Not All Heroes Wear Capes

The Incredibles. Thor. Spiderman. Iron Man. Wonder Woman. Batman. Black Panther. By now you may be wondering why all the superheroes, but why not? Superheroes possess abilities that the average person doesn’t.  Superheroes go above and beyond for the greater good of humanity. Are you a superhero? On October 2nd we are summoning all the superheroes to answer the call in Duluth, GA. The work of a superhero never ceases. On this day, we will go on an adventure to do some great work for the non-profit organization Hope Inc  (Helping Other People Be Empowered).

Can we count on you to answer the call? 

Yes, you! The one who is reading this ask. The one who has a heart to give of their time, resources, and financial support to aide single moms in college, the superhero!

This year we are gearing up with our favorite superhero costumes to participate in the 8th annual Deon Lewis Memorial 5K Run at McDaniel Farm Park. Superheroes with all sorts of powers will assemble to walk for HOPE.

Are You Ready to Answer the Call?

  • Ready to help, but not run the 3.5 miles? Remember not all heroes wear capes! Click here to give a donation in the name of the Deon Lewis Memorial. This will continue to support single moms working to attain a college degree to break the cycle of poverty.
  • Ready to dress up in your favorite superhero gear and run for the cause? Click here to register yourself or a group. The cost is $25 per person. Each registered person will receive a goodie bag with a colorful, high quality HOPE Hero T-Shirt.
  • Ready to run, but you’re not in the area? Click here to join us virtually any time from September 18th – 30th to answer the call. We encourage all superheroes far and wide, near and far to answer the call. The cost is $25 per person.
  • Ready to share the call with someone who you think can help? Mobilize any personal superheroes in your life to assist with this tremendous request.

Are one of these you? Let’s Answer the call!

New Scholarships for the Next Generation of Success

We’re excited to announce two new scholarship programs: the Next Generation scholarship and the Deon Lewis Legacy scholarship. These new awards focus on the children of our single-parent graduates, helping to inspire the next generation to break the cycle of poverty and alter their families for generations to come. 

Next Generation Scholarship

  • Five $1,000 rewards for children of our single parent graduates
  • Scholarship for students graduating high school with plans for college. 

Deon Lewis Legacy Scholarship

Your donations have changed the lives of our single mothers and fathers for years, indirectly impacting their children through mentoring, tutoring, and the stability of their households. 

Now you can impact them directly! 

They say it takes six to fifteen generations to break the cycle of poverty in the black community. These scholarships and your donations are key tools in that fight. YOU are helping to turn lives around!

We did it! (Thanks to donors like you)!

As you may remember from our February post featuring single mom Ruby, she only had two semesters left of her bachelor’s degree when her scholarship funding ran out. Ruby worked so hard to get to this point, studying and raising a child by herself after being diagnosed with cancer, and learning that her four-year-old son had autism.

We simply couldn’t let her dream of graduating college (and raising both herself and her child out of poverty) slip away. Thanks to your generosity, we don’t have to.

Over these past few weeks, your donations have helped us pay the minimum balance Ruby needed to register for her next semester—  which was an incredible $11,098, and ensure that she’ll finally be able to finish school.

Despite every roadblock, Ruby is set to go back to school and finish those final two semesters of her bachelor’s degree, and it’s all thanks to you.

About HOPE

Here at HOPE, we’re a small team of only two full-time employees, dedicated to helping single parents of Metro Atlanta through education. Our program plays a key role in social justice by ensuring that our participants, 95% of whom are African American, are able to obtain their college degrees and secure future wealth, opportunities, and privileges in our society.

Help This Single Mom Finish Her Bachelor’s Degree

—Have you ever felt stuck on your journey towards better things? Well H.O.P.E is helping single parents all over metro Atlanta overcome this “stuck” feeling, especially when it comes to finishing school.

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In fact, one of our current students— a single mom named Ruby, has been working tirelessly over the past few years to finish her Bachelor’s degree. Her most recent obstacle? Running out of student aid at her school.

Ruby has done all she could to get through school, but after losing her R.O.T.C scholarship due to her weight, being diagnosed with cancer, and learning that her four-year-old son has autism, her dream of completing a college education felt so far away.

We’re proud to have served so many hard-working single parents in Metro Atlanta, and we’re always looking to do more. We believe that the success of our program is largely due to our holistic approach, and the time we spend making sure each participant has what they need to succeed.

