Press releases

House of Hope offers help in Indiantown

PRESS RELEASE DATE: JUNE 25, 2009

During the summer months, when children are out of school and employment is scarce, House of Hope is more important than ever.

The Indiantown branch will be especially busy, predicted branch manager Malherbe Fremont. “School is out, and the juice plant is closed,” he said. “We already have a lot of new Emergency Financial Assistance cases coming in, and there will be many more.”

On Wednesday, June 24, for example, House of Hope approved about $400 in FPL payments for Indiantown families who were having trouble making ends meet because of shortened work hours or other family crises.

House of Hope's Indiantown branch, like all of its four locations, runs a resale store and three assistance programs for people in need:

• The Food Pantry: The House of Hope's Food Pantries are the leading source of food for the hungry in Martin County.  With answers to a few simple questions, people can receive a supply of nutritionally balance groceries. For example, a family of four will usually be given about 25 pounds of staples -- enough to sustain them for a few days.

• The Clothes Closet:  This program provides free clothing, household necessities, furniture and appliances to people who would otherwise do without.

• Emergency Financial Assistance (EFA): This program provides temporary financial assistance to people, such as paying a housing, utility or medical bill. Typically, EFA clients are low-wage service industry workers, low fixed-income seniors, single parents and those facing a sudden life crisis (divorce, abandonment, abuse, death in the family, major medical issue, etc.).

In the resale store, customers can find items such as gently used clothing, household items, furniture, books and tapes. Most clothing is just a dollar or two at the Indiantown branch.

The branch is located at 15516 Osceola Street – between Madison and Adams streets, just around the corner from the Elisabeth Lahti-Indiantown library.  The branch hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

The phone number for the Indiantown location is (772) 597-6397.

If you would like to donate any furniture, appliances or large household items, you can arrange for a free pickup by calling the main Stuart office at (772) 286-4673.

Donations and sales at the branch help House of Hope provide vital services to Martin County residents who are struggling through hard times.