New Hope of Indiana | Diary
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.
disability, disabilities, waiver services, group homes, autism, I/DD, residential services, disability services, Indianapolis jobs, DSP, jobs, hiring, caregiver, CNA jobs, CNA, therapy, music therapy, recreation therapy, rec therapy, vocational services, vocational rehabilitation, voc rehab, VR, PLAY project, autism support, disability advocacy, day services, community based services, day program, adult day program, behavior services, behavior therapy
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August 31, 2021
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....
August 31, 2021
Here is wishing you a Happy Labor Day!
This month, New Hope was proud to welcome Indiana Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch as part of her delayed inaugural celebration. The Lt. Governor spoke to New Hope associates, clients, and families about her advocacy for the disability community and the value individuals with disabilities bring to our communities. She also toured New Hope with her team and our friends from INARF. While at New Hope, Lt. Governor Crouch announced 12 new grants totaling $1.6 million made in partnership with the Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) to enhance community integration efforts across...
August 31, 2021
DSP Appreciation Week is September 12-18 and this year, we are hoping you’ll help us celebrate these dedicated frontline caregivers in a special way.
New Hope’s Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are truly exceptional – providing care for the individuals served by New Hope 24/7. Even through a global pandemic, these selfless caregivers never quit serving our most vulnerable neighbors. To recognize their tireless work, we want to say THANK YOU to them!
Here’s how you can help:
Make a donation in honor of a DSP. Please consider making a recurring monthly gift of $24.70 in support of New Hope’s DSPs this month...
August 20, 2021
Indiana Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch today urged Indiana employers to solve their workforce crisis by hiring individuals with disabilities. Crouch made her comments during a visit to New Hope of Indiana in Indianapolis as part of her Inauguration Celebration.
“Nationally, the unemployment rate for individuals with developmental disabilities is over 70 percent,” Crouch said. “Right now, as I travel the state, I see more ‘Now Hiring’ signs than I have in my entire career as a public official. And people with disabilities are ready to step up and rejoin the workforce to bring Indiana to its most prosperous place in years.”
Crouch...
July 27, 2021
Happy July!
This month, we continue to celebrate zero cases of COVID-19 and increasing numbers of vaccinated individuals at New Hope. In fact, 100% of individuals served in our residential programs and in Day Services have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine! We believe strongly that this will keep #TeamNewHope healthy and safe even as we see COVID cases on the rise with the new Delta variant.
We are also excited to welcome our administrative staff and supervisors back to our Payne Road offices in a hybrid environment. It is great to see people in person again! Thanks...
July 27, 2021
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...
July 27, 2021
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...
July 27, 2021
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...
July 27, 2021
New Hope of Indiana has elected Steve Cook to its Board of Directors. Cook held a variety of positions in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities for more than 43 years before retiring in 2020. Cook is the former Executive Director of New Hope and also served as the President/CEO of INARF, the Indiana association for organizations providing services and support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
In 2000, Cook was appointed to serve as the Director of Developmental Disability Services for the State of Indiana. In 2002, Cook assumed the position of Director for Disability and Aging Services....
June 29, 2021
Hello New Hope Friends,
Spring is a time of renewal and new growth, but summer is a time to thrive. At New Hope of Indiana, we are excited to be thriving in so many ways!
This month, New Hope was named an IndyStar Top Workplace for the third year in a row! While this achievement alone would be great news, it is especially rewarding this year. The Top Workplace award is determined entirely by the feedback of New Hope associates through an anonymous survey that uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization. This...
June 28, 2021
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...
June 28, 2021
by Jenny Pfeil, Director of Development
When you think of the 4th of July holiday, what images come to mind? Red, white and blue bunting on a porch? Cookouts, fireworks and time with friends and family? Traveling and relaxation?
For me, it’s all about celebrating independence. Our country, our independence and our freedom are ever evolving. We have all seen first-hand that there is work to do in ensuring that every citizen enjoys the freedoms our forefathers envisioned. Freedom and independence, like people, come in many unique and diverse forms. And there are many populations who experience barriers to...
June 22, 2021
New Hope of Indiana is honored to announce it has received a major gift from the Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr. Memorial Foundation. The Indianapolis-based foundation is giving the nonprofit $30,000 to buy a new, fully accessible van.
New Hope provides community-based residential services throughout Central Indiana and a variety of therapy, day, vocational and transition services to more than 400 individuals with disabilities every year. This gift will remove a significant barrier for the individuals served by New Hope, many of whom use wheelchairs, and provide much-needed access to vital healthcare, meaningful employment, and other community-based opportunities.
“We...
June 15, 2021
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....
June 6, 2021
New Hope of Indiana has been named a winner of the Central Indiana Top Workplaces 2021 Award. This is the third straight year that New Hope has received a Top Workplaces Award.
The list from The Indianapolis Star is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization - including alignment, execution and connection.
“It’s incredibly gratifying for New Hope of Indiana to be named to the Top Workplaces list for the third year...
May 25, 2021
Happy Memorial Day!
As the weather warms up and our community’s health continues to improve, the light at the end of the pandemic is closer than ever. The individuals we serve residentially have had ZERO cases of COVID-19 at New Hope of Indiana since January 28, and with the support of our dedicated associates and the families of those we serve, we expect to see this trend continue. Despite the recent changes to mask recommendations, #TeamNewHope continues to wear masks, maintain social distancing as much as possible and minimize risk to those we serve by staying home when sick. These tactics...
May 25, 2021
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...
May 25, 2021
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,...
May 24, 2021
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...
May 24, 2021
This May has, in many ways, felt nearly normal. While we're still wearing our masks, screening our health, keeping our distance and generally being cautious, we are also SO EXCITED to feel like the end of the pandemic is truly in sight. For New Hope, May is always a busy month full of community events, associate gatherings and more. Typically, our individuals spend time at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) as race teams prepare for the Indy 500 at the end of the month. While we weren't able to get back to the track, we still celebrated May the Indy...
