Case For Support
Indiana's Serious Problem: Suffering Children
Violence. Neglect. Sexual Abuse. Poverty. Fatherlessness. Drugs. Sadly, these words describe the destructive home environments of many children in Indiana. When these troubling characteristics are combined, there is little hope unless the children are raised in a new and wholesome environment where caring adults love and guide them—letting them know how very special they are and how extremely valuable their lives are to God. Some of these kids need far more than what the caring officials in our State’s child welfare system can provide.
The statistics are frightening and the need is great:
- Each year 20,000 of our Hoosier children are physically abused, sexually violated, or neglected (IN Dept. of Child Services, 2007)
- In 2008 9,538 Indiana kids were removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect (Report, IN Dept. of Child Services, FY2008)
- Approximately 1,700 of the children in Indiana foster homes are 6-12 years old (Strengthening Families Through Guardianships, Pew Charitable Trusts, 2008)
- More than 25% of kids entering foster care will live in five or more foster homes
- 17 year-old Crystal reported being in 15 placements between the ages of 10-17; tragically, Crystal was in the Marion County Juvenile Detention Facility when we visited one Friday night
- There is a direct correlation between the number of placements in foster care and troubles later in life such as mental health disorders, homelessness, incarceration, and unemployment (Casey Family Programs, The Foster Care Alumni Studies, Why Minimize Placement Change? 2007); Children and Family Resource Center, Instability in Foster Care, 2002)
The Solution: New Song Mission
For some kids, growing up in a stable and nurturing children’s home campus is needed in order for them to thrive and become well adjusted, productive adults. From our national research efforts we discovered children’s homes that work. We learned from outstanding organizations and we have taken the best components from each to create a campus unlike any other in the State of Indiana. New Song Mission represents a proven alternative and fantastic news for kids who need safe, loving homes and a private education.
Children Will Thrive On the New Song Campus
Our research, personal visits, and extensive interactions with children and staff at children’s homes in Oklahoma, Virginia, Tennessee and other locations allow us to confidently say that New Song Mission will provide an incredible, life-changing environment for our State’s most vulnerable children.
Key characteristics of the ministries visited are:
- A campus environment
- A traditionally built home
- Loving and nurturing Christian staff
- Full-time house moms and dads
- Long-term care lasting several years
- A private education
- Low student-to-teacher ratios
- Hands-on learning experiences
- A beautiful, natural setting
- Outdoor recreation opportunities
- Support provided privately through financial and in-kind gifts
New Song Mission will have each of these distinguishing components as well as experiences with equine therapy, gardening, music and the arts. Can you imagine these suffering children being safe and loved in this incredible environment?
Brown County’s Amazing Beauty
The natural, scenic topography of Brown County, Indiana provides the perfect setting for a children’s home campus. New Song owns 100 beautiful acres in the remote hills of the county, and civil engineers, architects, and surveyors donated their professional services to design a campus that takes full advantage of this magnificent environment.
Help Us Build Homes For Kids!
Be a part of the solution. The children we will serve—the poor, the suffering, and the fatherless kids of our State—don’t need “housing,” they need homes; safe, loving homes. By God’s grace, through the work of New Song Mission, you can help provide them with such homes. You can join the hundreds of financial supporters, business professionals, construction workers, building supply companies, and general labor volunteers to make it happen. We are so excited about the three homes that are now framed and look forward to completing the homes and other campus development by the fall of 2010.
Home Site A is nearly completed—we will be able to care for up to
eight children in each of the three Phase One homes.
At New Song Mission, we recognize the value of family. That’s why each of our houses have been designed to feel like “home” to the kids and to promote family interaction. Brown County architects David Kreie and Michael Chamblee did a fantastic job developing an exceptional floor plan and overall design, from the large kitchen upstairs to the recreation room in the walk-out basement. The joyful sounds of children and families will be heard throughout the spacious homes.
The landscaping around Home Site B is completed, and we hope to be
able to finish construction on this home in the next few months.
