Service Spotlight

26 Jan - Voices of New Hope

After a year of feeling disconnected from one another, New Hope is celebrating its diverse and unique individuals, each with their own perspective, experiences, dreams and goals. This month, we're hearing from Sam Massaley. Sam and his family migrated from Liberia in 2000 and Sam joined New Hope in 2002 first as a Skills Trainer, then a DSP and now Team Leader for Demarillac Group Home. Sam has a Bachelors degree in Sociology from Indiana University and a Masters degree in Strategic Management from Indiana Wesleyan University. He and his family are members of Trinity Episcopal Church in Indianapolis. Sam is...

28 Dec - Mission Minute: Service & Dedication

Posted at 15:39h in Mission Minute, Service Spotlight 0 Comments

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In a year where celebrations are virtual and teams are working remotely, it has been challenging to recognize the dedicated associates with milestone service anniversaries this year. These associates have given years, some even decades, to fulfill New Hope's mission of providing holistic services and resources to persons with disabilities and their families while advocating to advance the opportunities for those in need of support. Most of them are Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) whose daily job duties include supporting individuals with disabilities with everyday tasks such as showering, grocery shopping, taking medication and more. You'll also find a number of...

15 Dec - Service Spotlight: Jenny Pfeil

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This month, New Hope is excited to welcome our new Director of Fund Development, Jenny Pfeil! Jenny comes to New Hope with nearly 25 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors including WFYI, YellowBook and United Way of Central Indiana. Most recently, Jenny served as the Regional Chief Development Officer for the Indiana Region of the American Red Cross where she led a team of fundraisers with responsibility for raising money around the state. She also currently serves as a mentor for Pass the Torch for Women and on the Marketing Committee for the Economic Club of Indiana. Jenny...

16 Nov - Service Spotlight: Allison Spence

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Ever wonder how New Hope finds its dedicated caregivers and all the other behind-the-scenes talent that keep New Hope running? Well, meet our very own Talent Acquisition Coordinator, Allison Spence. Allison has been a part of the New Hope Human Resources team for nearly three years where she dedicates her time to finding the right people for the job. Before she came to New Hope, Allison earned a Bachelors degree in Health Services from the University of Southern Indiana (USI) was a Business Office Manager at an assisted-living facility, maintaining the day-to-day operations including all human resources responsibilities. While she...

15 Oct - Service Spotlight: Adebanke Faleke

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Adebanke Faleke has a unique perspective of New Hope of Indiana and our mission. She has served as both a Direct Support Professional (DSP) in Day Service and AIM and, as of September, as a Behavior Consultant. We wanted to learn more about how Adebanke made such a drastic transition and why she chose to stick with New Hope in this new phase of her career. Adebanke is originally from Nigeria, West Africa where she earned her Bachelors in Theatre from the University of Lagos. She later moved to the US where she is now a citizen. She earned a...

29 Sep - Training Remains at the Forefront of Great Service

Posted at 10:47h in News, Service Spotlight 0 Comments

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While 2020 has been a strange year for all of us, a couple of things have remained constant at New Hope of Indiana. First, we have always put the safety and well-being of our clients and associates first; and second, we have continued to offer important training to our associates to support their efforts. To offer the highest quality care to the individuals we serve, our associates need to be equipped with the right tools and knowledge to do so. This year alone, New Hope has provided vital training to our teams including individual specific training on individual risk plans...

15 Sep - Service Spotlight: DSP Week 2020

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New Hope celebrated DSP Recognition Week September 14th-20th, and continues to celebrate our amazing Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) each and every day. The caregivers featured here are outstanding examples of New Hope's Core Values of Service and Dedication. Thank you to each of them and the hundreds of other caregivers who make New Hope the organization it is today. Denise Winbush I chose to become a DSP, because I was searching for a job that was truly centered around helping others. Retail and customer service were okay, but it just felt like I was there to do my shift and make my...

17 Aug - Service Spotlight: Kelsie Winters

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This month, Kelsie Winters is celebrating her 2-year service anniversary at New Hope of Indiana as Executive Assistant to the CEO, but it's really the rest of New Hope that's celebrating, because we are lucky to have Kelsie! In her role as Executive Assistant, Kelsie is responsible for supporting the work of the CEO, the Board of Directors and the leadership team all while acting as an ambassador for New Hope's mission. Her job description might seem vague to some, but that's because every day is different and requires flexibility to support a large team with a variety of projects. While...

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...