As a small team of only two full-time employees, we’re working hard every day to meet the needs of our participants— and we always appreciate the extra help.

Donate now 

With only two semesters left until Ruby completes her Bachelor’s in Technology (something which will benefit both her and her son), we’re determined to see her through.

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But we need your help. In order to support Ruby as she realizes her dream of graduating college, we’ve set up this Global Giving page. Let’s make sure Ruby can finish out these last two semesters once and for all.

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Any donation you make will help us to continue our mission of HOPE: to empower, encourage, and equip working single parents like Ruby throughout our community, allowing them to provide a better life for themselves, their children, and generations to come.

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Make a donation

Thank you for all you do to continue giving HOPE to our community. 

Sincerely, 

Team H.O.P.E

H.O.P.E Founder: My Fight With Breast Cancer

In October I was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.

Most of you were unaware, but not only was I striving to keep providing resources for our participants and to stay alive through a pandemic— but I was also fighting breast cancer.

If you know my story, you know that five years ago I lost my late husband to bladder cancer. It was the hardest time of my life fighting that battle with him. Many of you fought with me and my sons and helped us put the pieces back when he finally passed away.

With the grace of God, after a couple of years, it felt like we were being restored as a family. I’d remarried, had a beautiful baby boy, and H.O.P.E was growing more than ever. I had begun to gain excitement about the future, but that was all interrupted when I noticed some changes after I stopped breastfeeding my son.

I did my due diligence and went to a doctor to check it out (two to be exact), and was told each time that it was probably nothing serious— just me still producing milk. I felt I needed to schedule my annual mammogram to make sure. So, I did. Even the tech that day seemed unimpressed by what I showed her and my concerns. However, further testing and a biopsy would show that my concerns were valid.

kenita

On October 6, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Many of you participated in our virtual run around that time and watched me present an award video without any signs of struggle. But I was struggling. I’d come face-to-face with my most feared diagnosis. My grandmother died at 45 from this disease and my aunt passed in her early 50’s. All kinds of things went through my mind, as I kept wondering, how could I tell my boys that we were going through this again? I hurt for them, my husband, and my family. Yet, the show had to go on. We had families that needed us, and if you know me personally, you know that I didn’t waste time feeling sorry for myself.

After several consultations, I decided upon a double mastectomy. I had the surgery last month and just returned to work last week. I am proud to say that I am CANCER FREE and did not require any chemo or radiation. The prescription was a healthy lifestyle. So, some of you may be wondering why I would share something so personal with you?

Well, I often tell people that we are a team. You have been on team HOPE for quite some time, and if ever you proved it, you showed me, even more, a week ago. If you remember my last email, I wrote about some hate mail we received. I received news of those letters, while I was healing from surgery and your responses blessed me tremendously.

Help H.O.P.E 

Can you imagine going through what I was already enduring and reading something like that? It was hurtful and disgusting, but you turned something hateful into something positive. 
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You sent us positive cards to let us know that our work is making a difference, and you encouraged me to keep going. You even sent donations and some of you became monthly donors for the first-time. It was AMAZING! We call them letters of HOPE because that’s what you gave us. 
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I thank you from the bottom of my heart for every card and donation we received. I encourage those of you who want to do something but don’t know what to do, to take a few minutes to write a letter of encouragement to either me, our participants, or Board Members and send it to P.O. Box 3166, Duluth, GA 30096. You never know what people are going through and your note could make someone’s day brighter.

Become a monthly donor

Thank you for all you do!
Sincerely,
Kenita
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H.O.P.E trumps HATE

Immediately following the elections, H.O.P.E received two of the most appalling and degrading letters in the history of our organization. In over 11 years of serving the greater Atlanta community, we’ve never received racially-driven hate mail of any kind, so imagine how shocked, hurt, and angry we were when we read what was written.

We wanted to share these letters with you, not to encourage division, but to let our H.O.P.E family know that your continued support ensures that our single parents, who are 95% African-American, can never be categorized as “lazy”, “unemployed”, or “uneducated”.

You have given us and our students the power to combat this ignorance— and the insight to be affected by these incidents only insofar as they fuel our mission and make us even more determined to succeed in this all-important work.

Donate now!

