What We Do
Hope and a Home brings an intensive, multifaceted response to address the heart of what is perpetuating poverty with each individual family. Using one-on-one coaching and peer support, our parents and children build on their aspirations and strengths to achieve permanent housing, higher education, rewarding work, and valuable connections to their community.
What We Have Achieved
Hope and a Home is proud to report the following outcomes for 2011:
- The Transitional Housing program served 23 families, including 24 adults and 60 children;
- Due to their unwavering persistence, despite a difficult economy, 88% (21 of 24) of Hope and Home parents were employed during 2011. The remaining 12.5% were enrolled in full-time GED or vocational training programs;
- This year 2 parents were enrolled in college, 2 were enrolled in vocational training and 3 were enrolled in a college preperatory program;
- In partnership with Housing Counseling Services, 14 adults received financial counseling;
- Mental health counseling was provided to 5 adults;
- Of the 9 families that graduated, 5 moved into market-rate housing and 4 moved into subsidized units;
- Our Higher Education For All (HEFA) program provided essential educational assessment and advocacy services to 116 children (47 from transitional housing, 63 program graduates, 3 from our neighborhood and 3 from our partnership with Sinai House);
- Of the 44 children who participated in Good Grades Incentive Program, 36 consistently earned a 2.5 or better grade point average;
- HEFA staff advocated for and enrolled 80 children in good-performing schools--including 24 in private schools, 10 of whom were in special education settings;
- HEFA enrolled 18 people in college, 5 of whom were parents;
- HEFA's work was supported by 42 volunteer mentors and 6 volunteer tutors;
- Work & Thrive trained and placed 19 teens in summer employment both through the city's Summer Youth Employment Program and with local businesses;
- Work & Thrive provided individualized mentoring, tutoring, and life skills training to 5 high potential/high risk youth during the school year;
- Work & Thrive took 13 teens on college tours in Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania;
- This year, 1 Work & Thrive teen completed his first year of college and 1 entered City Year; and
- Work & Thrive enrolled 5 teens into the Everfi financial literacy program.
For more results, see our annual report.
Where We're Going
Heading forward, our short-term goals include:
- Expanding our capacity to provide specialized services in the areas of mental health, job readiness, after school enrichment, testing and tutoring;.
- Working to give all Hope and a Home parents and children the opportunity to attend college or a vocational program with help from our Mike Young Educational Fund;
- Integrating 6 new families into our rigorous Transitional Housing Program;
- Continuing our phased renovation schedule in 5 units that will make each more energy and cost efficient;
- Expanding our partnership with Sinai House to include 3 families; and
- Providing year-round tutoring, mentoring, life-skills training, and summer employment our youth.
These are our key milestones we look forward to achieving in the months and years ahead. They do not limit our ambitions.
Home and a Home VIDEO links
Monthly Workshop "Paying for Higher Education"
Learn more about our life-changing programs from Hope and a Home families and staff.
Client Testimonial - meet Corrine and David: 2008 Hope and a Home graduates.
