HOUSE OF HOPE OF OCEAN COUNTY INC
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Mission Statement
The HOPE Center is a non-profit organization that opened its doors in February 2008 in response to local area clergy who recognized a great need in the community. They envisioned a centralized place in Ocean County where those in need would be able to seek assistance. Our clients are welcomed with warmth and kindness, are listened to with understanding and compassion, and are offered assistance and advocacy with care and dignity. Our knowledgeable and extremely dedicated staff and volunteers provide resources, counseling, advocacy, coordinating services with partner agencies, food through our "client choice" Food Pantry, grocery store gift cards, emergency shelter, utility assistance, housing assistance, gas vouchers, school supplies, coats, toys, and so much more to those in need. "Within a place of hope and faith, our mission is to serve individuals and families in crisis with dignity and compassion, providing for their basic human needs, and striving to empower each person to achieve his or her greatest level of self-sufficiency."
About This Cause
Our clients are welcomed with warmth and kindness, are listened to with understanding and compassion, and are offered assistance and advocacy with care and dignity. Our knowledgeable and extremely dedicated staff and volunteers provide resources, advocacy, coordinating services with partner agencies, food, grocery store gift cards, emergency shelter, rent and mortgage assistance, utility assistance, housing navigation assistance, transportation, school supplies, coats, toys, and so much more to those experiencing a current life crisis. The Hope Center’s primary goal is to empower our clients to become self-sufficient and prevent individuals and families from entering the cycle of poverty and homelessness. The Hope Center’s expanded Food Pantry continues to provide perishables, as well as non-perishables, to our clients in a “client choice” environment which our guests find more dignified and empowering. Our community garden produces a bounty of herbs, fruits, and vegetables each year for our guests to take home for their families to enjoy. It has been a wonderful project we plan to continue and expand on each year as it has been embraced by many in our community, encouraged new volunteers of all ages, and engaged many clients. With the generous support of those in our community, through October 30, 2023, The Hope Center was able to assist 29,724 men, women, and children. Through our full service, client choice food pantry, 295,000 pounds of food were shared with 27,123 men, women, and children seeking food security compared with 219,379 pounds to 16,429 in 2022 and 220,210 pounds to 11,416 in 2021 during the same ten months. Through October 2023, The Hope Center has assisted 2,601 individuals and their families compared to 2,106 in 2022 and 1,234 in 2021 with emergency shelter, rent and mortgage, utilities, transportation and other supportive services. To date in 2023, we have shared over $20,819 in rental and mortgage assistance alone and receive numerous applications and inquiries daily. All this was possible through the generosity of friends and neighbors. We provide our clients with supportive care and information to help them access community services, navigate the social service system, resolve issues related to housing, utilities, medical and behavioral health concerns, transportation and other needs. On-going support provided includes financial assistance, life skills education, financial literacy, and individual mentoring. The HOPE Center's staff and volunteers meet with every client who comes through the doors, to determine what resources and services would meet their needs. We assist clients with food through our "client choice, full service" pantry, emergency shelter assistance, rental assistance, utility bills, transportation, car repairs, medical/pharmacy expenses, clothing, personal care, and laundry expenses. The Hope Center continues to experience an increase in the number of clients in need of support, those imminently or literally homeless, due to a lack of a shelter and a growing shortage of affordable housing in Ocean County, and people’s inability to pay their bills; rent, mortgage, utilities, medical, etc. due to the imbalance between their income and the ever-increasing cost of living. The Hope Center’s assistance to the homeless alone increased by 195% between 2015 and 2016 and 123% between 2016 and 2017. During the pandemic, The Hope Center has experienced a 255% year over year increase in those in need of shelter assistance. In 2021, this number dramatically increased to 930 nights of safe emergency shelter. This number does not include those we were unable to assist due to limited funding. This number does not include those we were unable to assist due to limited funding. This continues to be a critical issue in our community and a vital basic human need. The Hope Center is one of only two agencies which provide emergency housing assistance in our area. 2020 versus 2021, year over year numbers: 16.25% increase in food shared 34% increase in people served 403 new clients 178.9% increase in emergency shelter provided 58.8% increase in utility assistance provided 400% increase in rental assistance 41.7% increase in transportation provided 166.8% increase in Human Needs Resources (dollars) shared 2022 was a record year for The Hope Center! With the generous support of those in our community, The Hope Center was able to assist 23,185 men, women and children throughout 2022, an increase of 31.5% over 2021. 277,754 pounds of food were shared with those seeking assistance through our full service, client choice food pantry and community garden. The Hope Center provided clients with $8,900 in gift cards, provided 35 households with transportation, assisted with 18 gas, water and electric bills, and provided individuals and families with 273 nights of emergency shelter and 660 nights of shelter through rental assistance. In addition, in March, we provided 57 Easter baskets to the children in our area. In August and September, provided 105 backpacks filled with school supplies to students in the community. In November, we served over 500 meals with Operation BBQ Relief. In December, 186 Christmas meal baskets with turkeys and hams were shared with our clients and their families. For Christmas, we provided over 2,330 gifts/toys to 233 children in 89 families. In 2022, a total of 269 warm winter coats were distributed to our neighbors in need, along with 822 hats, 237 scarves, 78 gloves/mittens, 285 blankets, and 648 packages of diapers, wipes, bibs, and baby blankets. In 2022, through generous grants of support from Causeway Cares and Fulfill, The Hope Center received a vehicle which enabled our organization to increase our capacity to assist in providing food security by expanding the procurement of food from various sources willing to donate but require pick up of the donations. This vehicle has also enabled The Hope Center to bring awareness of our mission and the services we provide directly to the members of our community as a mobile unit. Unfortunately, The Hope Center is currently on trend to far surpass these numbers in 2023.