CARING FOR OUR COMMUNITY DURING COVID-19

Good morning,

I am prayerful and hopeful that you and your extended family are doing well. For all of us, COVID-19 has changed the direction of our lives in how we work, live and play. It has been a challenge for all walks of life. But with this challenge I have seen the majority of our community respond with excellence, generosity and sacrifice. I’m grateful for the many healthcare professionals who have sacrificed themselves for our community, Fruit of the Loom and other local businesses that are stepping up to produce medical masks, and the many stories of banks, landlords, BGMU, WRECC and ATMOS assisting businesses and homeowners to ease financial hardship.

To the many of you who have given sacrificially, even in the face of current and future financial uncertainty, I want to thank you! To our partnering churches who continue to give to Hope House even when your giving is down, thank you. Though the context is not identical, the generosity I am seeing reminds me of the generosity of The Churches of Macedonia in 2 Corinthians 8, “For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part." 

God is giving the Church and Hope House a great opportunity to extend hope, peace, and the love of Jesus in the midst of much fear and worry during this pandemic. At the same time, we must practice wisdom in how we associate with others for the health of our neighbor. 

As we walk that tightrope, I want to thank you for adjusting with us. We've had to cancel weekly dinners that so many groups graciously provide for our residents of Program Living for Men. We've had to close our Community Store, and in turn, stop all donation pick-ups and drop-offs, and these are just a couple examples of how this pandemic has impacted our work.

Currently we have three top priorities:
1. Protect our staff, their families and our volunteers.

• We have a limited number of staff onsite at Hope House.
• Thanks to ISTT, our staff have mobile offices set up at their homes to answer phone calls, communicate with you and meet the many needs that are coming to us.

2. Protect our 25 Program Living residents from contracting COVID-19.

• We are limiting residents’ interactions with those outside of the program and cleaning regularly.
• We are providing extra counseling for the men as they navigate this pandemic away from their families.
• As many other recovery programs have done, we are not accepting any new residents to eliminate the possibility of passing the virus to our current residents.

3. Assist those most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Our Ready to Work Shuttle is continuing to transport employees to work at essential companies that remain open.
• We are facilitating crisis assistance and immediate relief by phone calls.
• We are delivering relief items to homes. Please view the list of items we need here, and call (270) 904-1200 if you would like to help deliver items to homes.
• We have already assisted several families with paying past-due bills this month, and we are evaluating our capacity to increase our billing assistance budget to help more families in need. If you would like to help offset the additional billing assistance cost this month and the months to come, please donate here.
• We are also checking on past graduates of our development programs. If you are a trained advocate, Jobs for Life or Faith & Finances mentor and would like to help make phone calls, let us know to receive a list of names and some guidance.

Relief is critical during this time of uncertainty and loss for so many. The sad reality for many is that it will take three, six, twelve or more months to rebuild their lives. Hope House will be here after the pandemic ends to help with housing, transportation to work because of a repossessed car, training to get a better paying job and manage finances, and help with recovery because unfortunately, this will cause addiction and relapse for many.

Please pray for us and consider how you can join us in the rebuilding of our community that will hopefully begin soon. In the meantime, continue checking on your neighbors, offer to pick up prescriptions and food for the most vulnerable around you, and most importantly, don’t miss this opportunity to spend time with Jesus and your family. 

Praying for you and our city!

​Sincerely,

Bryan Lewis
​Executive Director