Each drive is different…Whether it is an office chili cook-off, a coat drive, or a collection of monetary donations, it is exciting to so many creative groups helping out others during the holiday season.

The IU Health  Affinity groups had their own idea for a Holiday Helpings drive that, fortunately and gratefully, we were the beneficiary.  This drive was different, not in the way the donations were collected but in the way they were given.

When we went to pick up the donated items, the expectation was to drop by, load up and express our great thanks for these groups’ continued support for the 3rd year in a row.  However, when we arrived, the Affinity groups had a different plan in mind.

We were warmly greeted, asked to speak to the Affinity groups about our Homeless Initiative and Better Indy Babies programs (the specific programs that benefited from the drive), and then we had the opportunity to talk with many of the group members.

This experience went above
and beyond!

The groups’ willingness to learn more about these programs gave a sense of partnership, rather than just giving and receiving.

We appreciate EVERYTHING that the IU Health Affinity groups did for the Homeless Initiative and Better Indy Babies programs this year.  We are very grateful for the generosity shown, and the willingness to go beyond giving donations and wanting to learn more about how their donations will help!

It’s NOT Too Late! You can still hold a Holiday Helpings Drive!!

The needs are still great. Many holiday assistance programs have exhausted their resources – yet families in our programs still have needs.

Whether it’s the quick donation of a gift card or asking everyone who comes to your house for a holiday dinner to bring warm gloves for the homeless, you can learn why a Holiday Helpings Drive is vital to furthering the HealthNet mission and what is on our Holiday Wish List!

All of our BIBs & Healthy Families participants along with the homeless individuals served by our Homeless Initiative Program will need help beyond just the holiday season.  You can contact us about running your own drive by calling – 317-781-4918, every little bit helps!

What better way to celebrate than lunch at the Indianapolis City Market?

How about lunch with the organizations in Indianapolis that serve the city’s homeless population?

Homeless organizations have long used the word-of-mouth tool to spread awareness for their services and needs, but today, word-of-mouth is amplified thanks to the improvement and high use of social media and the internet.  There is no doubt that homeless organizations will continue to rely on this low-cost and convenient tool to continue to spread the word about their mission and services, but one obstacle that is often faced is getting others to recognize which organizations are using social media and exactly why they are using it.

Our Homeless Initiative Program, Horizon House, The Salvation Army, Dayspring Center, Back on My Feet Indy, Schools on Wheels and others will be “tweeting” up at the City Market tomorrow during the lunch hour.

You will be able put some faces behind Twitter accounts, learn why and how homeless organizations are using social media, or use the event as a reason to get some good grub at the City Market!

Look for the big sign that says-

Indy Homeless Organizations SM Tweetup

or follow the event hashtag – #IndyHomeless – to find out exactly where we are sitting in the City Market.

See you tomorrow!  And please share the event by clicking here –

As 2011 draws to a close, we wanted to share a letter from HealthNet President/CEO Booker Thomas that appeared in yesterday’s e-newsletter:

Dear Friends of HealthNet,

Every year, hundreds of individuals make donations that help HealthNet fulfill its mission of caring for the community. We hope you will join them and make a gift to HealthNet this holiday season.

Consider that:

• $50 helps School-based Services provide students with a personal care hygiene kit filled with items they may not have at home.
• $100 provides 2 weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy for a patient without insurance through Health Promotions.
• $200 helps a family struggling with a rent or mortgage payment through Social Services.
• $200 provides breast health education and outreach to inner-city neighborhoods in Indianapolis through Mammogram Assistance.
• $500 helps provide services through the Healthy Families Programthat teach and encourage the skills that make a family work. In an area where poverty heightens the normal stresses of parenting and making ends meet, families need a variety of support just to keep it together.
• $1000 provides tuition for Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training and certification for someone in the Homeless Initiative Program.

Any gift, large or small, will make a difference in our ability to put our patients’ needs first as we provide the very highest standard of care in a community-based environment. 
Please click here to make a donation online.

 I also invite you to enjoy the online edition of HealthNet’s 2010-2011 Annual Report. In this easy-to-read format, you can learn more about the expansion, innovation and growth HealthNet has experienced in the past year, as well as read some amazing stories from our patients and clients.

