Tag: Hamilton County

Supporting Seniors through Care and Connection

American actress and singer Eartha Kitt once said, “Aging has a wonderful beauty, and we should respect that,” which is a sentiment shared by this week’s featured nonprofit organization: Shepherd’s Center of Hamilton County.

With a commitment to promote and support independent lifestyles, Shepherd’s Center is on-track to serve more than 2,000 senior adults in Hamilton County this year. Established locally in 1985, the agency specializes in connecting seniors with programs and services that enable them to live healthy, safe lives in their own homes.

Executive Director Lauren Guynn explains why the agency’s focus on seniors is a critical need in the area: “Hamilton County is a community that boasts a great quality of life for youth and families. We need to do the same for seniors. They’re going to be the largest portion of our population within the next 5-7 years, and we can’t ignore them. We have to provide the same level of care and concern that we do for youth and families.”

Shepherd’s Center of Hamilton County delivers on their mission through a variety of programs and services that address seniors’ varied needs. One such program is Together Today, which provides daily social activities that foster an ongoing sense of community and prevent feelings of isolation. Each weekday, participants aged 55+ gather at a scheduled location to participate in fun, social and educational activities.

Another vital program offered by Shepherd’s Center is Community Caring, through which volunteers are matched with seniors 55+ who are home-bound, feeling isolated or experiencing financial limitations. Volunteers conduct regular visits with seniors to assess their needs, sometimes staying connected by phone through the organization’s “Phone Pals” initiative.

Under the umbrella of Community Caring, volunteers are providing a wide array of services, including delivery of household/personal care supplies, transportation to and from appointments and coordination of home repair projects. Thanks to regular visitation and volunteer services like these, seniors can live independently and safely in their own homes.

Shepherd’s Center’s shopper shuttle is know as the “Happy Bus”

Additional programs offered by Shepherd’s Center include Reaching Resources, which facilitates connections to services and benefits for qualifying seniors, and Guardianship, a newly launched program through which the least restrictive legal recourse is sought to help a senior in need. When necessary, Shepherd’s Center can seek authority from the courts to intervene when a senior needs protection from unsafe conditions, ensuring that they can age with dignity and enjoy their final years of life.

An ongoing hurdle for many nonprofits in Hamilton County is the presumption of financial security among all residents. The reality faced by Shepherd’s Center is that 8.5% of Hamilton County senior adults are in the lowest income bracket, living on $16,000 or less each year. “There are aging people in our community in need,” said Executive Director Lauren Guynn. “So, while Hamilton County boasts the highest wealth in the state, we’re forgetting about the other half of our population. And that number is growing.”

In response to the Coronavirus, Shepherd’s Center has modified many of its programs to support the increased needs of senior adults during the crisis. The agency’s Together Today program is now being offered through video conferencing, which has proven to be a popular solution for daily social interaction. And through partnership with other service providers during COVID, the incidence of food insecurity among seniors has been greatly reduced by facilitating regular deliveries of food and household items.

During the COVID-19 crisis and beyond, we are thankful for the work of Shepherd’s Center of Hamilton County to ensure that older adults can age with dignity and maintain independence as long as safely possible.

Here’s how you can help:

  • Become a volunteer. Shepherd’s Center relies on hundreds of volunteers, whose skills and interests are matched with needs in our community. Volunteers can serve one time, weekly, monthly, quarterly or whatever time they can offer.
  • Donate household and personal care items for care packages. Individuals and groups can collect needed items and deliver them to seniors in need. Click here for a list of needed items.
  • Make a donation to support the ongoing work of Shepherd’s Center of Hamilton County. Your gift will enable more senior adults to live safe and independent lifestyles.

Housing Gets a Helping HAND

Before COVID-19, people in Central Indiana spent a lot of time talking about their commutes to and from work. We all know someone who regularly drives from the suburbs into Indianapolis, and then back to enjoy family life in one of Indy’s “doughnut” counties.

Let’s talk about the reverse of that scenario though: What about the Hoosiers who work in the suburbs and travel from Indianapolis to reach their jobs each day? They’re the people whom we rely on to cook and serve our food, stock our favorite stores, and teach in our schools. These workers—employed by some of the lowest-paying industries—face a major problem: Indy’s surrounding counties don’t have enough safe and affordable housing, so that people can afford to live where they work.

Andrea Davis
Andrea Davis, Executive Director

That’s not okay, in the words of Andrea Davis, Executive Director of HAND Incorporated. Founded in 2003 as Hamilton County Area Neighborhood Development Inc., HAND addresses the housing needs of low and moderate-income individuals, families and senior citizens in Indy’s northern suburbs.  

Statistics show that there’s a genuine need for more affordable housing options. According to United Way of Central Indiana’s ALICE project*, 17% of Hamilton County households earn more than the federal poverty level, but less than the basic cost of living. Considering Hamilton County’s population, 17% equates to 21,000 households where families struggle to pay for their basic needs. Without affordable housing options, these families are often forced to live outside their preferred communities.

“Where we live impacts every aspect of our lives,” said Davis. “Our homes are the foundation for our health, education, safety, and economic well-being. At HAND, we believe everyone should have the chance to live in their community of choice, regardless of age, income or occupation.”

HAND Incorporated

That’s a tall order in some of Indiana’s most affluent communities, where established residents have expressed concerns about the addition of lower-cost housing options. Misperceptions feed this opposition: Neighbors often assume that “affordable housing” equates to poorly constructed or aesthetically lacking developments, harkening back to ill-fated public housing projects from the middle of last century.

HAND is working to abate these concerns and promote awareness of their properties, which are thoughtfully designed to compliment existing neighborhoods. HAND currently owns seven affordable rental communities in Hamilton County and one in Boone County, with a ninth development proposed in Tipton. Each HAND-developed project is constructed with durable, high-quality materials, including stone, brick and fiber cement board. Additionally, HAND uses energy-efficient materials and appliances to keep living expenses low for residents.

To raise money for their work and promote awareness, HAND hosts a number of fun and informative events. Its annual Suburban Housing Conference is an opportunity for advocates and local partners to hear from elected officials and partnering organizations as they discuss advancements in affordable housing. In November, HAND will host its innovative “Stay Home for HAND” fundraiser, where participants support the cause financially without the obligation to attend a black-tie event. And earlier this year, the agency hosted its popular “Trivia Night” fundraiser, where supporters enjoy a fun-filled evening of food and trivia contests.

Here’s how you can help:

  • Donate to HAND to fund their ongoing work to promote and deliver affordable housing options.
  • Volunteer to help the cause by serving on committees or the Board of Directors. Volunteers’ time and expertise is essential to the success of HAND’s small staff.
  • Advocate for HAND and for affordable housing options in your community. Tell your elected officials that it’s important to you that people who work in your community are also able to live in it.

*Study Reveals 38% of Hoosier Working Families Struggle to Afford the Basics
https://uwci.org/study-reveals-39-of-hoosier-working-families-struggle-to-afford-the-basics/