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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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Have you ever experienced a time of having no health
insurance? and of needing specialized medical care? Now,
imagine being in that situation and homeless.
For Robert, Ann, and Joe, those challenges have been a
daily reality. Robert, age 47, living on the streets off
and on for over ten years, deals with chronic
obstruction pulmonary disorder (COPD) and depression.
Ann, age 45, homeless on the streets in various cities
for over 30 years and sheltered locally for nearly a
year, suffers from bipolar illness, post- traumatic
stress disorder, chronic fatigue, fibromialgia and has
had two surgeries for breast cancer. Joe, also in his
40s, with heart disease, diabetes, depression, and sleep
apnea, was homeless for nearly three years and finally
housed in June 2006.
Each of these clients had applied for Medicaid and been
denied.
Jill Miller, one of our
Homeless Outreach Team case managers, assisted
Robert, Ann and Joe through the appeal process. Jill met
with the clients as often as needed as she helped with
understanding, preparing and filing paperwork, connected
with legal representation and sources for necessary
records, held each one accountable for submitting
documents and keeping appointments, served as a
reference, and supplied support and transportation. The
clients worked with Jill through this tough process.
In August 2006, Robert, Ann, and Joe were awarded
Medicaid coverage. Though Robert is still living on the
streets, with medical coverage, he is able to get needed
medication and a breathing machine. Until he can
overcome other barriers, he will at least have these
assets to help him through the winter on the streets,
getting through chronic bronchitis and pneumonia, as he
works toward his goal of being permanently housed. Ann
has now been able to get secondary medical care, such as
seeing specialists, having needed surgeries, and
obtaining medications. She is still in shelter and is
working toward being housed one day as well. Joe, housed
for five months now, has been able to afford special
shoes, medications, and a machine for his sleep
disorder, as well as pay off medical supply store bills
as he continues to enjoy his home.
“Now with their Medicaid coverage, each one has been
able to obtain needed specialized health care,” reflects
Jill. “I’ve noticed less anxiety about their health
needs, which frees them to focus more on their housing
goals.”
These stories are just part of the effect of your
support of Aurora. Your contributions help us continue
operating as we work to bring an end to homelessness in
our community -- one piece of paper, one mile of
transport, one visit, one word of encouragement, one
life at a time!
YOU matter -- since Housing Matters!
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The holiday season is again upon us! For many, it is a time of
family, celebration and recognizing the abundance of our
blessings. For others, it can be a time of loneliness, sadness
and recognizing that once again, there is not enough. Not enough
food, not enough money, not enough time, not enough gas, not
enough--
The longer I do this work, the more I am haunted by that word -
enough. The word means sufficient – not too little, not too
much, just the right amount. I hate to admit it, but I often
live in a place of excess, rarely do I settle with enough and I
can’t really remember a time I faced “not enough” of anything.
However, many of the people we work with face this state of “not
enough” on a daily basis.
What would a life of enough look like? I think it would be
blessed with joy and contentment, the right amount of everything
with any thing left over being shared with those not having
enough. Think about your own life. Where do you reside? Do you
live in a place of excess, lack or sufficiency?
This holiday season, I wish you all - enough.
Luzada Hayes
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“Grace,” as defined by Webster, is “a disposition to or an act
or instance of kindness or courtesy.” In October, we got to see
a depiction of this as four- year-old Grace Elizabeth Nicholas
entered the office with her dad. She was carrying some bags
which held sixteen envelopes of change and several pictures she
had colored.
The first words out of her dad, Skip, were, “Grace has the heart
of God.” Grace had prepared to say something, but as a shyness
came up, her father spoke for her. She had emptied coins from
her piggy bank, put them into separate envelopes by varying
amounts, sealed them with stickers and tape, then took them to
her parents, saying, “I want to take this to somebody that
doesn’t have anything.”
Grace’s family, familiar with our work through
Aurora News, chose to bring Grace’s gift here.
