Executive Director's Letter

November is a big month in my house. Both of my kids turn a year older within 10 days of each other. Only then can I take the briefest of breaths to ready for Thanksgiving. Literally, my son turned eight on Monday, and now a trip to Alabama is ahead of us on Wednesday.

The wind blows a little bit colder

And you all look a little bit older

It’s time to count our blessings

Beneath an autumn sky

As the kiddos age and mature, it’s clear life is constantly changing. But in truth, it’s hard to observe those changes from day to day. It’s the milestones in life that help us pinpoint change, more than the little moments that build up to all of those mile markers.

Some things never change

Turn around and the time has flown

Some things stay the same

Though the future remains unknown

Admittedly, with a kiddo on the cusp of moving up to preschool, it sometimes seems like all of my wisdom comes from animated films these days. I comfort myself with the reminder that adults created those films.

This morning, as my 3-year-old was belting out Frozen songs on our commute, I reflected on “Some Things Never Change” in a different way.

May our good luck last
May our past be past

Time’s moving fast, it’s true

Some things never change

Another “something” big that creates opportunity for change in November is the election cycle. But regardless of those outcomes from your perspective – whether the right amount or type of change occurred or not, some things never change. We will work with those in leadership to move forward our advocacy agenda – to bring about housing stability and economic mobility for the individuals living in the communities and served by the organizations that you’re committed to.

We’re always living the kingdom aplenty

That stands for the good of the many

And I promise you the flag of [Arendale] will always fly

Our flag will always fly

Our flag will always fly

Our flag will always fly

Even what feels like modest, incremental change – when we look back at milestones – can make a big impact in strengthening our communities.

One way to ensure positive change for “the [inclusive] many” is to take advantage of the opportunities PI creates for connecting and collaborating with those in power (both big P and small).

First, we have a series of three Policy & Pizza events coming up to connect with key legislators, who served with the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition appointee on the legislatively established housing task force. The first chance to connect is coming up on Monday (11/28) in Elkhart, featuring Co-Chairs of the Indiana General Assembly Housing Task Force: Rep. Doug Miller and Sen. Linda Rogers, and including Rep. Maureen Bauer. Central and Southern Indiana P&P events will be held 12/2 with Sen. Fady Qaddoura and 12/15 with Sen. Vaneta Becker, Sen. Jim Tomes, Rep. Ryan Hatfield and Rep. Wendy McNamara confirmed, respectively. Register today!

Also, don’t miss the chance to sign up for our 3-part Advocacy Academy: Advocacy 101: The Rules, 102: The Strategies and 103: The Plan to prep for our 2023 Statehouse Day on 2/2.

TOGETHER, we can make the impact we individually seek. To bring winds of change, our policy team will be:

Holding on tight to you

Holding on tight to you

Holding on tight to you

Thanks, as always, for being a Piece of the PI Network. I count you as a blessing. Happy Thanksgiving!

Jessica Love

Executive Director

We REAP prosperity by providing Resources, Engagement, Advocacy, and Programs that support our members' work!

New PI Staff Members

Prosperity Indiana is happy to announce the addition of Christi Martin and Brandy Kirkley to the team! As Capacity Building Manager, Christi will enhance our capacity building initiatives and bring a background in DEI engagement and facilitation. As part-time Administrative Assistant, Brandy will complement our operations and member support services. 

Health is Wealth: Housing, Health, and Financial Empowerment

Research shows that healthy homes promote both physical and mental health. If Hoosiers live in substandard housing or suffer from a chronic health condition, their financial well-being can suffer as well. Please join Kyle Lowe Noblitt with CareSource for our final Health is Wealth webinar on December 12^th at 10:00 a.m. Eastern. The program will help you understand how housing and financial empowerment affect health and provide you with ideas on how you can break down barriers to help Hoosiers rise up into a life of greater promise.

New Graduates of PI's Real Estate 201 Course

Congratulations to 28 recent graduates of PI’s Real Estate 201 course that took place on November 8-9, 2022 at Habitat for Humanity in Indianapolis. This two-day program increased attendees' developer skills in real estate market analysis.

Special thanks to our sponsors, First Merchants Bank and Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis. And many thanks to our instructors Keith Veal (Buckingham Companies), Dani Miller (Flaherty & Collins Properties), John Marron (CityStrategies, LLC), JoAnna Brown, PhD (JoAnna M. Brown & Associates), and Liza Mutzl (MMA). 

