At Hope through Housing, volunteers are critical to our success. With their help, we are able to leverage our resources, allowing us to reach more residents and have a greater impact.
As we near the end of National Volunteer Week, we would like to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation for all that our volunteers do to support our children, families, and seniors. They play a vital role in our organization at all levels, starting with our Board of Directors, ELC Members, and Women of Hope.
Together, we are able to transform the lives of our residents and the communities we serve.
“Hope through Housing is changing lives,” said Rhonda Keliipio, a Women of Hope volunteer. “The mission of giving people the tools to get back on their feet and break free from generational poverty – I just knew from the core of my being that this is where I needed to try and make a difference.”
Our volunteers assist us in countless ways. They lead exercise classes and bingo nights for our senior residents, repaint community rooms, and help us put on special events and celebrations. They help us host food, clothing, school supply, and toy drives, and work with our residents to expand career ambitions and financial literacy. During the pandemic, volunteers helped us quickly adapt to distribute food and gifts to our seniors to keep them socially distanced, healthy, and thriving.
In just this week, 45 volunteers spent 87 hours volunteering for our cause. Volunteers from Comerica and US Bank hosted bilingual financial education seminars for our residents and their teenage children to open pathways to economic empowerment, while volunteers from Target honored Earth Day by distributing houseplants and notes of encouragement to our senior residents.
As a volunteer, Rhonda has been a great mentor for our students. She’s helped with our after-school programs, coordinating activities and helping with homework, and she has also helped plan and carry out events celebrating our teenagers.
“This organization is truly delivering hope. Through their programs and service they are doing so much for the communities they serve,” Rhonda says. “To be a part of this organization is one of the most fulfilling things I’ve participated in.”
Interested in volunteering? We would love to have you. Find out how you can get involved here.