Senator Young Launches Fair Shot Agenda

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Today, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) convened a group of community leaders at the Shepherd Community Center in Indianapolis for a roundtable discussion regarding his Fair Shot Agenda, a new statewide initiative that aims to ensure every Hoosier has a fair shot at success.

“Every Hoosier deserves a fair shot to succeed – regardless of their age, or where they go to school, or what challenges they face,” said Senator Young. “Today we discussed issues ranging from education and jobs and safe neighborhoods, to tackling the opioid crisis and making government more efficient. My Fair Shot Agenda aims to identify specific barriers to success and the actions we can take to ensure everyone has a fair shot.”

The Fair Shot Agenda focuses on four key areas: opportunity, safety, health, and better government.

Opportunity: How do we improve opportunities for upward mobility, a quality education, and a good-paying job? During today’s roundtable, Senator Young highlighted apprenticeship programs, career and technical training, innovative solutions for funding higher education, such as Income Share Agreements, and improved access to affordable housing as potential solutions.

Area 31 Career Center and the Lumina Foundation discussed innovative education programs in the Indianapolis region; the Shepherd Community Center and Purposeful Design discussed their work tackling poverty, community development, and job training; and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation discussed affordable housing.

Safety: How do we ensure the safety of Indiana communities and protect our national security interests? Senator Young highlighted his recently passed legislation, the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act, as one measure that can help.

The Ten Point Coalition discussed their groundbreaking efforts to reduce violence in the Indianapolis area; Bread for the World highlighted their work ending hunger at home and abroad; and the Indianapolis Police Department spoke about their work creating police-community partnerships.

Health: How do we create strong and healthy families? Senator Young emphasized improving healthcare access, combatting the opioid epidemic, and strengthening adoption and foster care programs as a few places to start. Senator Young also highlighted his recently passed bill to help modernize the outdated foster care placement process, which the Children’s Bureau discussed during today’s roundtable.

Indiana University Health and Lutheran Child and Family Services also spoke about their addiction and mental health treatment programs.

Better Government: How do we develop smarter and more efficient government programs that better serve Hoosiers? During today’s roundtable, Senator Young highlighted his recently passed legislation to expand social impact partnerships, which leverage evidence-based public-private funding partnerships to solve some of the nation’s most pressing social challenges. The Nurse Family Partnership, a participant in today’s roundtable, is one example of a social impact partnership that connects registered nurses with low-income pregnant women to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Another roundtable participant, the Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation (HVAF), discussed their work helping homeless and at-risk veterans attain self-sufficiency and the growing need for veteran-centric substance abuse and mental health services. Tasha Phelps, the CEO of Phelco Technologies, Inc. highlighted her female-owned business, which does work with federal, state, and local governments, and policies that can benefit the business community in Indianapolis.

Click here for a full list of speakers from today’s roundtable. Click here for more information on the Fair Shot Agenda.

Senator Young will hold additional Fair Shot Agenda roundtables in Hammond on Wednesday and Fort Wayne on Thursday.

What they are saying:

“Shepherd is pleased to host the Senator today as he kicks off his Fair Shot Agenda. We appreciate his passion and his time spent hearing from communities across the state. His goals for this agenda align with Shepherd’s mission to break the cycle of poverty here on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis. By discussing opportunity, safety, and health in our community, we begin to address root issues of poverty, and solutions that empower our neighbors. We are grateful to participate in these meaningful conversations,” said Andrew Green, Chief Program Officer for the Shepherd Community Center.

“Nurse-Family Partnership, implemented by Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, is well-aligned to Senator Young’s Fair Shot Agenda, especially with regard to the key areas of health and opportunity. We appreciate his continued support and look forward to continuing the discussion of pursuing new opportunities to empower families and create better outcomes for children,” said Lisa Crane, Senior Director of the Nurse Family Partnership.

“Senator Young’s Fair Shot Agenda puts the focus where it needs to be…understanding needs and discovering innovative ways to break through the barriers to opportunity. This can be a game-changer for hurting individuals in Indiana,” said David Palmer, Director of Purposeful Design.

“I applaud the Senator’s focus on ensuring a fair shot for all Hoosiers. Most Hoosiers want to work hard and realize success, so this effort to be sure the cards are not stacked against them is very welcome,” said David Miner, Chair of Bread for the World’s Central Indiana Leadership Team

“At Lutheran Child and Family Services, we know that it takes a collaborative approach to create positive outcomes for our most needy families and children. We are looking forward to being part of Senator Young’s Fair Shot Agenda. It is always good to listen and learn,” said Sven Schumacher, Executive Director and CEO of Lutheran Child and Family Services.

“I am pleased to have been invited to ‘sit at the table’ with Senator Young and his Fair Shot Agenda discussions. As a small business owner for more than 20 years, I can attest to the fact that the approach Senator Young is taking to better understand the challenges of the small business community, will undoubtedly support economic growth in Indiana. As a Board member for several organizations in public safety, law and business ownership development, I hope to be of value to Senator Young by sharing information that will help him strategically address small business concerns. Together, I anticipate value-added service to the Indianapolis business community,” said Tasha Phelps, President and CEO of Phelco Technologies, Inc.

“Indiana University Health is pleased to have the opportunity to participate in Senator Young’s roundtable discussion regarding his Fair Shot Agenda. Working with our partner organizations, we welcome this meaningful dialog to reduce barriers to success so that we can improve the health of the patients and communities we serve,” said Indiana University Health.

“Career and Technical Education programs are preparing students for the workforce of tomorrow. Students of all backgrounds are developing academic, technical, and employability skills; while finding their path toward meaningful employment and life-long learning,” said Patrick Biggerstaff, Director of Area 31 Career Programs.

“We are deeply appreciative of the continued efforts to provide the care and resources our veterans have earned,” said Brian Copes, President and CEO of the Hoosier Veteran Assistance Foundation.