During President Joe Biden’s inauguration, we were reminded again of what it means to be fighting for the single parents raising the next generation of Americans— and no one can explain it better than poet laureate Amanda Gorman in her reading of ‘The Hill We Climb’:

“We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour, but within it, we found the power to author a new chapter, to offer hope and laughter to ourselves so while once we asked, how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe? Now we assert, how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?

We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be a country that is bruised, but whole, benevolent, but bold, fierce, and free. We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation. Our blunders become their burdens. But one thing is certain, if we merge mercy with might and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change our children’s birthright.”

Donate now!

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for all the ways you continue giving HOPE to our community.
Sincerely,
Team H.O.P.E

 “For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” 
– Amanda Gorman, January 20, 2021

#GivingTuesday: Join Us In Honor of GA Gives Day

“We couldn’t have done it without you,” is something we hear a lot at H.O.P.E. And while the success of our single-parent graduates is owed in large part to their hard work and dedication, we know how much that extra bit of support really meant.

From helping them find childcare to arranging for rent assistance, and even just being there along the way if things get tough. We’re proud to say that we’ve helped over 70 single parents in Atlanta graduate from four-year colleges, with many of them able to double their incomes as a result.

Help Us Do More

And while we’re grateful for all that we’ve been able to achieve (with the support of donors like you!), we’re always looking to do more. In the spirit of this season of giving, and in honor of Georgia Gives Day (12/1) on #GivingTuesday, we’re asking again for your support.

By giving as little as $10, you can help us open a savings account for a single parent. If you’re able to donate $25, you’ll pay for one of our participants to receive personal finance training. Larger donations will help us secure things like counseling for our single-parent students, or even allow us to pay for a full week of childcare, or a month of rent assistance.

We’re dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty in our community, one single parent at a time. Help us meet our goal this #GivingTuesday (12/1) by making a donation to our holistic program that’s changing the lives of parents and children in Atlanta.

Help us help them!

About HOPE

Here at HOPE, we’re dedicated to helping single parents of Metro Atlanta through education.
Our program plays a key role in social justice by ensuring that our participants, 95% of whom are African American, are able to obtain their college degrees and secure future wealth, opportunities, and privileges in our society.

There’s Still Time… to Join Our Virtual 5k & Earn Your Free Swag!

To join our first EVER Virtual 5K Run and score some of this awesome swag! Register by October 7th to get outside and make a difference with your family and friends.

Even though we can’t run together this year, that doesn’t mean you and your family and friends can’t do something fun together— like taking part in our first ever Virtual 5K!

Join Us!

This year we’ll be calling up our favorite people and inviting them to join us (anytime between September 21 and October 7) for a Virtual 5k. Not only will it allow you to get out (and chat with your family or friends on video), but the proceeds also go towards a great cause— helping single parents in Metro Atlanta get their college degrees, aka HOPE!

The best part? It’s only $10 to sign up.

How it Works

Step 1:  Register!

Step 2: Send a note to your friend or family members, like this one:

Hey, I miss you! Want to do a virtual 5K together sometime between Sept 21st and Oct 7th? It would be great to walk and talk, while also raising money for the single-parent families of HOPE Inc. Interested? Let’s try it! Here’s the link to sign up.

Step 3: Between Sept 21st and October 7th, complete your walking Virtual 5k while chatting on your favorite app (Zoom, What’s App, House Party, Skype…you name it)!

As you walk, you and your friends can also use our It’s Your Run app. From the app, you’ll be able to upload your pictures and videos, plus keep track of your time and distance!

Virtual 5k runner and her FREE swag!

Virtual 5k runner and her FREE swag!

The Swag

Once registered, you’ll get instructions for picking up your Swag Bag, which includes a customized face mask, hand sanitizer, and a wristband.

Want even more swag? You can also order one of our custom Virtual 5K T-Shirts for just $25. This year, they’ll be promoting our chosen theme:

“And the three of these remain, Faith, Hope, and Love.”

By joining our virtual event, you’ll also be eligible for these awesome prizes:

  • $25 Amazon gift card to the first five people that set up a fundraising page and make their goal by October 5, 2020

  • $100 Amazon gift card to the person who raises the most money for the event

We’ve lost a lot this year, but there’s still so much we can do. We hope you’ll join us and spend some time outside catching up with loved ones, and supporting the important work we’re doing for our single parent students.

Join us, get outside, and make a difference!

With love,

The HOPE Inc. Team

About HOPE

Here at HOPE, we’re dedicated to helping single parents of Metro Atlanta through education.

