Copy

301: Before and After

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of many community members, our new shelter house opened its doors in December of 2012. Now, after some time to adjust and finish up the work, we are fully-functioning with two houses on the same block serving as homes for up to six families at a time. To see more before and after photos of the house, check out our Facebook photo album here.

This is a huge accomplishment, especially given the original state of 301 and how much work had to be put into it over the course of 2012. We would like to take a chance to once again thank all of the wonderful volunteers, donors, and community partners who made this possible. We are so grateful for your support!

Just a few days into the new year, one of our staff members overheard this conversation between two residents at our new house:

"Mom, is this a shelter?"
"Yes, it is."
"It looks like a home."
"Well, it is a home."
"I really like it here."


For more information on how our shelter is currently operating or how you can help further our mission, please contact our Executive Director, Elaine Guinn, at: director@nhfsinc.org.

Family Photo Day at the Shelter


On Saturday, February 23rd, New Hope will become a temporary photo studio for family portraits by Kristina Hobbs, a local photographer. When Elaine planned the photo shoot, she thought it might be nice to have photos of our families to put on the new tree mural, as a sort of family tree. After announcing this to current residents at the house meeting, we saw that something as simple as a family photo has the potential for great impact.

Upon hearing the announcement, two of our current residents began to cry; one family shared that they had never had a family portrait, and another noted that she wasn't able to afford infant pictures from the hospital and therefore had no pictures of her newborn baby. Another family talked about their tradition of taking a photo every year, and how the instability in their life had led to them discontinuing this tradition over the past couple of years. Thanks to family photo day at New Hope, this family can continue their tradition with a 2013 photo.

To respect the confidentiality of our families and their children, we will not post any of these photos online or in the newsletter, but we would like to thank Kristina for her time and care spent preserving precious memories for New Hope's families.

Volunteer Spotlight


Abigail Doyle is a senior at Indiana University majoring in Social Work. Since August of 2012, Abby has been serving as one of two Social Work interns at New Hope, gaining practical experience in her field while also providing support for many of New Hope's programs.

Under the guidance of Executive Director Elaine Guinn, Abby has been meeting regularly with New Hope residents to provide additional supports and resources including sharing techniques for time management and stress management, helping with paperwork, and discussing steps for meeting goals.

Abby has also been instrumental in coordinating and carrying out fundraisers over the past several months, and is playing a big role in organizing our spring fundraiser, Bike for Hope.

When asked about her time at New Hope, Abby said, "My favorite part of working at New Hope has been getting to know the families. New Hope Family Shelter is a shared space and because of this everyone has an opportunity to get to know one another...there is a really nice sense of community."

Mark Your Calendar!


Upcoming Events:

March 23rd, 9 am – 10 pm:
Bike for Hope Fundraiser

Stop by Bloomingfoods East or West from 9 am - 9 pm or Upland Brewery from 12 pm - 10 pm on March 23rd to cheer on the New Hope bike riders, who will be biking all day to raise money for our shelter. Monetary and in-kind donations will be accepted at all three locations. For more information or to get involved as a volunteer or a bike rider, contact Caitlin Ryan at: cryan@nhfsinc.org.

March 23rd, 10 am:
Playground Work Day

Join Board President Jim Riley and a crew of volunteers in constructing New Hope's very own playground in the backyard at 409! For more information or to get involved, contact Jim Riley at: jim@nhfsinc.org.

April 14th, 12 – 3:30 pm:
Homeward Bound Walk

The Homeward Bound Walk is an annual event that benefits 12 local agencies working to fight hunger and homelessness in our community. The event itself is free and open to the public, with a $20 minimum donation to receive a t-shirt. For more information or to join New Hope's Homeward Bound Walk Team, please contact Caitlin Ryan at: cryan@nhfsinc.org.
Facebook
Facebook
Twitter
Twitter
Pinterest
Pinterest
Website
Website
Copyright © 2013 New Hope for Families, All rights reserved.
unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences 

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp