Two major things allow Hope Counseling Ministry to help so many people who might not otherwise be able to afford good therapy: we keep things simple, and we get a lot of help.

Every spring, dozens and sometimes hundreds of people attend our major fundraising event, the Hope Benefit. The 2008 Taste of the Irvington Area and Silent Auction will be held on Saturday, April 26 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Irvington Community School. Please be saving those items to donate! The money we raise each year subsidizes the fees of our clients with the greatest financial need. To donate items or be placed on the mailing list for notification about future benefits, call 356-4037. You can also click on Donate Items for a form you can print, fill out, and mail in.

We gratefully accept financial contributions at any time of year. You can mail your tax deductible donation to The Hope Fund, Inc., 831A North Edmondson Av, Indianapolis IN  46219.

The help we get in other ways is invaluable to us. For example, Irvington Friends Meeting makes our lovely building available to us rent free, which means our overhead costs are extremely low. Individuals and church groups provide us with supplies, from art materials for play therapy to paper towels and toilet paper! Others contributed furniture, lamps, and other necessities when we moved into our present location. If you or your group would like to know how you can help, call Ellen Hodge at 356-0437.

Still others join our Board of Directors and contribute their time and expertise in addition to their money. The Board has three task groups:

• Marketing & Community Relations, which lets folks know about what we do
• Fundraising, which plans events and seeks donations
• Advisory/listening, which guides and nurtures Hope's therapists

If you would like to participate on one of the task groups, contact Ellen at 356-4037 and she will put you in touch with the appropriate person.

We also have a wish list. Click to see if there are things you can provide or ways that you can help out. We would be delighted to have your involvement!