'Until Mom Can Heal From Past Trauma And See The Future, She's Not Going To Be Able To Absorb The Lessons'

Being a parent is a demanding, difficult job — when you are a teen parent with a history of significant trauma — the challenges can be even greater.  Project Home Indy is a supportive program that serves as a refuge for these young girls and their children.

“What we try to do is help teach this young woman a whole new way of life so she can make a way much better life for herself and her child and for all their future generations. We are working with women who come from all generations of poverty, generations of housing instability, generations of financial insecurity and generations of teen parenting,” says Lakshmi Hasanadka, executive director.

Most of the residents are referred by the Department of Child Services and the state.  Helping these moms heal from past trauma—is the biggest challenge they face according to Hasanadka.  She says they provide a special type of therapy for the girls..

“It’s called trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy," Hasanadka says. "The purpose of this therapy is to help the mom heal from past trauma. Until mom can heal from that past trauma and see the future and see her value in the world, she’s not going to be able to absorb the lessons”

In the residential program, Project Home Indy can house five moms at a time.  They have served 35 families in the five-and-a-half years they have been opened.  Hasanadka is a co-founder of Project Home Indy.  She and three friends started the project in December 2004.  She says she couldn’t have done it without the community’s support.

“Project Home Indy is definitely a product of the community and the community’s involvement. The way that we change lives is having a supportive environment and that does require the support of so many  community members," Hasanadka says. "We have so many who donate anything from $15 to $15,000. People are very interested in caring about our young moms and that makes a huge difference for us.”

Project Home Indy will hold its annual fundraiser event, the Speakeasy Speak-out, on Friday, April 21at the Basile Theatre at the Historic Athenaeum, 401 East Michigan Street. 5:30 to 8 p.m.

For more information or to purchase tickets; http://www.projecthomeindy.org/