Kat Isbell, our Education Specialist, greeted them and
talked with Grace about ways her gift could be used. She liked
the idea of using her cash gift to help the Homeless Outreach
Team purchase items they would give to our clients living on the
streets. All together, Grace’s envelope held $9.73 Our frugally
shopping Outreach Team can make that stretch well. Kat suggested
that we could deliver her pictures to the families at the
House of Bread and Peace, where our case managers assist
clients. She liked that idea too.
Young Grace’s full name holds a meaning of “act of kindness,”
“my God is abundance,” and “victory of the people.” Through a
four-year-old’s act of kindness from a source of abundance, she
is affecting victory for people who are homeless through simple
things like pennies, envelopes, stickers, and crayons.
What can you do to pour out grace upon our neighbors who are
homeless today so that they can reach their destination: Home
tomorrow?
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ITEMS FOR CLIENTS
men’s underwear & long underwear, men’s heavyweight socks,
sweatshirts, sweaters, ear muffs, rain/wind/snow garments,
scarves, hats, gloves, tents, sleeping bags, flash lights,
batteries, hand warmer packets, blankets, individually wrapped
toilet paper rolls, bottled water, ready-to-eat meals, canned
meat (easy-open cans)
ITEMS FOR AURORA
Free storage space to store donated furniture & household items;
2-drawer locking file cabinet with key
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We extended thanks to the following ...
- Integra Bank for sleeping bags and lanterns for outreach
clients
- City of Evansville Endowment Fund for roof replacement
- Ernestine Graves & Deb Patterson for assistance with a
bulk mailing
- For the periodic donations for our Outreach Team from
Daughters of Charity
- Cammy Ricketts and Robert Kuper for computer maintenance
assistance
- For electrical work and supplies: Todd & John Ralph and
Consolidated Electrical Distributions, Inc.
- Nancy Mills & the sewing class at Good Shepherd School
for mending more frayed blankets
- First Christian Church, Newburgh—High School Youth Group
& Christian Fellowship Church—F3 Groups for assembling &
donating items for more than 150 Respiratory Care Kits
- For collaborative efforts in assisting a client: St.
Paul’s Episcopal Church, Christian Fellowship Church, St.
Vincent DePaul, Outreach Ministries, Salvation Army, Shetler
Storage, and U-Haul Storage
- RSVP Volunteers (Jerry Tucker, Harry Kahn, Marilyn
Pruiett, Earline Boylls, Judy Hodoval) for help with bulk
mailings
- 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"--
Trinity United Methodist Church toward the
Bridges project
and Compassionate Connections efforts
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana toward the
PlaySpaces
project
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Remember with us our community members who have died while
homeless during 2006
Wed., Dec. 20, 2006
10:00 a.m.
Trinity United Methodist Church
216 SE Third St., Evansville
For information, call 812.428.3246 or e-mail: info@auroraevansville.org
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Celebrate our accomplishments as a community
toward ending homelessness!
Hear announcements of coming projects,
efforts, collaboration, & more!
Please join us Tues., Dec. 12, 2006 ~ 10:00 a.m.
Vectren Community Room
One Vectren Square in Downtown Evansville
RSVP requested -- Phone: 812.428.3246 or E-mail:
info@destination-home.info
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Own your own "Housing Matters!" sweatshirt!
ONLY $8.00 each for a limited time!
PRE-PAID ORDERS ONLY!
To order, print out and complete this form:
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Name: _______________________________________ Phone:
_________________
Organization (if any): __________________________________
Address: _________________________ City ___________________ Zip
__________
E-Mail: _______________________________________ Fax:
_________________
Quantity & Size: _______________________________
Adult sizes only at this time: M, L, XL, 2XL (quantities of some
sizes are limited) VERY few: S, 3XL, 4XL
Amount Enclosed: ___________________________ Make checks payable
to Aurora.
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Mail or drop off payment (check or cash only) to:
Aurora, 1100 Lincoln Ave., Evansville, IN 47714
You will be notified when your order is ready for pick up.
Color is at Aurora's discretion, subject to availability by size
& appropriateness with design color.
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Click on the “Make a Donation” button
below.
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.
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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!
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.
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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