A Fun Fact

The Indiana Business Research Center reports that by 2030, one out of every five people living in Indiana will be a senior citizen (ages 65 and older).

Tools You Can Use

Please check out the State of Aging in Central Indiana newsletter with important information related to aging in Indiana. Older adults (55 and older) are the fastest growing demographic in Central Indiana with approximately 20,000 individuals in Central Indiana reaching the age of 60 every year. To enhance the ability of older adults to live and thrive in Central Indiana, it is important to understand the population trends, notable changes, and basic needs of this growing demographic. To this end, the Central Indiana Senior Fund (CISF) is partnering with The Polis Center at IUPUI develop the annual State of Aging in Central Indiana Report. This project helps to generate transformative ideas that address the unique and diverse needs of older adults in Central Indiana. It aims to provide actionable information and inspire community leaders, decision-makers, senior-serving organizations, and philanthropic organizations to envision potential programs, funding, and policies that will help Central Indiana seniors have equal opportunity for a healthy, dignified, and enjoyable life. To subscribe to future issues, please send your first and last names and email to stateoa@iupui.edu and please note SoAR Newsletter in message subject line.

It's Time to Renew Your Membership and Get a Free Summit Ticket

If you haven't already, please renew your membership before it expires on December 31, 2022! Once payment is received, you will receive a code to claim your free summit ticket. Please let Rita O'Donohue know if you did not receive an invoice. Renew online or mail to Prosperity Indiana, 1099 N. Meridian St., Suite 170, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Our In-Person Summit is Approaching

The annual 2023 Prosperity Indiana Summit is on February 1-2, 2023 at the Marriott Downtown Indianapolis. Join community leaders from banks, nonprofits, and local governments across the state to discuss "Resilient Communities: Centering Quality of Life, Place, and Opportunity."  Breakout sessions are centered on housing, financial empowerment, and health. Register now to network, learn, and recognize the amazing work of your colleagues.

Nominate a Colleague or Program for Award 

Honor your favorite coworker, mentor, or program with a prestigious Prosperity Indiana Award! Nominees receive one complimentary Awards Luncheon ticket, and many organizations support their candidate by attending. If you are interested in purchasing a table, please contact Rita O'Donohue. The deadline to nominate is November 30, 2022. CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE.

Nonprofit Members Vote for Board Slate

All Prosperity Indiana nonprofit members may cast their vote from a slate of board candidates next week. Look for an email coming soon and contact Teresa Reimschisel with any questions.

Save the Date for PI's Annual Member Meeting

Prosperity Indiana's Annual Member Meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. ET, January 20, 2023.  If you are interested in attending, please contact Teresa Reimschisel.

Share Your News

Our newsletter reaches over 1200 individuals across the state each month, and we are happy to share your events, news, and job opportunities. Please send to Rita  O'Donohue by the 15th of each month to be included in the next newsletter. Please note an online link is required. 

What Do You Need?

Tell other members what you need, such as funding, services, volunteers, etc. by the 15th of each month, and it will get added to the next newsletter (see column on right). Send to Rita O'Donohue.

Prosperity Indiana Statehouse Day

Join us on February 2 for Prosperity Indiana’s free, in-person Statehouse Day in Indianapolis. We'll meet at the Marriott Downtown Indianapolis for an early rally and light breakfast, and then walk across the street together to the Statehouse. After that, we'll gather in the North Atrium for networking and special remarks, and spend the rest of the morning going to legislator meetings together, gathering groups for insider walking tours, writing action letters, and attending live legislative committee meetings. Register today!

In preparation of Statehouse Day, we strongly encourage PI members and partners to attend the following two policy event series, Policy & Pizza and Prosperity Indiana Advocacy Academy.  

Policy & Pizza Series

In addition to the official release of Prosperity Indiana's 2023 Policy Agenda, this year's Policy & Pizza event series will feature a community conversation with regional policymakers and stakeholders about housing affordability and stability in Indiana. We are thrilled to be visiting Northern Indiana on November 28, Central Indiana on December 2, and Southern Indiana on December 15.  RSVP now for one or more of these in-person conversations with Prosperity Indiana and members, as well as members of the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition, including AARP Indiana and The Ross Foundation. Share your experiences with how housing issues are affecting your community.

