New Hope of Indiana | Service Spotlight

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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Service Spotlight

14 May - Service Spotlight: Penny Laster

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Penny Laster, like so many of our frontline caregivers, is one of the hardest workers you’ll ever meet. Often working 60-hour weeks, Penny spends more time with her New Hope family than her own most weeks. Why does she do it? Because she loves her job. Penny has been a Direct Support Professional (DSP) for about 10 years, the last two of which have been spent at New Hope. Her favorite part of the job is caring for the individuals she serves and being a part of a dedicated team of other like-minded caregivers. During the COVID-19 crisis, New Hope has...

14 Apr - Service Spotlight: Aderonke Kareem

Posted at 17:46h in New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight 0 Comments

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This month, we're recognizing Supported Living DSP, Aderonke Kareem! We were proud to nominate Aderonke for a scholarship from INARF in December, and while she didn't win the prize, we want to recognize her hard work and commitment! Before becoming a DSP, Aderonke Kareem was working as a CNA in a nursing home. When she came to New Hope, she was seeking a position that would offer more one-on-one care in a longer-term setting. Along with her full-time job at New Hope, she is also a single mom and a full-time student studying to be an Early Childhood Education teacher. Today, after...

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...

16 Mar - Service Spotlight: Chris Moore

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Group Home Team Leader, Chris Moore, was uninterested in being spotlighted to say the least. With a little encouragement from his Manager, he begrudgingly agreed to answer some basic questions about himself. Thanks to Chris for his 17 years of dedicated service to New Hope in the Group Home program! Where you are from? I am from the small town of Cayuga, Indiana. What's your family like? My wife Jessica and I have a ten year old son Ethan. I have a younger brother who lives in Michigan. I have three nephews and two nieces. What was high...

13 Feb - Service Spotlight: Donna Murphy

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If you've visited New Hope's Payne Road offices recently, you were likely greeted by Donna. What you probably didn't know, was that Donna is much more than a receptionist. Donna came to New Hope nearly twenty years ago when she was looking for a job with flexibility and good benefits. She'd never worked in healthcare before but had wanted to be a nurse in her younger years. She decided that direct care at New Hope might be the best of both worlds. Donna originally worked as a DSP in our FCS program, serving the same client in his family home for...

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...

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...

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...

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 - 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...

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...

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...

15 Aug - Service Spotlight: Maureen Wilson

Posted at 17:57h in New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight, The Year of Creativity 0 Comments

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Maureen Wilson has been a resident in Indy her whole life, and she has been a dedicated employee at New Hope for the past 20 years. Having grown up in Indy, she went to North Central high school, then moved on to beauty school at the House of James in Carmel. Her start at New Hope began unexpectedly. When she was on maternity leave from working as a hairstylist at JC Penny, she became a caregiver to one of her neighbors. While she was a caregiver, she met someone from New Hope who worked for her neighbor. She realized...

15 Jul - Service Spotlight: Christa Robinson

Posted at 17:16h in Service Spotlight 0 Comments

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[caption id="attachment_24311" align="alignleft" width="226"] Christa with her daughter.[/caption]Christa has a passion for families, especially children. Her degree is in human ecology with a minor in child development. At the recommendation of a New Hope associate, Christa was initially hired as a team leader in the Family and Community Services (FCS) program. After eight months she transferred to the Home Based Counseling Program as Case Manager, as it was her goal to work with families. Christa loves her position so much that it does not feel like work to her, even with the challenges and frustrations. ...

14 Jun - Service Spotlight: Kim Hendrix

Posted at 19:39h in Service Spotlight 2 Comments

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Many people believe things happen for a reason in their lives, although they may not understand that until much later. Kim Hendrix, who is a DSP at the Louise group home, worked at a factory for 24 years. When that factory closed, she and the other employees were offered educational assistance through Ivy Tech. Kim decided to pursue CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) training, as she had a family member with a disability and wanted to “give back” in appreciation of what that person had received from others. Kim attended an Ivy Tech job fair where she talked with Angie Reed,...

15 May - Service Spotlight: Betsy Gorman

Posted at 19:21h in Service Spotlight 2 Comments

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Ten Years ago, Betsy was interested in looking for a new job and found New Hope in a roundabout way. Her mother had surgery at St. Vincent, and Betsy was very impressed with the care and how compassionate the staff were throughout her mom’s hospitalization. Betsy had experience as a DSP and while searching potential agencies serving persons with developmental disabilities, she saw St. Vincent New Hope. She thought New Hope must be a good organization since it was a part of the St. Vincent system. She was hired as team leader in SILP (now FCS)...

15 Apr - Service Spotlight: Lashawnda Wright

Posted at 17:00h in Service Spotlight, The Year of Creativity 0 Comments

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Associate Lashawnda Wright's New Hope journey to her current position in the AIM Program started about three years ago. At that time, Lashawnda was working for another agency when an associate encouraged her to apply at New Hope. New Hope is so thankful for that referral because we have gained a terrific associate in Lashawnda. At the time Lashawnda started working at New Hope, no residential shifts were available, so a position Day Services at Payne Road was suggested. Conducive to her family obligations, Lashawnda accepted the Day Services position. It was a perfect fit...

15 Mar - Service Spotlight: Kathy Ballard

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If you have ever had the opportunity to meet or work with Kathy Ballard, Ph.D., Director of Community Outreach, you learned very quickly how passionate she is about building community, especially by supporting vulnerable persons who have faced multiple barriers and prejudices in their lives. This has been her life work, and we have been fortunate to work with her for the last 18 years at New Hope where she strengthens and expands our mission of service. When Kathy first came to New Hope, she managed the CYCS program, now called Family and Community Services (FCS). It did not...

15 Feb - Service Spotlight: Patrick Mitchell

Posted at 20:35h in New Hope Stories, Service Spotlight, The Year of Creativity 0 Comments

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Nearly five years ago, a friend of Patrick Mitchell’s, who was also a New Hope associate, encouraged Patrick to apply for a position in New Hope’s FCS Program. At that time, Patrick had a full-time job elsewhere but applied at New Hope and was hired as a DSP in the FCS Program. A year later, Patrick was promoted to the Team Leader position in FCS. When given the opportunity to lead the Vocational Services program, Patrick was especially interested since one of the individuals he served in FCS was also served in Vocational Services. Patrick quickly...

15 Jan - Service Spotlight: Amanda Boyd

Posted at 21:05h in Service Spotlight, The Year of Creativity 0 Comments

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To kick off New Hope's Year of Creativity, the young adults in our Transition Services program, AIM (Achieving Inclusion and Meaning) have already spent time at the State house, meeting Indiana State Senator J.D. Ford, they've volunteered at Meals on Wheels and they've enjoyed some bowling. And while these young adults are the decision-makers when it comes to how they spend their days in the Indianapolis community, their leader, Amanda Boyd, is the real creative mind behind the AIM schedule. Amanda has served in several roles during her eleven years at New Hope, as a team leader in Supported Living, as...