New Garden and Deck
The finished product: our beautified garden
Our new garden and deck were created by than 40 adults and students gathered at Hope House to work in our garden area planting flowers, clearing out weeds, and building a beautiful deck area. Twenty adults from CBRE Cares attended, and the organization donated all of the material we used as well
Transforming Joy: Light in the Darkness
The biggest perk in my job is that I get to see lives change. Before families arrive at Community of Hope, they are highly stressed. Some are sleeping in cars or at a shelter packed in like sardines or in unsafe homes with abusers or well-meaning friends who are strained with the family living in their living room. When they move in, the children are so glad to have their own room and a real bed. That certainly happened with Joy’s family. The adults form friendships and begin to heal from past trauma. They face past demons and make and meet goals as the future becomes hope.
Becoming the Village: Dream Becomes Reality
Community of Hope was just a dream when I was hired in 2012. With the support of several churches in North Portland, the community of people, churches, businesses, and agencies championing our efforts grew. Once we opened in 2014, the village of people that it would take to make Community of Hope a successful program expanded exponentially.
Help this village continue to grow. Be a part of our growing community making a difference in the lives of so many families by donating to Community of Hope today.
Epidemic of Homelessness Creates a Sea of Suffering
I keep getting phone calls. People know we are full and still they hope. I hear story after story of desperate families. “The shelter is overflowing.” “There is no good place to go.” “Where can me and my kids sleep tonight?”
“As a family advocate I work with many homeless families, visiting them in restaurants or on the streets as they carry their children and all their belongings packed in a stroller or live out of their cars… Knowing that there is a place where families will be valued and respected and given tools to make significant life changes is huge and makes all the difference when you work in what sometimes seems to be a sea of suffering. Tru Tate, Lifeworks Family Advocate
A Journey of Hope: Joy’s Story
Joy’s journey started out to be very difficult. “I had no security, bouncing around between family and friends. I was in and out of jobs because I didn’t have stable transportation. It was very stressful. I was afraid I would never find a place to live because of my eviction background and because I didn’t have a stable job, which made life that much harder.”
Joy is a single mom. She had her first child in high school, then a second. She worked hard to be a good mom, finish school, and make a life for herself and her children. She struggled to find a good relationship, wanting to be loved and successful. But the deck seemed to be stacked against her.