Donation Needs for Men

• Pants (especially large)
• Underwear
• Socks
• Shoes (larger sizes especially 16EEE, 18, 19)
• T-shirts (larger sizes especially 5x-7x)

Donation Needs for Women

• Underwear
• Bras

General Donation Needs

• Ponchos
• Hooded Sweatshirts
• Snack food (items to eat without utensils:  crackers, canned sausages, granola bars, fruit cups)
• Back packs – both for kids and adults

You can also make a monetary donation online by clicking here.

For more information or to set up a time to drop off a donation, please call 317-957-2275.

As the temperatures continue to drop, most of us grab our thick winter coats, hats, and gloves before heading out the door for holiday activities. For many of Indy’s homeless residents, that is impossible. This holiday season, please considering giving the gift that gives back by donating to HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program (HIP).

You can make a monetary donation online by visiting www.indyhealthnet.org/Donate.

HIP is also in need of the following items for the clients we serve:

• Hoodies (Small – 4XL)
• Coats (Small – 4XL)
• Men’s new underwear (Small – 3XL)
• Hats
• Gloves
• Sweatpants and Sweatshirts (Small – 3XL)
• Socks (White sweat socks and wool socks)
• Fleece items
• Blankets

I began to mentally compare my family’s location in a more affluent neighborhood in relation to what I was seeing in this neighborhood.  I came to the realization that even though this store had some choices that my family could purchase at our location, I was not able to make those same choices for those that my organization serves.  I began to wonder if this location would be considered a food desert, where most food choices are found at convenience stores and gas stations.

When I returned with my lackluster purchases that frankly, I was embarrassed to offer my hard working clients, I could not help but look up the definition of the “Food Desert.” The Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Working Group considers a food desert as a low-income census tract where a substantial number or share of residents has low access to a supermarket or large grocery store.

So how can you make healthier choices if those choices are not available? Some health care systems and restaurants are working on this problem by creating rooftop gardens. As an organization that serves those experiencing homelessness, this may very well be the next track to help provide healthier options to the families who haven’t had these options in the past. These ideas can help families to have a brighter future and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

To learn more about HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program or to make a donation,  please visit www.indyhealthnet.org/HIP.

For more information on food deserts please click here.

Post by Matt Holland

A partnership quickly developed when JoAnn Morris, one of Homeless Initiative Program’s Nurse Practitioners called Rachael for a 44D size bra for someone who at the time was wearing a 34B. With Rachael’s help, HIP facilitated an experience focused on a day of pampering for homeless women that needed this simple yet hard to obtain staple. These women were also treated to Mary Kay make overs, access to hygiene products, 15 minute chair massages provided by local massage therapists including HIP’s own Lesley Jordan.  HIP also had a professional bra fitter on hand to properly size each woman and help facilitate how to find options in multiple styles. Lunch was also purchased from Shapiro’s which is a tasty treat often unavailable under such stressful circumstances.

While these women enjoyed a day of self-care, child care was also provided by great volunteers so that the kids could have some play time. As the women left, they were able to select give away items such as scarves, candle holders, lotions, picture frames and jewelry boxes that they could take back to the shelter as a thank you for participating in the event.  Over 175 women were able to experience this fulfilling day of pampering and over 750 brassieres were given out.

We would like to thank the 30 volunteers that helped bring this wonderful event to fruition.  If you would like to donate commonly needed items or services for the Homeless Initiative Program, serving individuals experiencing homelessness in Marion County, please contact HIP at (317) 957-2275.  If you would like to donate brassieres to Rachael’s ongoing project, please mail donations to Rachael at the following address.

Support the Girls-Indianapolis
Attn: Rachael Heger
P.O. Box 30249
Indianapolis, IN 46230

For more information, visit her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1537273716583636/

To learn more about HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program, please click here.

Post by Matt Holland

There are many different challenges that our homeless neighbors experience as they connect to services, employment and housing in the Indianapolis community.  Indianapolis has many homeless families that are not in stable  housing. Many of these families include pets. Parenting is stressful enough without the challenges of finding shelter for your family and pets each night.

These pets are often the most consistent avenue for praise, unconditional love and acceptance that homeless families may have.  It does not matter what else is happening in their lives, they can always depend on the love of their pets to provide the emotional support they need.  In the past I have thought, “Why would someone not give up their pet to get into housing?”  As I understand more about homelessness I come to the understanding that that would be like me “giving up my children” so that I could have access to housing options.  No one would require a parent(s) to give their children away to access housing (although this “choice” is sometimes presented to those getting into emergency shelter). So why would we expect someone who receives and gives unconditional love to their pet to do the same?  It may seem like an easy choice to board or give up your pets to get housing stability, but it truly is not.

In my experience, it doesn’t even get to a point of discussion but ends with many of our neighbors saying definitively, “No, that will not work and I choose to stay where I am at with my pet instead.”  That can be hard to understand, but when you do not have the benefits of family and friends to provide a network of support, those pets or family members become extremely important in your daily life. They also provide a therapeutic function as well as providing the love that you seek and find challenging to acquire elsewhere.

If you are interesting in helping our homeless neighbors with pets, please consider donating cat food or dog food. For more information, please contact www.facebook.com/SOARindy (Street Outreach Animal Response Initiative) or the Indianapolis Continuum of Care www.indycoc.org.

For more information about HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program, visit www.indyhealthnet.org/HIP.

