Mission Minute: We Really Are One Team!

16 Jul Mission Minute: We Really Are One Team!

by Kathe Rae, Manager of Mission Integration and Volunteers

Several months ago, Tiffany Mitchem, Seton group home Team Leader, wanted to make a very special trip happen for her aunt, Bethany Skinner, who is served by NHI and resides at the Center Street supported living home. Bethany’s father, who is also Tiffany’s grandfather, lives in northeast Indiana and is unable to travel due to health issues. It had been six years since Bethany and her father had seen each other.

Planning for the visit involved numerous associates coordinating efforts to ensure everything needed was in place for the trip. Erron Fleshman, SLP Manager, Karla Williams, SLP Team Leader, and Christina Marks, DSP, took care of every detail. They assisted Bethany in dressing nicely and packed extra clothing, some food and medications to make sure that the trip would go smoothly. Dorothy Nowlin-Love from Transportation Services arranged for one of the newest vans to be available for the six-hour drive. All of them offered to help in any way, knowing how important it was for Bethany to see and spend time with her father. Tiffany accompanied Bethany on the trip which was indeed very special and would not have happened without all of the help.

The saying “Together Everyone Achieves More” has been around a long time and may sound a bit cliché. There was a time in years past that our program teams seemed to work in silos, meaning much of the day-to-day interactions and efforts were within rather than among departments. Admittedly, there was limited organization-wide collaboration at times and a lack of a “big picture” focus.

Fortunately, we have gradually gained more of an understanding of and appreciation for all our programs and services. This has inspired increased collaboration and problem-solving, making New Hope of Indiana truly one community, one family. We genuinely want to help each other out. Perhaps it is a site transporting an individual from a home in another program to camp, rather than two vans and staff going. Maybe managers or others sharing ideas and working together on streamlining documentation to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Most importantly, enriching the lives of the individuals we serve such as the dedicated associates did for Bethany, and which occurs for so many others throughout NHI.

Together we are achieving more!