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available at
Aurora
Main
Office
1100
Lincoln Ave.
&
also available at
1116
Lincoln Ave.
Evansville, IN
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Aurora News
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In This Issue
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Quick Links
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Greetings!
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A new day has dawned
in meeting the needs of the homeless,
in supporting those who help the homeless, and
in involving the community
along the journey toward ending homelessness in Evansville
and Vanderburgh County!
Welcome to Aurora News!
We have some exciting things to share with you! |
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Marshall and Jessica Smith (names changed to protect
privacy) had both been working at a local factory. When
their car broke down, they both lost their jobs and soon
their home. Jessica was four months pregnant with their
youngest child when they arrived at a local homeless
shelter in June.
The Smith family consisted of five boys and two girls
from ages three to twelve, with the five older children
visiting regularly throughout the week and on weekends.
Marshall has lived in this area his entire life. Jessica
was born in Georgia, but moved here when she was young.
They have a few family members in this area, including
Marshall’s mother, who lives with the Smith family.
Aurora’s case manager, Natasha Nix, stuck with this
family through a roller-coaster period of over eighteen
months of moves among shelters, housing, motels, and
back around again. During this time, Zack turned two
over a year into the family’s homeless experience. His
speech was very delayed, as he was barely saying even
the simplest words.
When the family moved into a rental house a month after
his second birthday, Zack immediately began talking and
would not stop. When Aurora’s case manager made a home
visit there, Zack led her by the hand through the house
to show her every room. When the pair arrived at Zack’s
room, he became so excited and said, “Mine.”
“It was amazing!” noted Natasha Nix, case manager with
Aurora’s Homeless Outreach Team. “There was a rapid
improvement in his speech, and he continues to talk
non-stop today!”
It would seem that young Zack may have known something
many of us may take for granted: Housing matters!
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I am constantly amazed by the number of people that I meet that
honestly have no idea that homelessness is prevalent in our
community. I guess I am so absorbed with the issue because it
confronts me everyday, that I lose sight of the fact that for
the general public, it is an invisible problem. An invisible
problem -- umm - does that mean because it’s not widely known or
seen we have any less responsibility for its solution? Does it
mean that because I can’t see it or its impact that it doesn’t
exist? I think not. Invisible actually means, “not capable of
being seen; out of sight.”
The irony of being invisible struck too close to home this
spring when Dallas Orames died after being hit by a truck driver
who claimed he didn’t see him. Dallas was very much present but
wasn’t seen. To the driver, he was invisible.
Homelessness, as with Dallas, is a genuine reality in our
community and is often not seen. While its causes are many, its
results are traumatic and now, we know, avoidable with specific
pro-active interventions. I am glad that the majority of the
community doesn’t have to see the results of homelessness.
We, along with many service providers, work very hard each day
to “let” the community retain its invisible image of
homelessness; but with the current rate of funding cuts, and
programs having to shut their doors, that image can quickly
change. We need your help, not merely to keep the problem
invisible, but to actually end homelessness as we know it today.
Once all our neighbors have a safe, decent place to call home
and support services to help maintain that housing, I believe
many of the other problems that plague our community might too
become invisible.
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When it comes to getting everything done that Aurora does, much
of the credit can often be attributed to the work of volunteers
-- especially when it comes to bigger, behind-the-scenes
projects that help us to do our work of providing Direct
Services and Community Development.
On June 30th, a crew of eight helped to put out a bulk mailing:
Carol Gainey & Jerry Tucker, RSVP volunteers; Ernestine Graves &
Tara Grace-Ruiz, interested community members; and Jennifer Cox,
Kristen Cox, Roger Dunkelbarger, Amelia Mader, and Todd Seibert
of the Jesus Freaks, a teen Christian band from Posey County.
As the school year began for University of Evansville, twelve
freshman students were assigned to Aurora to assist with
projects such as outdoor clean-up, wallpaper removal, donation
organization and pick up. Those students, led by student leader,
Sonya Barnett, included Telysha Richardson, Shawna Roberts, Kyle
Shipley, Emily Bretz, Lauren Vos, Melissa Richter, Heather
Richardson, Derrick Niehaus, Gary Cure, Marcus Foertsch, John
Custis, and Ben Griggs. Alongside the U of E students, two RSVP
volunteers, Cindy Wolf and Carol Gainey, worked on the donation
organization project.