Post by Matt Holland

Have you thought about what our homeless neighbors deal with as these same conditions bear down on them?  Whether our neighbors are living on the street or in a shelter, many of the same challenges may face them until spring.  Cold weather gear is being checked or in many cases, just sought out.  Stockpiles of non-perishable foods or snacks may be in the process of being gathered so that they can eat as they are on the go via the bus lines to and from their jobs or appointments.  Even a basic such as having water on hand is a critical item that many need to plan strategies around so that they can keep hydrated.

Many medical challenges also may present or persist through this time of year.  Frostbite can either still be in the process of treatment from last winter or may spring back as temperatures drop and warm weather gear and supplies become hard to find.  Trench foot is another condition that our homeless neighbors face as they have wet shoes, socks and feet without the relief of dry socks and shoes in sight.  HIP has Outreach team members that provide support and engagement to our homeless neighbors in conjunction with many partners in the community who form the Indianapolis Professional Blended Outreach Team.  These professionals provide compassionate care, support and relationship building along with basic needs to those that are living on the street.  During the winter months, a key tool is also the city shelters “Winter Contingency Plan” which provides overflow space for those who normally would not seek shelter so that they can have a warm place to sleep when the temperature drops below freezing.  This team is a critical part of the HealthNet Homeless Initiative Program’s strategy to engage our homeless neighbors and provide opportunities for them to gain support and services that they may need.

Below are items our teams are in need of to help those who are homeless. Please consider making a donation of any of the items listed below.  These donations will benefit our homeless neighbors directly as they prepare for winter.

• Blankets
• Socks
• Coats
• Hats/gloves/hand warmers
• Water
• Single serving, easy-to-open, nonperishable food items such as: sports drinks, juice boxes, Vienna sausages, beef sticks, puddings, fruit cups, peanut butter crackers, breakfast bars, instant coffee and individual servings of chips and nuts

You can also make a monetary donation online by visiting www.indyhealthnet.org/Donate.

HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program wishes everyone a wonderful and happy holiday season!

Post by Matt Holland

HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program and the Hard Rock Cafe Indianapolis are hosting their annual Thanksgiving Dinner for the Homeless on Thanksgiving morning, November 26, 2015. The dinner will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Hard Rock Cafe located at 49 S. Meridian Street.

This annual dinner serves approximately 300 people, who might not otherwise have a dinner on Thanksgiving. Volunteers are needed to help clear tables, welcome guests, refill drinks and hand out donated items. Volunteers can arrive between 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. If you are interested in volunteering or donating cold weather items, please contact Matt Holland, Employee-Employer Support Specialist, at 317-957-4006 or mholland1@iuhealth.org.

Suggestions for donations include:

• Hats
• Gloves
• Scarves
• Heat packs
• Coats
• Warm socks

Many employers drove from opposite ends of the state of Indiana and even as far as Chicago to speak with the local military talent as they search for their leaders of the future.  There are many reasons for seeking out talent from the active and veteran ranks of the different branches of the military.

As an employer, you are probably looking for someone who knows how to be on time, is organized and well-versed in proactive and critical thinking. Active military and Veterans, including their family members, do these things every day and it is ingrained in their routines and practices.  These men and women are a great addition to any industry team as organizations look at where and what they will become in future years.

These service members and families also are extremely well-versed in experiencing and adapting to change which as many of us know, can be extremely stressful in itself.  They offer a complex set of skills that can be incorporated into any industry and under a dynamic set of ever changing circumstances.  They have the ability to think “outside the box” for survival on the battlefield, but also for the survival of their family units. They are extremely creative while still looking at multiple different possible outcomes to move forward on the best course of action.

It is with sometimes a heavy heart that HIP represents veterans and their families at such events. In 2014, HIP served over 400 veterans and their families as they experienced homelessness and created strategies to overcome the immense challenges that they encountered. HIP is honored to work with these families and service members every day. We work with military veterans of different generations helping to provide the services and support that homeless Veterans can count on to work toward self-sufficiency.

As we come up on another Memorial Day, please take time to thank the veterans that you work with, live in your communities or that reside within your families.  They are a critical component of any healthy and vibrant community and should be thanked for the sacrifice that they put forth to provide the freedoms that we all enjoy daily.

To learn more about HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program, please visit www.indyhealthnet.org/HIP.

Post by Matt Holland, HealthNet Homeless Initiative Program 

We’re excited to announce that HealthNet has been chosen to participate in this year’s Brackets for Good Tournament.

What does the Employment & Training team do?
Our team does employment readiness and work history assessments to determine if a client is a good fit for our employment skills workshop.  We look at barriers to employment, what has caused past job’s or career’s to end, as well as education gained and further education or training desired by each individual. Once they have completed our employment skills workshop, they graduate to our job search program where they get one-on-one job search support and job coaching.  We help connect them with interview clothing and haircuts, as well as soft essential skills that complete their transformation into excellent candidates for their goal position. As we transition into our client’s gaining employment, we then support them while on the job for up to 6 months to ensure that they can navigate their work environment and the stresses that come with a part-time or full-time job.

What made you want to work for HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program?
My wife worked for a short time partially with HIP and partially with Adult and Child, where they trained clients with mental health and homelessness barriers to enter the hospitality industry.  I volunteered to do some mock interviews and speak to several of their classes.  I connected to those client’s hearts and enjoyed that time more than anything else.  I  had decided in 2012 to take my career a different route and HIP had a Job Development position open. I applied and was lucky enough to be offered the position.

What is the most satisfying part of your job?
Bar none, the opportunity to see a client walk through our doors after they have been offered and accepted a job.

 To learn more about HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program, please click here. If you would like to make a donation to HIP, please visit www.indyhealthnet.org/Donate.