About House of Hope

House of Hope has been providing basic human needs for struggling people in Martin County, Fla., since 1984.

A nonprofit community service agency, House of Hope provides its core service programs at each of its four locations -- Stuart (Golden Gate), Hobe Sound, Indiantown and Jensen Beach:

House of Hope programs:

• Food Pantries: HOH is the largest provider of food for the hungry in Martin County. In 2009, HOH provided 129 tons of food — equaling nearly 303,000 meals. More than a third of this amount feeds hungry children.

• Clothes Closets: In 2009, HOH gave away about 87,000 garments and household necessities free to those who would otherwise go without.

• Emergency Financial Assistance: In 2009, HOH helped 709 families by covering critical bills such as rent, utilities and health care. The average amount of assistance per family was $169.

• Case Management: HOH has social workers on staff to help people who have the opportunity -- with guidance -- to become economically independent and self-reliant. The case manager works with individuals to help them access the resources and training they need to succeed and bring stability to their lives.

See our service statistics for 2008 and 2009

Who we help: Your neighbors

Those served by House of Hope typically are people who work for low wages and exist paycheck-to paycheck, victims of personal life tragedies (such as a major medical catastrophe, death in the family or sudden job loss) and low fixed-income retirees who live on Social Security benefits of only a few hundred dollars a month.

Our clients are people like the cashier at the grocery store, the laundress who dry cleans your clothes, the waiter who serves your meals, the laborer who cuts your grass, the elderly man who helps take your groceries to the car, the tradesman who lost his job in the economic downturn, the saleswoman whose hours were cut. They are people you know, people you like. They are your neighbors in need.

More than 95% of House of Hope's resources come from within Martin County ... and stay in Martin County.

In 2009, the major sources of HOH's income were as follows:

• Donations from individuals: 28%

• Resale store revenue: 26%

• Grants/foundations: 16%

• Churches, businesses and organizations: 12%

• Special events: 11%

• United Way: 7%

These figures are a significant departure from our historical percentages, as follows:

• Resale store revenue: 30%

• Donations from individuals: 15%

• Support from churches: 15%

• United Way: 15%

• Special events: 15%

• Business and organizational support: 7%

Click here for a list of foundations that contribute to House of Hope.

Other sources of agency funds include interest payments, bequests, and minor miscellaneous income.

More than 90% of the food House of Hope gives away each year comes from community donations. Most notable are the substantial donations made annually through:

• The National Association of Letter Carriers' "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive.

• The WPTV Channel 5 "Food for Families" drive each November.

• Various food drives held by churches, communities, businesses, schools, Girl Scout troops, etc.

The 120+ volunteers offering their time and talent enable the agency to operate. Read more about volunteering >>

 

Very low overhead

House of Hope's latest audit, completed in June 2010, indicates that Management & General Expense combined with Fundraising Expense is equal to 6.3 percent of our Total Expense.

That means nearly 94 cents of every dollar donated is dedicated to providing program services.

 

See House of Hope at work

House of Hope helps working people and senior citizens when they find it hard to make ends meet ... to feed their families ... to keep their lights on. Click above to watch a six-minute video about House of Hope. Hear stories of people who turned to House of Hope when they needed to get back on their feet.

Video available through House of Hope's YouTube page.