Meet Our Staff

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While born in Wisconsin, Warren Wade has lived in Indiana for 25 years, the last four of which have been in Bloomington.  He and his wife moved from Fort Wayne, where they had met in high school, to Indianapolis after they got married in 2004.  After graduating from Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis, they moved to Bloomington. 

Warren has been with Stepping Stones since 2007.  As Assistant Director, his job focuses primarily on fund development like special event planning, grant writing and connecting with the community.  Additionally, Warren is the bookkeeper, small-time handy man (at work and at home), administrative assistant and he is responsible for the IT of Stepping Stones.

While he doesn’t get to spend a whole lot of time with the residents, he enjoys working behind the scenes to ensure that they have the food, shelter, and staff that can help them successfully transition into adulthood. 

His education history includes a Bachelors of Arts in English, a minor in Religious Studies, a certification in American Humanics (now dubbed the NonProfit Leadership Alliance) and a certification in NonProfit Leadership.  He also has an Associates in Applied Science in Logistics from the Community College of the Air Force.  He currently serves as the President of the South Central Housing Network, a consortium of service providers, local government and community partners working to ensure that “everyone has stable, decent, and affordable housing.”  He also co-chairs Bloomington’s Homeward Bound Walk, a 5k walk for homelessness intervention and prevention. 

I joined Stepping Stones in September 2011 as the second Independent Living Coach.  Previously, I enjoyed working at Options, inc. and volunteering at various organizations around Bloomington while completing my major program.  While at Indiana University, I took advantage of the vast array of opportunities and designed my own major program to reflect my passion for social and health services.  Through the Individualized Major Program, I constructed a B.A. in International Health, while attaining a minor in Public Health and a certificate in Nonprofit Management through the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance.  My program of studies allowed me diverse contact within the community and university for an enriched academic program.  Living and working in Bloomington during my undergraduate studies has enriched my outlook on community and the opened my eyes to the capacities of working together.   I enjoy connecting community resources in ways that make sense for the citizens and fostering participation for an engaged community.  

Stepping Stones has been the perfect fit for my holistically minded approach and my passion for direct service.  I enjoy working one on one with the residents and connecting them to community resources to expand their personal networks.  Each day has something new to offer, and I am continually learning from each of the residents.  So far, my favorite part of the program is the once weekly all-organization meetings.  These evenings start off with a shared meal and guided discussions on successes and struggles of every one’s week.  During the three hour meeting, there is also allotted time for community members to come in and present, or for Stepping Stones to leave site and enjoy something different. 

Paula is a Chilean student at IU. She has been in Bloomington for over five years and before that lived in San Francisco for a few months. She is an amateur photographer and volunteers at WonderLab and at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.

Paula has been the RA at Stepping Stones since mid-April of 2011. Her job is to provide general oversight, support and care to residents serving as a role model and leader. She also has to make sure the apartments are being kept up and that residents are fulfilling their responsibilities.

Paula is very committed to contributing to the community she is part of. She is a fierce advocate for social justice and for three years worked for 'Un Techo para Chile', a Chilean non-profit organization that builds small wooden houses for homeless families. Working for Stepping Stones is a different approach to a similar problem.

She has a major in Biochemistry from Universidad de Chile, a strong chemistry background and is currently taking classes in the School of Education to become a licensed elementary school teacher.

I began my term of service as Health Coordinator at Stepping Stones in October of 2011. I am serving as an AmeriCorps member for the 2011 to 2012 term, and will be serving at Stepping Stones for the next 10 months.  As Health Coordinator, I have the honor of serving directly with the residents in efforts of improving their levels of physical education, knowledge of nutritional importance, and overall health and wellness.  I oversee the Be Active program, in which I engage in physical activities with the residents, including rock climbing, YMCA, bike rides, and other fun events. I also work one-on-one with the residents to teach them about the importance of nutritional value, food budgeting, and more.

I graduated from Indiana University in May of 2011 with Bachelors of Arts in Psychology, a certificate in Journalism, and a minor in Sociology. This past summer, I travelled to South Africa to volunteer as a health educator, which opened up a new and growing interest in health promotion and health policy.  I am excited to serve at Stepping Stones and am looking forward to see what this year will bring.

Favorite thing about Stepping Stones thus far?  Tuesday Night Meal/ Meeting because everyone, staff and residents, are together discussing current issues, providing feedback to one another, and sharing laughs and each other’s company

As a social work intern, I am lucky enough to work alongside the Independent Living Coaches in their efforts to support residents through education and employment support, health prevention, and goal setting. I am in my fourth year at Indiana University Bloomington and will graduate in May 2012 with a Bachelor in Social Work. My goal is to continue on to graduate school to obtain my MSW with a mental health concentration.

The environment at Stepping Stones is supportive and non-judgmental, which allows both residents and staff to continuously learn and grow. The residents at Stepping Stones teach me something new each day and inspire me to continue my social work education in order to become the best practitioner I can be.

I am a social work intern with Stepping Stones. I am currently a senior at IU studying to earn my Bachelors in Social Work. As an intern I will be working closely with the Independent Learning Coaches, but also gaining experience from each of the different staff positions. My position at Stepping Stones is a learning experience, and I am learning a lot from both the staff and the residents. 

I became drawn to working with youth and adolescents when I was a social work intern at an orphanage in the Dominican Republic during the summer of 2010. It was then that I learned that I enjoy watching young adults learn and grow. I will be at Stepping Stones for ten months, and I look forward to every second of my experience here.