We greatly appreciate everyone who gave of his or her time to
help us!
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ITEMS FOR CLIENTS
diapers, baby wipes, etc.
For persons living outside
bottled water, canned meats, batteries (D & AA), flashlights,
sleeping bags, hats, socks, jackets, gloves, sweatshirts,
foot/hand warmers, ear muffs, scarves, underwear (men's, women's
sizes), anti-bacterial hand cleanser backpacks, deodorant, small
Kleenex packages, individually wrapped toilet paper rolls,
mosquito repellant, etc.
For persons establishing a home after being homeless for a
time:
couches, recliners, living room chairs, etc.
ITEMS FOR AURORA
Free storage space to store donated furniture & household items;
2-drawer locking file cabinet with key
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SPECIAL NOTE: In our 2005 Annual Report, we inadvertently
failed to recognize the Evansville Courier Company, the
Scripps Howard Foundation, and Audubon Printers
for their participation and/or contributions that made possible
our “Changing Seasons, Changing Lives” Calendar Project.
We apologize for this oversight.
We extended thanks to the following as well ...
- U of E freshman students for assistance with office
projects & moving donated furniture
- RSVP Volunteers (Carol Gainey, Jerry Tucker, Cindy Wolf)
for help with mailings and/or projects related to the
office/donations
- Ernestine Graves & Tara Grace-Ruiz for assistance with a
bulk mailing
- Jesus Freaks for bulk mailing help
- Nancy Mills & the sewing class at Good Shepherd School
for mending several frayed blankets
- First Christian Church, Newburgh—High School Youth Group
for donating mosquito repellant
- Daughters of Charity for outreach supplies
- Cammy Ricketts and Bill Whelan for computer maintenance
assistance
- Schnucks--Newburgh location for outreach supplies
- Matt's Lawn Care, for keeping our grounds
- Vectren for assistance with Aurora News
For contributions toward the strategies & projects of "
Destination: Home"--
Old National Bank, Central United Methodist Church, YMCA of
Southwestern Indiana
toward the
Bridges project
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Calling All Cartridges – We’ll turn your trash into cash.
Aurora is currently participating in a fund raising program.
This program, pays our group $1-$12.00 for each empty Ink Jet or
Laser printer cartridge we collect. Not only will this help us
raise funds, it is also great for the environment.
Bring your empty ink jet cartridges in for recycling. (Certain
laser cartridges are welcome too. Please call for procedures.
Epson or any remanufactured cartridges are not Eligible.)
The funds we raise through this program will help provide funds
for general operating expenses or other costs that our other
designated funds do not cover.
If you’d like more details, please use our contact information
below. Thanks for helping Aurora and the earth.
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Donations via our website are now possible.
Click on the “Make a Donation” button here or on any page of our
website:
www.auroraevansville.org You'll be taken to a secure site
managed by PayPal.
Donations may be made via credit card, debit card or PayPal
accounts.
Of course, donations submitted by mail or delivered to the
office are also welcomed.
Click the "Make A Donation" image at the
bottom to donate now...
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Thank you for your continuing support of Aurora!
Whether your aide is through encouragement or donated items, time,
or funds,
we want you to know that we appreciate you!
Speakers Bureau
If you are part of a group that would be interested in hosting
someone from Aurora as a guest speaker, please feel free to contact
us. Consider sharing your interest in Aurora’s work with others you
know, so that they might have the opportunity to learn and perhaps
develop the kind of passion you have for being a part of ending
homelessness in Evansville and Vanderburgh County.
(If you have received this e-mail version of Aurora News AND are
receiving the paper, mailed version, would you like to only receive
it by e-mail? Please email us to let us know:
click here. Thank you ahead of time for the savings on postage.)
THANK YOU again for your ongoing support!
Aurora, Inc
phone:
812.428.3246
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| Aurora, Inc | 1100 Lincoln Avenue
| PO Box 74 | Evansville | IN | 47720 |
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