 On behalf of the entire HealthNet family, I thank you in advance and wish you the very best for a happy, healthy 2012!

Booker Thomas, MHA

President/CEO

HealthNet, Inc.

_______________________________________________

Sign up to stay up-to-date on HealthNet happenings in 2012!

Each drive is different…Whether it is an office bake sale, a canned food drive, or a collection of monetary donations, it is fun to see the creativity of groups in accomplishing the goal of helping out others during the holiday season.

The IU Health Women’s and Minority Affinity groups had their own idea for a Holiday Helpings drive that, fortunately and gratefully, we were the beneficiary.  This drive was different, not in the way the donations were collected but in the way they were given.

When we went to pick up the donated items, the expectation was to drop by, load up and express our great thanks for these groups’ continued support for the 2^nd year in a row.  However, when we arrived, the Affinity groups had a different plan in mind.

We were warmly greeted, asked to speak to the Affinity groups about our Homeless Initiative and Better Indy Babies programs (the specific programs that benefitted from the drive), and then we had the opportunity to mingle and talk with many of the group members.

This experience went above
and beyond!

flickr photo by stevendepolo

The groups’ willingness to learn more about these programs gave a sense of partnership, a two-way road, rather than just giving and receiving.

One woman from the group even expressed to us just how important the Homeless Initiative Program (HIP) was to her personally. She had been touched by HIP’s efforts to help her own family member out of homelessness.

Another group member was glad to hear stories from our staff.  So much so, that she decided to give Better Indy Babies the proceeds from a Holiday Fundraising Party she had recently held with a group of friends.

We appreciate EVERYTHING that the IU Health Women’s and Minority Affinity groups did for the Homeless Initiative and Better Indy Babies programs this year.  We are very grateful for the generosity shown, and the willingness to go beyond giving donations and wanting to learn more about how their donations will help!

You can still hold a Holiday Helpings Drive!!

You can learn why a Holiday Helpings Drive is vital to furthering the HealthNet mission or what is on our Holiday Wish List!  With warm weather lingering, the cold is still to come.  All of our BIBs & Healthy Families participants along with the homeless individuals served by our Homeless Initiative Program will need help beyond just the holiday season.  You can contact us about running your own drive by calling – 317-781-4918, every little bit helps!

We’d like for you to meet them too:

Left to Right: Sammie, Tonya, Jason, Rachel

• Sammie was 14 years old and expecting her first child. Scared. Overwhelmed. She knew she had a lot to learn. Now, thanks to a little mentoring, she’s been able to give little Isabelle a great start in life. Check out how.
  
• Tonya went from no house and no job to “Employee of the Month.” Learn how.
• Like many, Jason started smoking as a teenager. It wasn’t until the birth of his first grandchild that he finally made the decision to quit once and for all. Jason gave up smoking to get more time with his grandson. Read how he kicked a lifelong habit.
• Rachel grew up in a neighborhood where alcohol abuse, drug abuse and violence were the norm. She wanted a better environment for herself and her son. But it was a long road to a healthier life. Rachel’s home visitor never gave up. Neither did Rachel. Read their story.

It was great getting to know Sammie, Tonya, Jason and Rachel. We hope you enjoy reading their stories, and other encouraging ones, in our online 2010-2011 Annual Report.

The theme of the report — “Open Doors With Care”—has remained at the heart of HealthNet’s work since our beginnings in 1968 in Fountain Square. And, it’s how and why HealthNet has become what it is today—the largest Federally Qualified Health Center in Indiana, with more than 500 staff members, serving more than 50,000 patients and clients through 20 sites across Marion County and beyond.

We know that staying healthy encompasses so much more than a doctor’s visit for many of our neighbors.  From bus passes to get to a new job until that first paycheck comes; to mentoring a single mother learning to care for her newborn; to coaching a homeless veteran to self-sufficiency; to helping a retiree obtain prescriptions he can’t afford, HealthNet plays a vital role in opening doors for people who need care.

So we invite you to click, flip and read all about what HealthNet has been up to this past year! And share it with your friends. It’s all because YOU opened doors and gave a care. Thank you for your continued support. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of thousands of families in Indianapolis.

“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” Flora Whittemore

If you’re just learning about us, you can open doors with care too. Support one of our programs or services you’ve just read about!