults to encourage personal growth and skills for independence through educational and cultural events, public resources, volunteer opportunities and leadership opportunities. During the pandemic, Amanda pioneered the provision of virtual day habilitation, music and...

26 Jul - Silver Cup Celebration Countdown

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We are just a few weeks away from this year’s Silver Cup Celebration! We hope you will join us as we celebrate the wonderful individuals served at New Hope. Our guest speaker is IndyCar team owner and disability advocate Sam Schmidt who will share his story of hope and resilience. Guests will hear a performance from the New Hope of Indiana choir and Tom Murray will perform on the piano. If you have not yet purchased tickets, you can do so here. Check out our silent auction to see the fun items and unique experiences up for grabs. The auction is live and...

26 Jul - AIM is Making an Impact in the Community

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Great News! AIM (Achieving Inclusion and Meaning) has been back out in the community this summer! With COVID restrictions lifting, AIM has been getting out and about in the Indianapolis area doing what they love the most- having fun and volunteering! They have visited Newfields, Meals on Wheels, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, volunteering for the Indy Book Project, the Indianapolis Children’s Museum and many other places. Launched in 2018, New Hope of Indiana’s AIM program provides young adults with disabilities community-based opportunities to develop skills for independence, practice interpersonal skills and empower individuals to live their best lives. Participants spend time...

29 Jun - New Hope Welcomes New Board Members

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New Hope welcomes new Board Chair, Gretchen Sussman, and other new members this July. Gretchen will serve as New Hope’s Board Chair for a two-year term beginning July 1st. Gretchen has been on New Hope’s Board for the past two year and has served as the Governance Committee Chair and the Special Workforce Committee Chair. With Gretchen’s 30 years of experience in executive leadership, New Hope is excited to grow and flourish. New Hope would also like to thank Liz Hoover for her service to New Hope. Liz has served as the Board chair for the last two years. Liz...

28 Jun - CAMP CATALYST BIG SUCCESS

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One of our dreams became reality with the launch of Camp Catalyst on June 20, 2022. Camp Catalyst brought kids together aged 9 - 16, both with and without disabilities, to play and learn together. And boy did they have fun! Amanda Boyd our camp manager, along with her volunteers Carter, Brandon, Amanda and our intern Katelyn, kept everyone busy with great camp activities. Water balloon fights were the number one choice of campers, followed closely by making slime, tie dying camp t-shirts and field hockey. Thank you to everyone who helped with this camp. And a special thank you to Jeremiah...

31 May - Celebrating New Hope’s Nurses

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This May, we celebrated Nurses' Week with a profound sense of gratitude for the selfless professionals who have served our mission throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful for each of them and the sense of comfort and peace that they bring to our New Hope community under the leadership of Nicole Powell, RN, NHI Clinical Nurse Coordinator. Nicole began her New Hope journey in 1996 as a Direct Support Professional. She was drawn to New Hope because she helped take care of her older sister, who is disabled. In her six years serving as a DSP, Nicole learned how...

31 May - Getting Back into the Community

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While COVID-19 has kept New Hope cautiously inside our bubble, we are finally feeling safe enough to get back into the swing of things. This May, New Hope enjoyed Friends of the Fox, an annual tradition that allows our clients and caregivers to enjoy time behind the scenes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the practice days leading up to the Indy 500. After two years without this long-standing tradition, New Hope's individuals and staff were relieved and excited to be able to return to this beloved activity. Thank you to volunteer Bill Ray and his colleagues for making this...

31 May - Liberty Mutual Gives Back to New Hope

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This May, New Hope was proud to host 20 volunteers from Liberty Mutual through the Serve Liberty program. These volunteers spent their day sprucing up the outdoor spaces at five New Hope homes to beautify the yards and gardens for the individuals who live there. They pulled weeds, cleared brush, put down fresh mulch and even planted some flowers for our clients to enjoy this spring and summer. They also helped with a painting project for our Silver Cup Celebration in August. Thanks to Liberty Mutual for spending a day in service to our mission! If you are interested in joining...

20 Apr - Finding Inclusion and Meaning

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At New Hope, there is one group of individuals that just might have more fun than any others. Our AIM participants, affectionately called AIMsters, are making sure that they live up to their program's name - Achieving Inclusion and Meaning. These young adults spend most of their time together in the Indianapolis community, learning skills for independence, practicing philanthropy through volunteerism and teaching others what it means to be truly inclusive. Our AIMsters, like most of the people we serve, have various types of intellectual and developmental disabilities. This can sometimes make it difficult to live independently, make friends, get a...

12 Apr - Volunteer Appreciation at New Hope

Posted at 10:36h in Community and Corporate Partners, Mission Minute, New Hope Stories, Volunteer Highlights 0 Comments

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April is National Volunteer Month! In 2021, New Hope's volunteers provided nearly 1,000 hours of service to our mission despite the continued challenges of a global pandemic. From Board members and committee volunteers to corporate partners and friends of New Hope, our volunteers enrich the lives of the individuals and families that we serve. This month, we want to say a special thank you to a few of these dedicated volunteers. Kathe Rae Not only did Kathe Rae devote her nearly 40-year career to New Hope, she continues to serve our mission even in her retirement, coming nearly every week to work in...

