Hope in Action

Women of Hope to Help Children and Teens Achieve Success

On Friday, March 22, more than 50 strong and compassionate women gathered for the inaugural luncheon for Women of Hope, a new women’s philanthropy circle to offer hope and opportunity to children and teens facing obstacles to their success. During the event held at Walter’s Restaurant in Claremont, potential new members had a chance to hear from several Hope through Housing leaders, including Director of Development, Alyssa Cotter, and her vision for Women of Hope. “I look forward to working with all of you,” Alyssa said, “as we continue to find new ways to address the needs of children and youth living in our communities. With your feedback and guidance, we will Build Bright Futures for our kids!”

A calendar of events for 2019 has already been established with exclusive social events and a signature fundraiser, Beauty, Bubbles, and Bites. All Women of Hope members have committed to a minimum annual contribution of $500, participation in quarterly meetings, and volunteering at Hope through Housing events.

Women of Hope’s first meeting will take place on Thursday, April 18 at 8:00 AM. For more information, please visit https://hthf.org/women-of-hope/ or reach Alyssa Cotter, Director of Development, at acotter@hthf.org or (909) 204-3446.

Building Bright Futures

Hope through Housing is thrilled to introduce a new name and logo for our Child and Youth Services initiative. “Building Bright Futures” captures the essence of our efforts aimed at preparing youth for a bright, fulfilling, productive and independent future.  Expanding our focus beyond a traditional after-school program, Hope is working to expand our focus on college and career readiness through new activities such as school success celebrations, career conversations, college-prep workshops, and scholarship support!

Building Bright Futures is designed to offer programs that address the academic and social needs of children living in poverty. In our communities, most families earn less than 80% of the area median income, 64% of our households are headed by single mothers, and 83% of our children qualify for free or reduced meals. Hope through Housing provides 30 onsite after-school programs within National CORE communities to help at-risk youth break the cycle of poverty, providing a safe, nurturing environment where children can thrive.

“The goal of Building Bright Futures is to instill the belief in children that all things are possible, sparking their imagination and inspiring them to dream despite financial hardships,” says Greg Bradbard, President of Hope through Housing.

In February, Hope through Housing introduced Career Conversations at four of its after-school programs, exposing children and teens to different career paths and giving them an opportunity to hear success stories from local business leaders. So far, children and teens have been introduced to business leaders from Wells Fargo, University of Redlands, Kaiser Permanente, Union Bank, Citizens Business Bank, New York Life, Bank of America, and Advanced Environmental Landscapes.

In just a short amount of time, these business leaders are having a lasting impact on our youth. To learn more about Career Conversations and opportunities to be a volunteer speaker, please contact Emily Ku at eku@hthf.org.

Business Leaders Inspire Local Youth with Career Conversations

Through Career Conversations, Hope through Housing is helping increase college and career readiness for children and teens by inviting local business leaders to share their education and career stories within select after-school programs. Many of our kids are from families who struggle to simply maintain safe housing and provide for basic needs. To make an impact in their lives, we know that additional assistance is needed to help them climb the economic ladder toward self-sufficiency.

To expose youth to college and career experiences outside their home, Hope through Housing recently launched Career Conversations on four Rancho Cucamonga affordable housing sites. In partnership with the West End YMCA, Hope through Housing is recruiting local business leaders to share their career and educational stories with students. Each month, youth in Hope through Housing’s after-school programs are learning about different colleges and possible career paths that they may not have considered before.

Twice monthly, a group of local business leaders visits students to talk about their career, other jobs in their industry, and educational pathways to their field of work. Youth learn the importance of continued education after high school – whether it be a vocational certificate or license, or a college degree.

“Speaking with the kids at Career Conversations was amazing,” reflected Malik Malory of Edward Jones. “Once they get their first job, I know they will remember me telling them to save money, work hard, and be all you can be.”

For more information on Career Conversations and Hope through Housing, please visit www.hopethroughhousing.org .

Teaming up with Saucony Run for Good Foundation to Launch Strides for Excellence

Hope through Housing is excited to announce that Saucony Shoes and their Run for Good Foundation has invested $10,000 to launch a new running program, Strides for Excellence, for youth ages 8 to 18 living in National CORE affordable housing communities in San Marcos. Through a new running club, youth will increase their exercise, build healthy habits, and learn leadership skills. The program will run from April to October and will help train our youth to be able to participate in the Solana Beach Sunset 5KRun/Walk & Wellness Expo.

At Hope through Housing, we strive to improve the health and well-being of at-risk youth, and programs like Strides for Excellence is a great way to engage children and teens. The Strides for Excellence program is designed to promote exercise and a healthy lifestyle. The purpose is to help our youth build strong bodies and minds, learn how to set goals, and create a passion for running. One of the components of the program focuses on leadership and is set up to identify potential youth leaders.

Brian Woods, Hope through Housing’s Regional Director for the San Diego area, is an avid and experienced runner. He will develop program activities, hold weekly facilitated meetings, group runs, and host sessions focused on health, nutrition, and self-development in partnership with several local organizations. “I am so excited to have the opportunity to help these kids discover the joys of running at an early age, and to see the developmental and learning elements of this program make a difference in shaping their futures,” Brian said. “The discipline, dedication, and mental strength they will develop as a runner will help them reach excellence in all areas of their lives.”

Thanks to Saucony’s generosity, participants will be provided with t-shirts, progressive rewards, supplies and expenses for healthy eating and cooking classes, materials/trainers for self-development courses, and quality shoes will be provided for those who cannot afford them. Saucony believes that “a good day is when we get to run, a great day is when we inspire someone else to run.”

To learn more about how you can get involved, please visit https://hthf.org/ways-to-give/.