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October 30, 2018

A Note from Allison: Be Kind

It is with a heavy heart that this letter is sent to you. We are all saddened by the past week’s events in Pittsburgh. I was happy to be greeted by a new sign outside our New Hope doors. New Hope is a kind and loving place for the people we serve and the associates who work here. If you want to come visit a place that is hate-free and happy, come see us! I can’t believe October is nearly over. It has been a very busy month - probably the busiest of all months. ...

October 30, 2018

Zeller, Speak!

Greetings friends! I am happy to tell you that the Castleton Day Services program is getting a Facility dog from Canine Companions for Independence!! That is where I came from too. Dorine Saladin, fondly known as DG, will be traveling to the regional center of Canine Companions in Dublin, Ohio, to be trained with the dog. She will be there for a full week, learning all kinds of things and being matched with a dog. The dog may be male or female, black or yellow, a golden retriever or a lab or a mix of the two. We don’t know yet...

October 30, 2018

Remembering Our Friends

Richard Collins 2/4/1969 - 10/23/2018 Richard grew up in Ohio. As Richard would share, he experienced troubling times during his teen years and sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Seeking services, Richard moved into the NHI residential facility in 1990 and resided on the Beta unit, which served persons with TBI. When the facility began downsizing he moved to the Depaul group home and later to the 96th St. supported living home. Several years ago, Richard had the opportunity, as a part of the New Hope Client Speaker’s Bureau, to speak to high school groups about his life in hopes...

October 30, 2018

Looking to the Future of Disability Services

During the last legislative session, the Indiana General Assembly passed HEA 1102 which provided for a task force to study the future of disabilities services in Indiana. Since then the 1102 Task Force (“Task Force”), chaired by Lt. Governor, Suzanne Crouch, has been meeting across the state. The Task Force recently released its report to the General Assembly. A summary of the report's recommendations prepared by INARF, New Hope’s trade association, is also available. At New Hope's October Board meeting, INARF's President and former NHI Administrator Steve Cook presented New Hope's leadership team with an overview of...

October 25, 2018

Fashion Mall Dreams

Not that long ago, Stephen shared his dream of working at Indy's Fashion Mall with his Employment Consultant in our Vocational Services Program. This program helps individuals with disabilities who are interested in working in the community or starting their own micro-business. Through goal-setting, interview skills-training and other types of pre-vocational support, our Employment Consultants work with each individual to find the perfect employer match for them through Indiana's Vocational Rehabilitation Services. After an individual is hired, they continue to receive ongoing support until they are stable in their new role. Employment Consultants also work with employers to facilitate communication...

October 22, 2018

Some Days, You Wear the Hat

By Denise Caudill-Irons, NHI Parent and Board Member Being an effective advocate for my daughter is a skill that I have developed over years, and it continues to evolve as her needs change. I was conditioned to be a people pleaser, not to make waves and to defer to the experts. In the beginning, I blindly accepted the opinions of doctors, therapists and teachers. I willingly agreed with their treatments and plans. I trusted that they knew what was best for my daughter, and I was inexperienced and lacked confidence in my knowledge of her needs. ...

October 15, 2018

Thank You to Our Friends!

Last month we were so proud to host our donors, volunteers and community partners to say thank you for all you do to support New Hope of Indiana! The group enjoyed painting and were able to tour the new Cheese and Thank You food truck, sponsored by Kroger, Pearson Ford, Old National Bank Foundation as well as some awesome anonymous donors. We were also happy to host a group of our friends at Numotion who are surprisingly good artists! We can never say thank you enough to these community partners and all of our New Hope community. They're investing in New...

October 15, 2018

Celebrating Our Culture Associate Pitch-In

It has been several years since New Hope has had an event for associates and their families, so this special year seemed like a great time to celebrate with a 40th anniversary pitch-in!  Associates were encouraged to bring a side dish to share and wear clothing which reflected their heritage.  There was a wonderful variety of food from around the world.  Many of the children who came with their parents were also dressed up and they enjoyed working on crafts and playing  games with each other.  Two volunteers from the Zionsville High School Key Club helped with the kids, but shared...

October 15, 2018

Mission Minute: Reverence and Diversity

The NHI Core Value of Reverence states that “we practice respect and compassion for the dignity and diversity of life.” As an organization, we embrace and celebrate our diversity, both in terms of who we serve as well as our associates. Representing so many cultures, varying backgrounds, perspectives, knowledge, and experience greatly enriches the New Hope mission, programs and services. A quote by the late author Maya Angelou comes to mind: “We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value...

October 15, 2018

Service Spotlight: Lyndi Grubb

When Lyndi Grubb interviewed with Kathy Ballard, Director of Community Outreach, fifteen years ago for a therapist position in the Home-Based Counseling program, she was excited to hear the possibility of also utilizing her art therapy background and experience. Soon after the NHI Day Services program started, Lyndi was able to do just that, by including her art therapy passion in her work. She later transferred to Behavior Services and continues to coordinate the art therapy program, which consists of painting, pottery, mosaics and other medium. Lyndi firmly believes, and certainly has experienced at NHI, that everyone has art ability,...

