New Hope of Indiana | Our Stories

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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Our Stories

23 Nov - Thankful for 40 Years of Hope

Posted at 16:07h in 40th Anniversary 0 Comments

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Over the last four decades, New Hope of Indiana has been honored to serve thousands of people throughout Indianapolis and surrounding communities. What began as the dream of a group of mothers to find a safe and nurturing place for their children with cerebral palsy to live and thrive has now grown into a multifaceted organization serving people of all kinds. We are proud to maintain the level of care that those parents went searching for all those years ago across all of our programs and services, and if this year of celebration has made anything clear, it's that this...

14 Nov - Mission Minute: Embracing Gratitude is Healthy!

Posted at 20:15h in Mission Minute 0 Comments

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by Kathe Rae, Manager of Mission Integration and Volunteers This 40th Anniversary year has been so special for New Hope with all of the events and activities providing opportunities to reflect on our rich history, celebrate our vibrant present and look towards our very exciting future. As our memorable year is about to end, this Thanksgiving season is a perfect and timely reminder to consciously embrace gratitude, not just at work, but also in our personal lives. “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” William Arthur Ward Did you...

14 Nov - Service Spotlight: Chris Schwarz

Posted at 19:45h in Service Spotlight 1 Comment

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Chris Schwarz answered an ad in the paper for a grounds worker twenty years ago this month. At the time he had no idea how many yards the he would be maintaining, which was certainly a lot between the group homes and supported living sites. More importantly he had no way of knowing the impact of working at New Hope would have on his life. After a few years of grounds work, Chris was asked by Sr. Francine Brown, who was overseeing Maintenance at the time, to help with site work orders and the rest is history. As...

14 Nov - New Hope’s Social Life is Better than Mine

Posted at 19:08h in New Hope Stories, News 0 Comments

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Last week we welcomed three surveyors from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and were pleased to hear that they found all of the great things that we see in our work every day. Here's just a little of what they learned. In our music therapy program, clients like Stephanie work toward personal goals such as getting a job or a driver's license. Sometimes, these goals are daunting and they may seem out of reach or overwhelming. To better cope with that frustration and to express the emotions that come along with it, people like Stephanie are choosing popular...

12 Nov - Delving Deep into Thankfulness

Posted at 15:02h in New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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by Denise Caudill Irons, NHI Parent and Board Member As I reflect on the things for which I am grateful, I tend to focus on the superficiality when it comes to my daughter. For instance, I am thankful that she is happy and healthy. I am grateful that she loves going to school, has a good sense of humor, and is friendly and kind. I realize that although I find it difficult to see her developmentally behind her peers, I am thankful that we don’t have to participate in the high-achieving, college bound track. If she were...

30 Oct - Client Profile: William Webster

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William Webster has always liked to dress up and it is surprising he has not been featured in GQ (Gentleman’s Quarterly) as he is best described as “dapper.” William was one of the individuals recognized for being served for 40 years at NHI. He resided in the residential facility on Delta/D pod. His desire to look sharp, dates back many years as he would dress up in a suit when his family planned to visit him at the facility. He would patiently await their arrival, hoping his Aunt Blue would bake him a sweet potato pie. ...

30 Oct - A Note from Allison: Be Kind

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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. ...

30 Oct - Zeller, Speak!

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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...

30 Oct - Remembering Our Friends

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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...

30 Oct - Looking to the Future of Disability Services

Posted at 18:59h in News 0 Comments

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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...

25 Oct - Fashion Mall Dreams

Posted at 19:05h in New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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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...

22 Oct - Some Days, You Wear the Hat

Posted at 12:39h in New Hope Stories 0 Comments

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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. ...

15 Oct - Thank You to Our Friends!

Posted at 18:17h in 40th Anniversary, Community and Corporate Partners, Events, Food Truck Program, News 0 Comments

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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...

15 Oct - Celebrating Our Culture Associate Pitch-In

Posted at 16:48h in 40th Anniversary 0 Comments

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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...

15 Oct - Mission Minute: Reverence and Diversity

Posted at 16:32h in Mission Minute, New Hope Stories 1 Comment

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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...

15 Oct - Service Spotlight: Lyndi Grubb

Posted at 16:21h in Service Spotlight 0 Comments

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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,...

25 Sep - New Hope is Making Capital Improvements

Posted at 19:45h in News 0 Comments

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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...

25 Sep - Now Presenting: Cheese and Thank You

Posted at 18:51h in Events, Food Truck Program, News 0 Comments

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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,...

25 Sep - Client Profile: Sandy Fries

Posted at 18:18h in Client Profile 0 Comments

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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...

25 Sep - Volunteer Highlight: Barb Rzepka

Posted at 18:13h in Volunteer Highlights 0 Comments

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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...