StreetWise and H.O.P.E. partner to do more for single-parent families

Together we’re stronger. StreetWise believes this wholeheartedly, and so does partner H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Be Empowered).

H.O.P.E. Inc. was founded by CEO Kenita Smith in 2009, and what started with a few simple goals has become so much more.

“Like me, Ms. Kenita was a single mom herself. She saw a need with single parents who were working but didn’t meet the qualifications for financial assistance through the government for health insurance or food stamps,” said Danielle Hodge, program director at H.O.P.E. 

“She wanted to create a program to provide housing and child care assistance for single, working moms and dads of all ages who are in school and have children living with them. That’s how it started, and now we do a lot of other things, too.”

Chasity — a H.O.P.E. program participant — with her son, Travion who received H.O.P.E.’s $1,000 Next Generation Scholarship. (Scholarships are awarded to the dependents of those in the H.O.P.E. program who pursue a 2 or 4-year degree after high school.)

For parents currently enrolled in school, H.O.P.E. provides up to $400 per month for both childcare and housing, as well as $250 grocery cards and $150 gas cards. The program also offers free tutoring and counseling services, both for participants and their children.

In addition, H.O.P.E. sets parents up with a financial advisor, who they meet with monthly to help them navigate getting out of debt, understand their spending habits, and create emergency savings.

The organization also partners with various organizations to meet additional needs such as food and clothing, provide laundry services, and more.

By supporting families throughout the parent’s entire education, H.O.P.E. creates deep relationships with its participating families. “They become almost like family to us,” Danielle said.

StreetWise understands: need knows no gender, age or race. H.O.P.E has the same philosophy, serving single parents outside of the expected “young” age range.

“The average age of our program participants is between 30 and 45 — a lot of these parents are going back to school to pursue a degree, or some have gone through a divorce and are transitioning from being at home to coming back to work.”

H.O.P.E.’s unique programming also includes a yearly event, for which StreetWise turned out to be a perfect partner.

“During the summer, we hold a back-to-school drive for the kids in our program,” she said. “This year, Ms. Kenita mentioned that StreetWise had partnered with H.O.P.E. in the past to provide some school supply items. I was able to get in touch with Tracy, and then we went from there.”

Not only did StreetWise provide the needed supplies for this drive; it also stepped into a new partnership — one that’s sure to bless families above and beyond.

“We have quite a few participants with needs outside of our scope of service, and we’ve been looking for organizations to partner with to help meet these needs,” Danielle said. “For participants with needs StreetWise can meet, we encourage them to sign up as clients through StreetWise.”

This cross-organizational relationship will provide more assistance to single parents in need of further assistance with food, clothing, counseling, prayer and even outreach for their teenage kids.

Chasity and family with Danielle receiving her car from Heirborn Servants.

One family’s story stood out to Danielle — summarizing why H.O.P.E. exists and why partnerships are so vital to their work.

“One of our participants has two sons — one of whom has special needs and a very rare medical disorder, so she was already going to doctor’s appointments on a regular basis. But after totalling her car, she had no form of transportation,” she said. “We worked directly with an organization in Gwinnett called Heirborn Servants to provide her with a car. Before graduating with her degree this June, she secured a job working in the IT field. 

“To see her having gone from addiction, homelessness and temporarily losing custody of her children to now see her thriving — that’s all we want.”

This mission to help the entire family is exactly what StreetWise desires for its clients, too.

“H.O.P.E.’s program is very unique and completely aligns with StreetWise’s “Teach them how to fish” vision and mission toward self-sufficiency,” said Tracy Joseph, executive director and CEO of StreetWise.

“H.O.P.E. does incredible programming for single parents in college, bringing them resources to succeed in getting their degree while caring for their children. Thank you, H.O.P.E. for the work you are doing to bring success to people who are trying so hard to improve their lives. It’s truly inspiring!”