Our New Directions coordinator, Alisha Collett, received a $5,000 Community Assist Grant from Community Foundation of Southern Indiana to continue the program for the 2022-23 school year.
The New Directions program includes:
Kid's Connection - Provides children who have had, or are at risk for having, adverse experiences with the skills and support they need to rise above adversity, stay in school, and stay free of drugs, violence, and crime.
Kids in the Kitchen - Designed for children aged 6-11 to help provide the foundation for lifelong healthy eating.
Think First and Stay Safe - Designed to prevent child sexual abuse, bullying, cyber exploitation, abduction, and trafficking.
We’ve received a significant grant to implement Trauma-Informed Care: The Restorative Approach. This grant will allow us to better recruit staff, train all staff extensively, and finally implement the program principles over the course of 2023. It will help us focus on behavior management that recognizes past trauma and helps the children repair their minds by having them think about harm they could cause to others by their behavior. We will be working with a consultant from Indiana Youth Institute to help with this process. He’s familiar with our agency and facilitated the staff retreats we had last summer.
Open Door Gym Gets an Upgrade
First Capitol Christian Church has taken on the task of giving our gym a new look. New ceiling tiles, floors, and a fresh coat of paint will make our gym look new again. Their goal is $20,000 to cover the cost of the repairs and supplies. We have a fundraising page set up to receive monetary donations at the button below! If you know anyone who would want to help out, feel free to spread the word!
We want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who pitched in to give our youth a wonderful Christmas. This was a year to remember! The kids had a blast opening their presents, eating a homemade Christmas breakfast, and more. Click the link below to go to our Facebook page to see more photos!
