Hope House Blog

With Thanksgiving right around the corner and a limited supply of Halloween candy left, it is safe to say that the Holiday season has arrived! Here at Hope House, we are all getting very excited as the weather begins to change because there is really nothing cuter than a toddler in a puffy coat. We have a lot planned for the next couple months and we would love some help because as they say, the more the merrier!  In order for us to be able to provide all of the necessary services, we need to raise more money before the year is out. There are a few different ways for Hope House supporters to contribute.

We are selling raffle tickets and Holiday cards, both of which are affordable and seasonally appropriate. The raffle tickets are $5 and the prizes include a Kindle, Redbirds tickets, and a 50” LED TV! $5 may seem like an insignificant amount, but it provides a child at Hope House two hot meals a day for a whole week. The drawing is December 7^th and any of these prizes would make a great gift.

1^st prize: 50 inch LED TV from Dilday TV; valued at $1,000

2^nd prize: Suntrust Bank suite for a Redbirds game (24 tickets, and 4 parking passes to a game to be coordinated between the winner and Suntrust Bank); valued at $650

3^rd prize: 32GB Kindle Fire HD; valued at $250 

Tickets are available for purchase at the Hope House administrative office or via mail! Cash and check are accepted!

Email Grace Weil at gweil@hopehousememphis.org or call 901-272-2702 x: 214 for more information.

Another option is making a donation to Hope House in honor of a friend, family member, or loved one. For just $15, our staff and volunteers will send this beautiful hand-written card to the recipient of your choice:

For more information visit: http://www.hopehousememphis.org/holiday_letter_2012.php

            Finally, another more “hands-on” way of helping the kids of Hope House is adopting a child for the holidays. Our wish list is posted below and any of these items would help Hope House families have a safe and stress-free holiday season!

• Car Booster Seats
(to be used with the vehicle lap and shoulder safety belts)
• Knowledge Tree Gift Certificates
• MATA bus cards
• Gift cards to local grocery stores or department stores
• Clothing for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years old
• Child-appropriate DVDs
• Baby puzzles (toddler)
• Baby books
• Non-toxic kid-friendly paint and paint brushes

***To ensure the health of our children is never compromised, we ask that all clothing and toys be new******

To make a donation, contact Craig Locke at 901-272-2702 ext. 216.

We appreciate your generosity!

Great news! Hope House’s annual Art for Hope fundraiser is right around the corner and you’re invited! This event gives the Memphis community an opportunity to view and potentially purchase amazing local art. 40% of all purchases go straight into Hope House’s mission to improve the lives of children and families impacted by HIV/AIDS in the Memphis area. Art for Hope will be showcasing the work of 40 different artists, giving them chance to gain exposure, while also contributing to a wonderful cause!

As if all of the great art isn’t incentive enough, this event will also be providing fine wines and hors d’oeuvres to enjoy. There’s really no better way to spice up a Thursday night than with great art, wine, and altruistic company. So please buy a ticket and help support Hope House and our mission!

This year’s Art for Hope will be held at the Clark Opera Center (6745 Wolf River Blvd.) on November 8th from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online (http://www.hopehousememphis.org/art4hope_register.php) or at the door. We hope to see you there.

New Year’s Eve is quickly approaching.  No, not THAT New Year’s Eve.  Nonprofit New Year’s, when organizations big and small look back on the year that’s been and say, “If we’d just had a little more, we could have done (insert genius program idea here).”  Others look at their bottom line and smile, knowing they’ve accomplished everything they wanted.

The nature of nonprofit work is that there’s always someone else to help, always a bigger need to fill – meaning that every Nonprofit New Year’s leaves you wondering “What if”?  The organizations that continue to struggle live in this “What if” while the resolute ones look forward to the challenges in the coming year and resolve to rise to meet the need they so passionately address.

At Hope House, we’re sitting somewhere in between – struggling with the impact of the economy while continuing to persevere and adapt to the needs of the children and families we serve.   This year has been particularly tough for us.   Grant awards decreased and giving was down.  We’re no different from anyone else, truth be told.  What makes us different is that, while we look at a rough financial year behind us and troubling time ahead, we’re standing up, facing the challenges, and creating news goals to push ourselves and fill a need for people who so desperately need the love and support that they find here.

We’re resolved to continue providing a level of care and compassion for those infected with HIV that is unmatched in the city.  We’re determined to give the children at Hope House the start that they need to rise above the challenges that so many of them would otherwise face.

To make our resolutions realities, we need your help.  Make a New Year’s resolution to reach out and support Hope House this year and help us change lives!

To borrow David Letterman’s famous format, I wanted you to know some of the things that make Hope House such a great place for children and families impacted by HIV – and such a great place for you to get involved!