Our program plays a key role in social justice by ensuring that our participants, 95% of whom are African American, are able to obtain their college degrees and secure future wealth, opportunities, and privileges in our society.

Join Our Team This Football Season: Team HOPE

This season you might not be able to watch your children play sports, or sit outside with your friends while your favorite football team scores the final touchdown. You might not be gathering together for that awesome pre-game party or the delicious food at the tailgate. Even that post-Thanksgiving game of flag football in your backyard might not happen this year.

COVID-19 has probably taken away your ability to coach, cheer, and even be your family’s best Sunday-afternoon quarterback. But that doesn’t mean it’s taken away your ability to be a part of a team: Team H.O.P.E.

How I Won The Game With Team H.O.P.E.

My name is Latiffa, and I’m a current H.O.P.E. participant. I have a lot to be thankful for this year, because of people like you. Because of your donation, I was able to get the counseling and mentorship I needed to improve my life and advance my career. Because of your support for H.O.P.E. and its mission, I know I’m not alone.

In 2019, H.O.P.E. came to me in the form of a lifeline. It had been four years since I moved from New York to Atlanta to create a better life for myself and my daughter. Not only am I the epicenter of my family, but I am my daughter’s world— her only parent.
I began working three jobs and going to school. The hard work and stress seemed like the right thing…until it wasn’t. Bills piled up and I had to make the incredibly hard decision to quit school
in lieu of better pay so that I could help my mother and brother, both of whom had been diagnosed with cancer years prior.

To make matters worse, my grandmother became sick and my uncle was struggling as well. I am my family’s caretaker: the reliable one, the dependable one, the one “most likely to succeed”. I thought that I could never share my struggles, but my world was caving in. I had a job, but couldn’t pay my bills. I was applying for schools that I would never be able to attend. I was afraid of becoming homeless. I was scared of becoming worthless to my family and my daughter. The last good fight I had in me was to find out how to get help with rent, get myself back into school, and find services to heal a newly formed tension between me and my daughter. I didn’t know what I was looking for at the time, but I found the answers in H.O.P.E.

H.O.P.E. quickly helped me find temporary rental assistance, access to school grants and scholarships, and resources to sell my car and get a better one. They also helped me manage my other expenses, ease my stress, and strengthen my relationships with my family. The best part? They never once made me feel like I was getting a handout – it was an opportunity, a lifeline.

Through counseling, a career mentor, and access to resources, H.O.P.E. helped me to get back on track. I was able to find the champion within myself and get back to school and excel in a budding career in Human Resources. When my mother’s health deteriorated, a former H.O.P.E. graduate purchased buddy pass tickets so that I could fly first-class to see her.
As I see it, if you’re going to invest in a worthy cause, this is it…H.O.P.E. To serve just one single parent (the way they helped me) costs $4,582.50 per year. Their goal this year is to serve 20 parents.

So will you join our team?

What I’m asking you to do today is to help me take this ball down the field to score another touchdown for a single parent who’s afraid, discouraged, and hanging on by a thread. Help us all by supporting H.O.P.E. with a year-end gift.

Pick your team title:

Cheerleader: $100
Player: $250
Coach: $500 or more
Team Owner: $1,000 or more

Every team has players, coaches, cheerleaders and fans. Donate today and join our team…take another single parent, like me, to the Superbowl!

Sincerely,
Latiffa A.
Proud member of Team H.O.P.E.

P.S. If you haven’t already done so, please like and follow H.O.P.E.’s Facebook page— where I’ll be hosting a live event in November.

Run With Us, Enter to Win Big Peach Co. Shoes!

Wanna win a brand new pair of running shoes?

We’re excited to announce that this year for our annual Neon Deon 5K Run (happening September 21- October 7‬) we’ll be partnering up with one of Atlanta’s top fitness stores— Big Peach Running Co.!

In honor of the event, Big Peach Running Co. will be generously donating a FREE pair of shoes to one lucky runner, a $150 value!

So how do you win?

LIKE, FOLLOW, and then TAG two people on either the H.O.P.E, Inc. (Helping Other People be Empowered) page, or this Neon Deon page AND Big Peach Running Co. – Suwanee or Big Peach Running Co. – Brookhaven to qualify for a FREE pair of shoes from Big Peach Running Co.

The opportunity ends September 16 at 11:59pm EST. The winner will be announced ‪on September 18!