29 Mar - A Community of Hope…and Social Workers

Posted at 16:18h in Mission Minute, New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight 1 Comment

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by Amy Flint This month marks my 37th service anniversary with New Hope of Indiana, something nearly unheard of among my younger colleagues. Not many people stay at the same employer for over three decades, but at New Hope, it isn't quite so unusual. New Hope's leaders, managers and even our Direct Support Professionals tend to stick around a lot longer than our counterparts at other organizations. I think it might just be because the people at New Hope are simply good people who share a great mission. I started at New Hope in 1985 as a social worker in the largest...

29 Mar - Consider a Career in the Nonprofit Sector

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Why Work for a Nonprofit? The first thing you'll learn about working for New Hope is that we are an organization with a shared mission. This is true at most nonprofits. If you're looking for a career change that will make a difference in your life and in the lives of others, you'll likely find the right opportunity somewhere in the nonprofit sector. So why should you consider a nonprofit career? Do a Good Job Whether you work for a small organization and where a lot of different hats, managing a variety of business functions and services, or you have a more specialized role...

22 Feb - A Note from Allison: Warm Spirits

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Happy 2.22.22! Doesn’t a sunny warm day in February always give you hope that spring is near? As I write this, my spirits are warmed by this great weather. At New Hope there is also hope! After a tough round of COVID infection with the Omicron variant, we are happy to say that we are currently COVID free for both individuals served and staff. During the most recent surge, we limited Day Services to only those individuals who can tolerate a mask all day. Last week, we began welcoming other participants who cannot wear a mask all day back to the program....

22 Feb - Raising Black Voices

Posted at 16:52h in Mission Minute, New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight 1 Comment

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At New Hope of Indiana, we value the many people of color who make up our community. We believe that the unique experiences and values that they bring to our mission are vital to the work that we do. New Hope is committed to amplifying the diverse voices of #TeamNewHope and of the individuals we serve. This Black History Month, we are proud to do just that for three amazing Black women who make an impact at New Hope of Indiana every day. Carolyn Short, DSP, 7 Years of Service I was born in Muncie Indiana and raised in Indianapolis. I was raised in a...

25 Jan - Choosing Caution, Not Fear

Posted at 12:50h in Client Profile, New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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By Denise Caudill Irons, NHI Board Member and Parent During the early weeks of the pandemic, I was surviving while providing some semblance of normalcy for my family. But as the days wore on, I began to feel insulated and comfortable existing in our bubble. I felt an overwhelming sense of relief when schools went virtual and the shelter in place guidelines were instituted. I live with a constant undercurrent of fear for my daughter’s welfare. As she matures, my fears also grow. It feels as if I have a news ticker of all of the bad things that could happen...

14 Jan - National Mentoring Month: Bringing Smiles

Posted at 15:06h in Mission Minute, New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight 1 Comment

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January is National Mentoring Month! At New Hope of Indiana mentorship is often an informal relationship and can be found woven throughout our mission. Much of the work that our Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) do to support the individuals in their care involves mentoring them - teaching life skills for independence, practicing good decision-making, and encouraging them to set, meet and exceed personal goals. This month, we are celebrating two important New Hope mentors who support individuals with disabilities in achieving their dreams. AIM's Community Mentor Lashawnda Wright I was referred to New Hope by a former coworker in September of 2016. When...

28 Dec - A Year in Review: 2021

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As we enter into the new year, we are celebrating some of our favorite 2021 moments. January - February 2021 New Hope's caregivers became eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in January, a huge step toward better protecting the individuals we serve through the pandemic. Just a few weeks later, the individuals served in New Hope's residential programs began to receive their own vaccines. April 2021 Garden Club and other in-person volunteer activities resumed at New Hope's Day Services programs for the first time in 12 months. May 2021 The Indianapolis 500 Festival Princesses came to visit and gave some special pace car rides to the...

28 Dec - Voices of New Hope

Posted at 15:41h in Mission Minute, New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight 0 Comments

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Growing up I lived with my single mother, Kim, my older brother Coi, my sister Maisha, younger brother Larry and younger cousin, Ashley in the Butler- Tarkington neighborhood located on the Northside of Indianapolis. It was a close-knit community of neighbors, family, and friends where everyone looked out for one another. I loved playing Kickball games with my siblings and cousins and eating soul food - smoked pork chops, mixed greens, sweet potatoes, mac and cheese and my Mom's extra-hot chili. I graduated from Arsenal Technical High School, attended Ivy Tech State College. In 2021 I returned to...

28 Dec - Holiday Volunteers Bring Cheer to New Hope

Posted at 14:56h in Events, Mission Minute, New Hope Stories, Volunteer Highlights 0 Comments

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This holiday season, New Hope has been fortunate to have the support of dozens of volunteers to bring some holiday cheer to the individuals we serve. In our Day Services program, nearly 20 volunteers made the holidays bright with seasonal crafts, holiday bingo, sing-alongs and visits from Santa and his elves. Special thanks to New Hope's Maintenance team for their creativity and caring which made these holiday parties so extra special! Check out the photos on Facebook. Continuing a decades-long tradition, our partners at Ascension St. Vincent came together through the Hope for the Holidays program to deliver holiday gifts to...

17 Nov - A Strong Family Bond

Posted at 14:43h in Client Profile, Mission Minute, New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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Family has always been important to Christy Bowser. She has a picture of her mom, who has been gone for 20 years, next to her bed. She worries about her aging dad, who lives in Florida with her sister Michelle. While her mom and dad are important to her, it’s her sister Michelle with whom she is the closest. Christy lights up when she talks about Michelle, who has made it a priority to ensure for Christy’s health and well-being. Long before the term “autism” was widely used, Christy was diagnosed with a mild intellectual disability as a child. Christy describes...