The holidays are here, with Thanksgiving being so late this year everything seems upon us sooner than we are ready. We are working hard to make sure that everyone who is with us has the best holiday and is able to celebrate in the way that they choose. Whether they celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas or any other celebration, we want it to be special for them. Being in shelter during the holidays can be tough for families. There are traditions and expectations of being with family and when one is in shelter those traditions can be difficult to celebrate and to maintain.

We have had many groups volunteering for us. Some help out in the holiday store, some host toy and food drives, and other are hosting holiday parties for those in our services. One gentleman dropped by with seven Christmas trees - complete with lights - to donate to those in our outreach program or for those just leaving shelter and who may not have a tree. We’ve had groups do collection drives for us and when they've dropped the donations off they were just as excited to give the gifts as we were to receive them!

The holidays have a special magic to them and people in our community are so generous with their time and resources. We are grateful for the support that we receive. Thank you to this wonderful community for helping us to make sure no one goes without. Mothers do not have to worry about how they are going to provide a holiday meal for their family or how they’re going to make sure Santa comes to their house or to shelter. Somehow Santa finds them no matter where they are and, even if for just a short while, the adults can put their worries aside and enjoy the season.

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year as we celebrate everyone’s uniqueness and share our good fortunes with those who are less fortunate. Thank you for sharing this season with us and making a difference in the lives of those we serve.
Happy holidays!

Life After Shelter

Picture by Jonathan D.Bloom at Flickr.com

I am often asked how we help people once they move out of our shelter.

That answer will depend on what level of involvement a client wants to have with us and what needs she has. We will continue to work with clients as long as they want to receive our support and services.

Any client leaving our shelter can access our outreach therapy services, both group and individual for both herself and her children. We are able to offer our Transitional Housing program to some of our clients, which is extremely helpful for those who are facing obstacles related to employment and housing.

If a client is struggling and needs temporary assistance with food, clothing or other necessities, we can help with that as well, and hopefully prevent a crisis from occurring.

We can assist clients leaving shelter with items that will help them set up their new homes. We are fortunate to have a caring community that blesses us with donations of furniture and household items.

We will work with clients on an individual basis and try to assist them with whatever their needs are. If we are not able to help them, we will work to find someone that can. We are known for being creative and figuring out solutions to the problems presented.

One of the most heart-warming things we can do for our clients is the Holiday Store. Moms and kids get to shop for holiday gifts for each other, and it’s free because our community has donated all the gifts.

The kids are thrilled when they get to choose something nice for their moms. And the moms are usually in tears, knowing that their kids might not have had a Christmas without the Holiday Store.

If you’d like to help us help our clients have a brighter holiday, please see our Holiday Store wish list. We are especially in need of gifts for teens and moms. Our store opens this weekend, so we’re ready to start stocking the shelves. 

Thank you for caring about these woman and children that you’ll never meet. Especially at the holidays, you make all the difference in their lives.

My Holiday Hope

I know that it can sound cliché but I really do hope for world peace; that we can someday find ourselves living in harmony and no one is afraid in their own home and of their life partner.

It is always at this time of year that this wish seems to be most prominent in my mind; the holidays seem to bring this out in me. I know that we have made great strides and have come so far in breaking the cycle of domestic violence, so I am celebrating that today.

We are that much closer and many more people have joined us in our efforts so I will take that with me and allow that to nourish, energize and motivate me to continue my part in this work.

Thank you for joining me in this effort. Thank you for all you do in making our world one step closer to being free of domestic violence.

Happy Holidays to you and yours. Wishing you peace and happiness.

Mother's Day is May 9th

Mother’s Day is celebrated the second Sunday in May and falls on May 9^th this year. It is a time for all of us to pause and honor our mothers and celebrate the time that we have with them and all that they do for us.

SPENDING A HOLIDAY IN SHELTER

Holidays at Hope House are celebrated with mixed emotions and Mother’s Day is no exception. The women who are in our services are struggling with the fact that their family is not as they wish it to be, and their lives are in crisis. To have that coupled with a holiday can be extremely difficult, but very positive as well.

We do our best to make the holidays a wonderful time where everyone feels special. We want them to be able to celebrate the holiday with the joy and enthusiasm they would if their circumstances were different. Our hope is that everyone can experience the holiday as it is meant to be experienced: in celebration of their own mothers, and for those who are mothers themselves, a chance to celebrate with their children.

KIDS CAN "SHOP" FOR GIFTS FOR THEIR MOM

We are fortunate to benefit from the generosity of the community and are able to have gifts for mothers on Mother’s Day. Kids are able to “shop” for their moms and have a gift for her on her special day without having to worry about money or how they will get their gift for mom.  Groups often volunteer to put together gift bags and dinner for our shelter clients, hoping to make the day memorable for those who will be spending it with us in shelter.

HONOR YOUR MOM THIS MOTHER'S DAY

Every Mother’s Day Hope House gives you the opportunity to honor those special mothers in your life by making a gift to Hope House. In turn, Hope House will send a Mother’s Day card to those women letting them know that a life-saving gift has been made to Hope House in their honor.

In order for cards to arrive by Mother’s Day, the mailing address of your honoree must be local (Kansas City area) and we must receive your gift electronically before Friday, May 7 at noon. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, follow this link or email Lee at lmarlin@hopehouse.net. 

Hope for the Holidays

The holidays are a wonderful time of year for most people and that includes those of us at HH. Often people ask if it is depressing at this time of year to do this work. My response is an overwhelming NO. This time of year is inspiring and uplifting as we see people bursting in their desire to help and the spirit of the holidays shining through.


The holidays are a time for our clients to reconnect with old traditions or to create new ones for their new lives. We are fortunate to have the generous support of the community and to be able to offer our “Holiday Stores” at each of our locations.

This store atmosphere allows clients to participate in the holidays by “shopping” for gifts for their children, and the children for their mothers. The stores are stocked full of new gift items for each to choose that special gift for their loved ones.

We have volunteers who stock the shelves and help the moms and children do their shopping. Then they wrap the special gifts that are chosen. Office, church and school groups do food drives so we can provide food baskets for that special meal for the holiday for those clients who are not staying in shelter.

We are fortunate to be able to help our clients enjoy the holidays and have this time of year be extra special despite the challenges they are facing. Thank you to all of our supporters that allow us to offer this special gift to our clients and to share the spirits of the holidays.