Where Hope Lives

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

Sometimes you get to do that.
But first…there may be a closet. 😂
Recently, volunteers helped us tackle our event closet.
Boxes pulled out.
Things sorted.
Things reorganized.

And probably at least a few moments of wondering why we owned something in the first place.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆? 𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗢 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽.

A lot of volunteering here looks like that.
Wiping windows.
Cleaning up the parking lot.
Painting a room.

Organizing a closet that someone on staff has been avoiding for longer than they'd like to admit. 😂

It’s not always the part people picture when they think about volunteering.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲’𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴.

And sometimes, the people who start by showing up for a service day keep showing up. They become familiar faces. Trusted partners. And over time, some of them get the opportunity to serve alongside our residents, too.

If you’ve been wanting to get involved, a service day is a pretty good place to start.
Come help us knock something off the to-do list.
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗼-𝗱𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁. 😂
https://wherehopelives.org/quarterly-volunteer-event-page

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱.

The hustle and bustle of the front lobby
The community
The places residents spend an ordinary Tuesday.

And honestly, some of our favorite conversations happen when someone comes through the doors and sees it for themselves.

We’ve met amazing partners.
Watched someone decide this was the place they needed to heal.
We’ve even had kids want to get involved.

No tour is exactly like the other, and we have had multiple people come on to multiple tours, always something new to learn

𝗦𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟮 𝗽𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀. Visit https://wherehopelives.org/take-a-tour

Today, we remember.

We remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, the families who were forever changed, and the brave first responders and everyday heroes who stepped forward in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

Twenty-five years later, we honor their memory by choosing to live with courage, compassion, and hope.

At Where Hope Lives, we believe that no matter what someone has walked through, their story is not over. We have the privilege of witnessing that truth every day as women discover healing, find their strength, and begin to believe in a new future.

Today, we pause to remember those we lost and to pray for the families and communities who still carry that loss.

May we never forget.
May we continue to choose hope.
And may we always remember the power of a life restored.

Never forgotten. Always remembered. 🇺🇸

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝟭𝟮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹?

A lot.
A safe bed.
Meals she doesn’t have to worry about.
Medical appointments.
Transportation.
Counseling.
Clothes.

𝗔 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲.

And, slowly, space to figure out who she is outside of what happened to her.

The Someone Project is a simple way to come alongside that healing through monthly sponsorship.

Not because one person has to fix everything.

But because healing takes time.

And steady support matters.

Your monthly gift joins with others to help provide the practical care girls and young women need as they recover and rebuild.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝟭𝟮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀, 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽? ❤️

Learn More at https://wherehopelives.org/someone-project

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴.

At first, they’re pretty practical.
Did you eat?
Do you need an appointment?
Do you have what you need today?

Then eventually someone gets to ask:

"𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁?"

And honestly, that can be a hard question.
School?
A career?
Her own place?
A family?
Something she hasn’t even figured out yet?

There’s no rush to have the perfect answer.

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.

And then having people around you willing to help figure out what comes next.

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹.

There’s a doctor’s office right here on our campus.

Yes, it’s there to take care of our residents’ health.

But even the way appointments happen there is intentional.

A resident gets to see the same person each time.

So when she walks through that door again, she doesn’t have to start from the beginning.

𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄.

They already know her.

They remember what they talked about last time.

And for women who may have missed out on learning about their own bodies when they were young, those appointments can also be a place to ask questions.

To understand what’s happening in her body.

To learn what’s healthy.

To learn what deserves attention.

To simply understand herself a little better.

That’s the thing about Where Hope Lives.

There’s a lot that happens here that might look ordinary from the outside.

But we try to be intentional with the little things.

Because sometimes healing is a doctor treating what hurts.

And sometimes healing is realizing...

𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲. ❤️

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆.

Toys on the floor.

Tiny shoes.

Probably at least one snack someone decided they absolutely did NOT want. 😂

And somewhere else on campus, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗺 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.

Maybe today’s class is easy.

Maybe today something comes up that isn’t.

Maybe she needs to cry without immediately wiping her face because somebody needs Mom.

Her little one is still right here.

Safe.

Close enough that she can pop in and check on them.

And for a little while, Mom gets to be the one being taken care of too. ❤️

If you’re a mom, you probably know how rare that can feel.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲?

𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.

Every summer, one of our residents would come out and take care of them.

She watered them.

Checked on them.

Learned what worked.

Learned what didn’t.

Sometimes she had to pull them up and start again.

And every year, she came back.

The sunflowers are gone now.

That little garden has started becoming part of our new childcare playscape — a space that will give moms on campus room to focus on their own healing while their little ones are safe nearby.

So the space looks different now.

But the story that grew there still matters to us.

Some things leave the garden and still keep growing. 🌻

We joke that when a resident first comes to Where Hope lives, she enters a "selfish era"
And we mean it in the best possible way.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀.

Dinner is handled.

She has somewhere safe to sleep.

There are people helping with appointments.

So she gets to start asking different questions.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱?

What makes me feel safe?

What boundaries do I need?

What do I actually want?

Sometimes those are surprisingly hard questions to answer when you’ve spent a long time surviving.

So for a little while, the assignment really can be that simple:

Take care of you.

And honestly, maybe we all need a tiny selfish era every once in a while. 😂

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂? 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. ❤️

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲.

What the campus sounds like between classes.

Where everyone gathers for coffee.

The rooms residents begin making their own.

The places where counseling, learning, laughter, and ordinary life happen every day.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀.

A tour isn’t a presentation.

It’s a chance to walk through the spaces, ask questions, and get a little closer to what daily life here actually looks like.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens beyond the front door, come take a walk with us.

Schedule a tour today: https://wherehopelives.org/take-a-tour