Okay!  So yes, we have been blogging for a while now, and I think the prim and proper way to say it would be that we started ‘circa January’.  For half of the year now we have sprinkled our blog with a variety of stories, from our thoughts about foster children becoming homeless, to the one year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, to tips for having a healthy St. Patrick’s Day — and much more.

The first half of the year really has been a load of content that mixed some patient and staff stories along with our thoughts on current events that have occurred locally, state-wide, and even nationally. 

However, I think it is time to properly introduce ourselves, and that will happen in this four-day blog series ‘4 Days until July 4^th weekend’. 

This series will give you the gist of HealthNet, Inc.’s outreach programs that really bring wrap-around services to our network of health centers.

Now without further adieu,
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Part One: Homeless Initiative Program….

Since 1988, our Homeless Initiative Program (that hopefully you will grow to know as ‘HIP’) has helped thousands of Indianapolis’ homeless by providing a network of services to treat the whole person, as he or she moves from homelessness into employment, housing, and self-sufficiency. 

HIP’s mission is to assist homeless persons in reaching a level of self-sufficiency consistent with their goals and capabilities for physical, mental, social and economic well-being.

And to stick with the number 4, here are four things you need to know about HIP:

1. HIP serves nearly 3,300 homeless individuals per year.Through a wide array of services that include employment and training, case management, triage/outreach, health care services, and a homeless veterans reintegration program, HIP gives a care about the specific needs of the individual on a case-by-case basis.
2. HIP is one of the largest, most comprehensive homeless programs in the state.HIP staff work closely with other providers around the city to continuously stay up-to-date on all community resources available for homeless individuals.  HIP builds partnerships that work because ending homelessness is a team effort.

    

3. Persistent staff work tirelessly on a case-by-case basis.I can’t put the right amount of emphasis on this in two sentences. So, here are two links to previous blogs:
   - Jeff Smith, a homeless veteran who became an alcoholic and was convicted of forgery, received a second chance because of the persistent effort of his biggest advocates — the HIP staff
   - Ricky Wallace, a homeless veteran who wanted to help his ailing parents, moved to Indy thinking he could crash with a friend. But his plans fell through.  HIP helped Ricky find emergency housing and now he is living his dream as a chef.
4. There are plenty of ways to get involved.Here are just a few examples of how you can help prevent and end homelessness without a monetary donation.  However, donations are accepted and much appreciated because of the continual struggle to find funding for homeless services each year!  Also, time is money. Call here to learn about volunteer opportunities with HIP.

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Want to learn more about HIP?
Are there specific questions that you have about homelessness in Indy?
Comment below!
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