Description
The framework for the H.O.P.E initiative was started in 1998 by Eric & Evelyn Dobson officially organized in 2005; and is grounded in the Back to School Bash. The Back to School Bash is an annual event that is held to relieve some of the financial burdens of back to school costs. According to studies by the National Retail Federation, families spend over $513.07 PER CHILD on their back to school purchases. Over $205 was allocated for school clothing alone, with an additional $89 spent on shoes and $82 for school supplies. With the costs on the rise, we are attempting to alleviate some of the pressure to our communities by offering, via the "Back to School Bash," free school clothing, school supplies, and haircuts, in addition to other fun and practical activities for our neighbors.
In addiction to providing for "back to school" needs, we provide our neighbors with cultural diversity awareness, health screenings and fire prevention activities. We are working in tandem with community resources such as Family First, WIC, and the local police and fire departments to provide valuable education to the community. All of the aforementioned events are offered free of charge.
Through surveys and research, we discovered the need to continue our efforts on a daily basis along with our annual event. The H.O.P.E. initiative seeks to promote unity within the community, which will foster a nurturing environment for healthy families, and healthy communities.
H. O. P. E. Initiative H ealthy Communities/Healthy Youth Initiative - HCHY is part of a large national movement that seeks to unite individuals, organizations, and their leaders to join together in nurturing competent, caring, and responsible children and youth. Opportunities - Community Outreach seeks to empower, encourage, and connect staff with youth in the community who are at risk to avoid negative behaviors. Our street program's purpose is prevention, and to provide opportunities for youth to receive legal advice, tutoring and homework support, job training, referral services in areas of substance abuse and mental health services.
P roject Helping Hands - Our commitment to fight poverty: it is the right of every individual to have a place to lay their head, food for nourishment, and a sense of hope for the future. Project Helping Hands seeks to accomplish this through programs such as: Meals on Wheels, Aid for Friends, Food Pantry, Feeding the Homeless and future plans of residential facilities to provide emergency housing.
E ducation - After School programs:understand the importance of the many different areas of education such as intellectually, psychologically, emotional, and understand the environmental concerns of today. Education is one of the keys to valuing and embracing human rights. Our after school programs focuses on academic enrichment, Personal skills development, Enrichment activities and community involvement. Our goal is to provide leadership in literacy training, violence prevention, promoting self-esteem, positive values, scholarships and training individuals in the asset-development.
"I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, other-centered men can build up." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
