Sugar Rush Was a Success! -

Sugar Rush was a wonderful time to promote Community of Hope! It was a great kick off for the ongoing support of the Community of Hope. The community came together to learn more about who we are and what we are all about and built relationships among those who will support our residents! Here are some pictures from the event!

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Cathe Weise of My Father’s House shared her experience of reaching out to families in ways similar to what the Community of Hope will do. She emphasized that they help families take responsibility for themselves, not doing for them anything they can do for themselves. This support and encouragement helps enable a large percentage of them to overcome the barriers that they have to providing stable homes for their children. Her stories of the relationships she built with the families they serve touched her listeners. The gift of forming loving relationships is a blessing to every volunteer there.

Pastor Kelly Cohoe shared his story of learning the needs of his congregation when he asked them what they would like to hear him preach about. He was amazed to hear that one in four families were more concerned about their housing than theological issues. The passage from Isaiah 58:6-9 came alive for him as he saw the need to share genuine love with his brothers and sisters that were poor. He gave a brief history of the Community of Hope and explained what we are planning to do. Kelly ended with a story of a family in his congregation that came to him last week that is being evicted and has not place to go. Seeing his heart, broken in concern for this family and every family who does not have a place to go, moved the hearts of his listeners too. Those that attended made generous commitments to support us both financially and by volunteering. Some gave out of the little they had and others were able to make monthly pledges that will support the ongoing work of the Community of Hope. All were able to volunteer to help in some way to support the families we will serve. Because of their dedication, lives will be changed!

When these things are in place, we can open for our first residential community and begin to address the needs of the many homeless families in North Portland, a few at a time.

Thank you to our community sponsors! Trinity Academy provided child care, St. John’s Starbucks provided the coffee, and many local businesses and churches provided our extravagant desserts!