The Homes For Kids Campaign
In September of 2009 at our groundbreaking ceremony—attended by more than 300 people—New Song publically launched its Homes For Kids Campaign. The ultimate goal of the campaign is to rebuild the lives of children through the love of Christ Jesus. Through the campaign we humbly believe that we will receive all of the necessary resources to build Phase One of the campus, operate the campus for three years, and begin an important endowment that will help to sustain the ministry in the future. The capital construction portion of the campaign includes three homes in which a total of 24 children will live, a horse barn and indoor riding arena, a 2-acre pond, a vegetable garden area, a recreational pavilion, and all campus infrastructure (road, bridge, electric, phone, water, and sanitation.)
A. $950,000 IS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE BEAUTIFUL NEW SONG CAMPUS!
New Song has already received $1.25 million in financial and in-kind gifts of labor and materials toward the $2.2 million capital construction portion of the Homes for Kids Campaign. We therefore need an additional $950,000 in order to complete Phase One campus construction. The gifts received have come by God’s grace as expressed through caring individuals, churches, businesses, construction contractors, and material suppliers. Encouraged by this success, we continue to move forward in earnest with the vision of soon providing loving homes in an amazingly beautiful environment for children.
Capital Construction Goal (Home & Site Construction)………………..$2.2 Million
Less Capital Gifts To Date….…………………………………….….…….......$1.25 Million
Total Needed To Complete Phase One Construction...…………..…..$950,000
Figure 1. Breakdown of Gifts Received
B. OVERALL CAMPAIGN GOAL--$3.9 MILLION
The overall goal of the Homes For Kids Campaign is $3.9 million. This consists of the $2.2 million capital construction described above, $1.2 million for the first three years of operating expenses, and $500,000 to begin an important endowment.
Capital Costs..…………………………………………………………….$2.2 Million
Three years of operating expenses………...…………………….$1.2 Million
Endowment…………………..…………………………………………...$ 500,000
Campaign Goal…….………….…………………………………………$3.9 Million
Our Request For Financial Support
There are two ways you can help the suffering children of Indiana. First, we respectfully ask you for a commitment to pray for New Song Mission and the children we will serve. Secondly, we would request that you consider making a significant financial investment in the Homes For Kids Campaign. Our hope is that you will make a gift that is genuinely sacrificial and generous in light of the resources with which you have been blessed. Pledge gifts may be made payable over a three-year period. Perhaps the gift table below might assist you. The table shares the number of gifts New Song Mission will need at various levels in order to meet the $3.9 million goal.
Gift Table - $3.9 Million
God’s Provision Since Our Inception
There is no doubt that God has provided abundantly for New Song Mission since its founding in 2003. The list below is a small fraction of the provisions with which the Lord has so generously blessed us.
By God’s Grace:
- We were led to a perfect 80 acre tract of woods and hills owned by one land owner, and an adjoining 20 acre tract of gently rolling road frontage owned by another
- New Song purchased both tracts and now owns the total 100 acres free and clear as a result of the generous and sacrificial giving of supporters
- Zoning reclassification was received after a challenging yet
dramatically faith-building experience
- A comprehensive campus design was donated to fit the amazing topography of the Brown County property
- The ministry has received a total of $2.4 million in gifts since its inception in 2003, with nearly $650,000 of this coming through the donated services of architects, engineers, attorneys, excavation companies, building contractors and subcontractors, building material providers, and many others
- New Song has more than 2,000 supportive friends and dozens of churches from many denominations
- Three campus homes are now framed in and the interior of the homes are being completed; nearly all of our campus infrastructure is fully developed (e.g. road, water, electrical grid, etc.)
- New Song has received commitments from many construction professionals and material providers who will donate toward the completion of the homes and other campus development
- We also celebrate the hundreds of prayers prayed and answers given—answers only God could provide
Conclusion: Join New Song In Rebuilding Children’s Lives!
For six exciting years we’ve witnessed the Lord’s hand of blessing in the ministry of New Song Mission and the building of the New Song campus. We’ve seen the sacrificial generosity of people who are deeply concerned about young boys and girls who are suffering. Will you help the children heal from feelings of rejection, abandonment, and fear? Will you partner with us to create loving, stable homes where kids will come to know Christ Jesus and His unconditional love for them? Together and by the grace of God, we can bring them hope.
Thank you for your consideration.
For Christ and kids,
Robert P. Schloss, J.D.
Founder/Executive Director