September 25, 2018

New Hope is Making Capital Improvements

New Hope is EXPANDING!!! We are excited to announce new room additions which have been made to many of our Supported Living Program homes. Most recently, we added a new bathroom and bedroom to our Grandview II home as well as a new bedroom to our Parker II and Brendon Park homes. Two of these additions are extra special to New Hope as they are not just room additions. New Hope was able to provide these rooms to brand new residents who are now part of the New Hope family. These additions have allowed us to create...

September 25, 2018

Now Presenting: Cheese and Thank You

We are so excited to be on the cusp of a brand new program, the Cheese and Thank You food truck! This week, New Hope will reveal the newly-branded truck at our Thank You event, giving donors, volunteers and community partners the opportunity to see the truck before it's revealed on social media this Friday, September 28th. This program is a unique food truck operation in which the food is prepared by, marketed and served by young adults with disabilities. We are looking for motivated, eager-to-learn individuals who are interested in learning more about the food service industry, social marketing,...

September 25, 2018

Client Profile: Sandy Fries

In 1978, there were not a lot of programs or services available for persons who had experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Sandy Fries lived in Illinois near St. Louis, but moved to Indiana into the New Hope of Indiana residential program, despite the distance from her family, to receive services. She lived on A-pod/Alpha Hall, later moving to Beta Hall, which specifically served individuals with TBI. Sandy was eventually able to move out into her own apartment with a Medicaid waiver. She needed additional supports, but also was very lonely, so she decided to move...

September 25, 2018

Volunteer Highlight: Barb Rzepka

New Hope won the volunteer jackpot when Barb Rzepka became involved with NHI several years ago. Barb and her husband, Tom, moved to Indianapolis in 2014 from northern Indiana, to be closer to their daughters and grandchildren. They had heard about the SPRED (Special Religious Education) Program years ago through their previous church and while attending a volunteer fair at St. Monica Catholic Church decided to become involved. There are six individuals served by New Hope who are a part of the SPRED program. Barb previously volunteered at an agency similar to NHI; however, having...

September 25, 2018

Zeller, Speak!

Greetings, my friends! Well they say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but just last night I learned how to sleep parallel to my human instead of at the end of the bed! So, there you go...

September 25, 2018

A Note from Allison: Thank You from New Hope!

Happy First Week of Fall! September has been an awesome month at New Hope of Indiana! September 9th-15th was Direct Support Professional (DSP) Appreciation Week! New Hope has over 330 DSPs that do amazing things every week providing love and support to all the individuals they serve each day. We really cannot thank them enough for all that they do, so it is great to have one week dedicated to DSPs. Did you know that 25% of New Hope DSPs have been with us 10 years or more? DSPs live New Hope’s Core Values every day. Their Dedication,...

September 18, 2018

In Our Lane

by Denise Caudill Irons Being a parent of a child with differing needs, I have experienced unexpected challenges to my perceptions about learning and what constitutes a successful education. One of my daily struggles is to release ingrained viewpoints that I have learned or subconsciously absorbed throughout my life. I grew up striving for straight A’s in order to pursue a college education that would help me procure a good job and become independent. I deeply believed in the old adage that if you work hard, you can achieve anything. I witness my daughter working hard on...

September 14, 2018

Mission Minute: Thank You to our “Dedicated” Support Professionals!

by Kathe Rae, Manager of Mission Integration & Volunteers In our industry of serving persons with disabilities, each year there is a week in September designated as “DSP (Direct Support Professional) Week” which is 9/9/2018 – 9/15/2018. While we are appreciative of New Hope DSPs throughout the year, we are taking the time to thank and recognize them for their service which exemplifies all of our Core Values, especially Dedication. For DSP week and the entire month of September, we are referring to our DSPs as “Dedicated Support Professionals.” Our Core Values state that our workplace is a community...

September 14, 2018

New Hope’s 40th Anniversary Photo Contest

The August event for our year-long 40th Anniversary celebration was a photo contest. Associates submitted photos in three categories: Vintage New Hope, Core Values and Fun-in-Action, with a wonderful variety of pictures displayed of individuals, groups, action shots, memories, all reflecting on what and who we are at New Hope. There was the picture of adaptive water skiing, the Daughters of Charity with their Hope Award Plates made by the clients, our 40th Anniversary kickoff, clients rallying at the statehouse, the Louise ladies in their new group home, Zeller’s Valentine kissing booth, Friends of the Fox at the...

September 13, 2018

Service Spotlight: Shayla Jones

Shayla Jones came to New Hope about eighteen months ago after being referred by a friend to apply. Prior to New Hope, Shayla had many jobs over the years, but she believes coming to New Hope was one of the best decisions she has ever made in her work life. Shayla LOVES working with the women who live at Laboure Group Home. One thing she appreciates about New Hope is the variety of activities available to our clients and the importance of going on adventures and having fun including museum outings, bowling and movie nights, and monthly...