Hope Inc.

Media Stories

Local Woman Founds Charity To Help Single Parents Graduate University

More than 30 single parents have graduated from the program

Carson writes, Smith knew there were countless single parents like her who wanted to graduate college and have a fulfilling career, but were struggling with housing, childcare, and other financial borders. In 2009, she founded HOPE Inc, or Helping Other People be Empowered. The nonprofit helps single parents working toward an associates or bachelor's degree by providing monetary assistance for housing and childcare, social services, counseling, and financial planning.

Breaking The Cycle Of Poverty For Single Parents And Their Children (2)

More than 30 single parents have graduated from the program

H.O.P.E. is taking down the barriers and shattering the myths about what single parents can achieve. Your Tango writes, Do you know the saying “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”? I take that phrase to mean that our children are greatly influenced by our own choices, personalities and situation in life. So, what does that mean for low-income families and single parents? Does it mean that those children are destined to remain stuck in that situation without any means of creating better opportunities? I sure hope not considering the increasing income disparity in the United States which would keep more and more parents and children stuck in an endless loop of poverty. So, how do we break that cycle? One tried and true method is education. As so wisely said by Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” And yet, access to education isn’t as easy as it used to be, especially as a single parent. And I know as a divorce coach and single mom myself, there isn’t equal opportunity in this country.

The Best Donor Thank You Note I Have Ever Received

Vashon”

This is the best thank you note I’ve ever gotten. I’m a monthly donor for HOPE Inc, (Helping Other People be Empowered) https://hopbe.org, and it is written by a participant. It made me stay a donor to them.

What makes it special? First of all, read it. It says,

“I pray this note finds you in your heart. I would like to thank you for all that you have done for me. Your giving and support has helped keep a roof over our heads. We faced eviction at least five times. I was a single father of two, working full time and going to school. I didn’t give up and it was because of beautiful souls like yourself who bless people. You blessed my family beyond measures.

Happy Holidays

How To Triple Your Nonprofits Revenue Every Year

What is the secret to tripling your revenue for your nonprofit?

I am interviewing Kenita Pierce-Lewis, the President and founder of H.O.P.E. Inc, Helping Other People Be Empowered.

Why did you start your nonprofit?

The mission of HOPE Inc is close to my heart because it’s my own personal story. I started out as a single parent in college with two young boys, and there wasn’t a lot of support for me, so as I completed my degree, which took me ten years. And still after ten years there was not a lot of support for single parents. I ended up touching a lot of people and we ended up being able to help a lot of single parents achieve their academic goals.

Young Duluth Based Nonprofit Sees Growth

DULUTH — Since its formation in 2009, Helping Other People Be Empowered, an up-and-coming nonprofit based in Duluth, has grown faster than its founder imagined.

“We went from $11,000 the year before in donations to having two foundation grants and tripling our revenue,” founder Kenita Pierce-Lewis said about 2013. “Before I knew it, I received $50,000 from them and then grants started pouring into our organization.” Read More

The Role We Play In The Poverty Level

While reading an article by the Associated Press concerning the fact that nearly Half of the American population is at, or below poverty level, I ran across a comment by a man convinced that the poverty level directly correlates to the education level of the citizens suffering from it.

While this idea definitely has its relevance, the writer seemed to have indirectly implied that there are no other factors involved in the economic welfare of individuals (or he just failed to mention these factors.)

Duluth Resident Founds New Nonprofit

DULUTH -- Melodie Nelson needed help. As a single mother of two young girls with the desire to attend college, she searched high and low for affordable childcare while she took classes.

"I looked all over the Internet -- all of the places were dead ends," the Lawrenceville resident said. "But then I found (H.O.P.E.) online while looking and I've been a part of their program since the fall of 2011."

Communicate Good Blog On Founder Of H.O.P.E, Inc, Kenita Pierce-Lewis

Last month, I wrote a piece about John Leonard, the accomplished, 50-something nonprofit  professional who today is navigating an unforgiving job market. The post generated a lot of comments, mostly from John’s former co-workers, who wanted to go on record with positive character references and words of support for him. I was blown away by the outpouring of support on this site and recently learned that John was able to land a few key meetings as a result of the post. Nice!