New organization looks to help families get on their feet

Local News

November 17, 2008

by charlee beasor The Hendricks County Flyer Mon Nov 17, 2008, 04:04 PM EST

A new non-profit group in Hendricks County is trying to fill a need that no one else is able to fill.

Stepping Stones to Life reaches out to one young family a year, be it a single-parent family or a family with both parents, and gives them a fresh start. The group pays for all living expenses for the family for 12 to 16 months, while the family learns important job and life skills, such as balancing a budget and a job with a family.

Cathy Lucas, a member of the volunteer board of directors for the organization, said the group saw a great need in the community and decided to make that their ministry.

“Basically our goal is to help families in transition out of a bad situation, due to abuse or whatever the situation is, through financial help and support, along with counseling and life skills training,” Lucas said. “We want to take care of them emotionally, physically, and spiritually.”

Lucas, who also volunteers at Sheltering Wings in Danville, said the gap in service in the community comes when a family goes from a shelter to living in the community and that they don’t always have what they need to get off to a good start. The group helps find the parent or parents a job, a car, a place to live, and furnishes the home with things that have been donated. They also have volunteers that donate their time doing social work and financial planning with the family.

The group makes a contract with the family, which includes things like staying away from drugs and alcohol while they are in the program, and Lucas said that enables the help to go to a family that is really ready for a life change.

“It’s going to have to be somebody that’s really at a point in their life when they’re ready to make huge changes, we really want them to be able to partner with us with a plan to change their lives — we want to choose candidates we feel will be successful at completing the program,” she said.

Lucas said one of the main problems the group is facing is a lack of funds. She said they aren’t able to take on a new family until they are closer to their monthly goal.

“We’re not lacking for families, we’re lacking for funds and our biggest need is monthly,” she said. “Our goal is to have $9,000 in cash on hand, and we need about another $750 a month in pledges, because it will take nearly $20,000 a year to support somebody with housing, a car, a gas card, car insurance, utilities.”

The group is set up to take donations through the Hendricks County Community Foundation, and people can specify that their donations go to the Stepping Stones to Life program.

Lucas said they would welcome church or corporate sponsorships and donations are tax deductible.

“We know financial times are difficult for everybody ... we’d like to grow every year or two and take more than one family on,” she said. “(We) know that by putting one more healthy family in the community, we’re going to help a lot of people. It’s a very generational thing.”

To donate money, household items, or services, or to get more information on the group, visit the Stepping Stones to Life website at www.steppingstonestolife.org or call 627-1695.

charlee.beasor@flyergroup.com

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