Prosperity Indiana Advocacy Academy Series

Prosperity Indiana Advocacy Academy is a three-part webinar series that will empower members, coalition partners, and individual supporters to confidently incorporate advocacy into their regular work, and specifically to prepare attendees to successfully participate in Prosperity Indiana's Statehouse Day on February 2nd, 2023. 

Advocacy 101 will provide an understanding of what advocacy means for nonprofit organizations and staff, and the legal issues involved in influencing public policy. Advocacy 102 will cover how to advocate effectively and what strategies to use. Advocacy 103 will include all the practical things you need to know to be prepared for Prosperity Indiana's Statehouse Day, as well as how to apply key strategies from the first two webinars demonstrated in simulated meetings with legislators, with roles played by PI staff and partner advocates. We hope to see you there!

Current National Action Alerts

• Prosperity Now-Take Action
• National Low Income Housing-Take Action

Establishing a Permanent Emergency Rental Assistance Program

Prosperity Indiana is working with administrators, legislators, counselors, tenant representatives, and advocacy groups across the state along with the National Low Income Housing Coalition to establish a permanent program to provide emergency rental assistance to Hoosiers. PI will be putting together focus groups looking at past programs, lessons learned, and ideas for the future through the lens of different groups affected. The first three groups convening are administrators, renters/recipients of ERA money, and backend providers who worked processing applications and the technological side of the program.

We are interested in speaking with administrators, front line workers, and technological support providers for the application portals from the ERA1 and ERA2 programs; both the statewide IERA program and other local providers. Contact Erica Boswell if interested in joining the group discussions and if you (or someone you know) received ERA funding and would be willing to share the experience. 

Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition

Join Prosperity Indiana and the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition for the release of the new report 'Policies for Improved Affordable Housing Opportunities in Indiana: Rent Escrow and an Expanded Tax Credit System' with the Notre Dame Student Policy Network at the Indiana Statehouse on Wednesday, November 30 from 10-11:30. Attendees may join this free event online or in person.

A Deep Dive into 2023 Housing Policy

The Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition officially released their policy priorities for 2023, and met on November 22, 2022 to dive deeper into the policies selected. Attendees learned in depth what we will be advocating for in 2023 and why. The Indiana legislative Housing Task Force meetings and final report were recapped and updates on the End Rental Arrears to Stop Evictions (ERASE) project was provided. Additionally, this meeting covered resources available to tenants and landlords from the Indiana Housing Stability Network and the Indiana Bar Foundation. Contact Hale Crumley for more information. 

Sponsor

Piece of the PI is sponsored by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis (FHLBI).

PI Job Openings

PI Events

November 28, 2022 - Policy & Pizza Northern Indiana

December 12, 2022 - Health is Wealth: Housing, Health, and Financial Wellbeing

December 13, 2022 - Advocacy 101: The Rules

December 15, 2022 - Policy & Pizza - Southern Indiana

January 6, 2023 - Advocacy 102: The Strategies

January 27, 2023 - Advocacy 103: The Plan

February 1, 2023 - PI Summit

Member Needs

NWICA Needs One Board Member

There is an opening on NWICA's Board of Directors for a representative of low-income families or communities served by NWICA in Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, and Starke Counties. This is a volunteer position.  Nominees should be able to attend at least two daytime meetings a month.

Click here for more details 

Member Jobs

Office and Event Assistant at Health By Design

Member Events

• First Financial: Ongoing Financial Literacy Classes- Ongoing Events
• Indiana County Commissioners: Annual Conference- November 28 to December 1, 2022

• IHCDA Free Webinar on Tuesday, December 6, 2022

PI In the News

https://www.wthitv.com/news/housing-remains-a-top-problem-for-indiana-families/article_97eebdcc-5550-11ed-85f2-2716e0966b8f.html

https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2022/10/27/getting-stuck-with-payday-loans/

https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/hoosier-housing-needs-coalition-announces-policy-priorities-for-2023

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/advocates-working-address-affordable-housing-across-indianapolis/531-b1bb3c78-d67a-4e22-9b22-5d6568f60440

https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/housing-advocacy-groups-lay-out-2023-legislative-priorities

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/some-tenants-of-troubled-irvington-arms-apartments-get-relief-indianapolis-indiana/531-ad4b151a-5ac8-49f3-962d-a6f64528aefd