Hope in Our Community: From the Desk of Our CEO
House of Hope’s mission is to empower our community to overcome hunger and hardship. We take a comprehensive approach to the work, offering a variety of programs and services in basic needs as well as life skills. Clients have access to case management, family centered coaching, financial assistance, housing support, nutrition education, early learning, career coaching, smoking cessation, English as a second language, sewing, and more. Even with all of these resources available, our pantry services are still our most needed program. Now that summer is here, the need for access to healthy food will actually increase due to seasonal employment and lack of availability of free and reduced school breakfasts and lunches. At House of Hope, all of our services, including pantry, are always offered at no cost for our clients and partners.
House of Hope has pantries located in Stuart, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound and Indiantown. We use a Client Choice model in all locations. Our pantries are like a small grocery store, where shoppers can make wise food choices based on the preferences and nutritional needs of their families. Client Choice pantry shopping is offered to enrolled clients monthly, or more often, depending upon household circumstances. They are welcome to “shop” from a supply of nutritionally balanced groceries, including fresh produce, frozen meat, canned and dry goods, bread and pastries, dairy products, deli products, and other miscellaneous products such as condiments, snacks, baking products, and more.
We also provide a section in each pantry for our clients that are experiencing homelessness. These clients may access the pantry on a daily basis following the schedule of our location that is closest to them. They have access to fresh salads, sandwiches, side items, cold drinks, snacks, toiletries and more.
A key goal of our pantries is to feed people well. Last year we distributed nearly 1.2 million pounds of food, and over 500,000 pounds of it was fresh and healthy. We reach nearly 12,000 people each month with direct services, and another 18,000 through our food bank services for a total of 30,000 lives touched. We use food to influence the health of the households that we serve, knowing that healthy kids are better learners and healthy adults are better earners.
If you would like to get involved in our mission, please visit our website at www.hohmartin.org. Please consider joining us as a volunteer, or hosting a food drive. If you or someone that you know needs our support, please visit the website or call us at (772)286-4673. Thank you for helping to grow hope in our community.