Without further ado:

10). No one has to pay.  All Hope House programs, including preschool services, are offered to families free of charge.
9). We’re protecting our children. Hope House is the only preschool in Shelby County that offers play therapy for children experiencing trauma.
8). We’re more than just a preschool! Hope House also offers rental assistance, financial literacy courses, support group, and individual counseling to qualified adults infected with HIV/AIDS.
7). We’re one of a kind, right in your own back yard!  Hope House is the only organization of its kind in Tennessee, and one of only a few in the United States.
6). There’s still a need.  Currently, there are approximately 400 children and their families who could benefit from Hope House services, we just don’t have the ability to reach them all!
5). Providing our services is expensive.  It costs about $1,500 per child per month to provide preschool services year-round.
4). We’re closing the achievement gap.  Hope House student-to-teacher ratios are kept low so that we can ensure adequate early childhood development and kindergarten preparation for our children.
3). Volunteers are always needed.  We were started by the Junior League in 1995, and the importance of volunteers to achieve our goals has always been a part of what we do.  Groups, individuals, and occasional drop-ins are needed and welcomed!
2). Hope House children are growing up fast!  We now have former students attending Southwest TN Community College and Rust College, just to name a few!
1). YOU are the most important part of Hope House.  We rely largely on contributions from caring people like you.  Please show your commitment to Hope House today by clicking here!

Pass this along to a friend.  Help us tell the world what a great thing we have in Memphis!

It’s no secret that medications today are a critical part of living a long life while infected with HIV.  It’s also important to remember the value of testing.  Take a look at this great article from today’s “The Atlantic” discussing the issues that we face today in the United States.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/05/harlems-hidden-hiv-epidemic/257826/

Just a week and a half go, we held our graduation for 3 precious little Hope House children.  As has always been the case, graduation brings with it a mix of emotions for the teachers, staff, and families of these children. When Hope House first opened its doors, the graduation ceremony was something that celebrated the lives these children had already lived, not knowing what the road ahead would look like – or even how short it might be.

As Hope House has grown and medical science has made a tremendous impact on the lives of these children, graduation now means something totally different.  For many of the children who graduate from Hope House, this has become a second home, and our teachers, staff, and volunteers are like an extended family.  Many of them have been with us since they were 6 weeks old, hitting milestone after milestone under watchful eyes and in loving arms. They’ve grown.  They’ve laughed, cried, smiled, and frowned all while learning that life holds so much in store for them.

And that’s what makes Hope House Graduation so wonderful.  The road is long for these children, and the possibilities are endless.  We’ve given them Hope to go with their beautiful smiles, their energetic hugs, and their curious minds.  In return, they teach us about the power of Hope in the face of adversity, and they show us the amazing and unrelenting love that is in each of us if only we have the ability to hope for a better tomorrow.

Today, we attended a great workshop put on by the Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence, and the theme was “Powerful Networks: Nonprofits, Social Media, & Community”.  Since we’re relatively quite on many social media fronts unless it has to do with event planning or making donations, we thought it would be a worthwhile event to participate in and learn how we can better interact with our community (i.e. YOU!!).

Right off the bat, this workshop did not disappoint!  Marnie Webb, Co-CEO of TechSoup, gave a wonderful keynote talk about making change by utilizing the resources in your network, community, friends, etc.  It was a great discussion, and raised some great points about how nonprofit like Hope House can make a change in the world by tapping into great people like you with the talents and desire to make a difference in their world.

Webb pointed out that philanthropic organizations in the United States are defined by what they don’t have, not what they do:  NONprofit. Basically, we’re small potatoes because we don’t have any money.  But Webb’s point is that there is a world of resources available within and around our organizations, but we have to empower our staff and supporters to utilize those things.

How does that translate to what we do at Hope House?  I guess the best way to put it is this:  Turn what you have into what you need to get what you want.  What we want is a better life for the children and families we serve.  What we have is a group of dedicated supporters.  And what we need is a way to tell others our story and connect our local, state, and national community to the beautiful children who have so much hope and love to give back.

Yesterday, Comcast hosted the Hope House Classic at Mirimichi Golf in Memphis.  Unlike last year, the weather cooperated and nearly 70 golfers came out to support the children and families of Hope House.  People had the opportunity to participate in the “Most Efficient Drive” contest for a chance to win prizes, and there was a silent auction with donated items from King’s Liquor, Comcast, numerous Memphis restaurants, Hilton Worldwide, countless other generous supporters.

“It was a perfect day.  We were so thrilled to have everyone come out and support Hope House,” said Hope House Executive Director Betty Dupont. “We walked came away and raised more money that we did last year, and that’s a great way to finish this event off.”

Several golfers finished the day at AutoZone Park to enjoy a Memphis Redbirds win over the Iowa Cubs.  All in all, it was a great day to be a supporter of Hope House, and the staff, children, and families enjoyed spending the day with everyone.

And one little Hope House-er got his own golf lesson from Director of Development Craig Locke.  So, we’re not sure it did much for his game…