United Methodist HOPE Ministries

4643 Winbourne Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70805 225.355.0702

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Our Mission

Prevent homelessness.
Promote self-sufficiency
and dignity.

FaithWorks 2009

On Saturday, October 3, volunteers from
First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge
gave our Client Choice Food Pantry
a fresh coat of paint as a part of their church's
first annual FaithWorks community work day.
Special thanks to HOPE Volunteer Pam Fairly
for coordinating this project.
Our new "banana yellow" food pantry looks great!

LSU Non-Profit Management Students
Interview HOPE Clients

HOPE Executive Director Renee Craft is working with
a graduate non-profit management class at LSU,
helping them to learn the ins-and-outs
of running a successful non-profit organization.
On Wednesday, September 30, two of the students
interviewed our food pantry clients.
They even brought gifts
for the clients who participated!

HOPE Awarded
Standards of Excellence
Voluntary
Re-Certification

On October 21, HOPE was awarded
voluntary re-certification as an agency
that meets the Standards for Excellence
established by the Louisiana
Association of Non-profit Organizations.

At right: HOPE Executive Director Renee Craft,
middle, receives the award during a banquet
at the LANO Annual Conference
in downtown Baton Rouge.

Getting Ahead Graduation #9

On Thursday, November 19, eleven students graduated
from Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin'-By World ©.
This workshop series helps students learn
about the underlying causes of poverty,
increase their financial literacy and
develop their own personal action plan
for increasing their self-sufficiency.
You could be in our next Getting Ahead workshop!

Far left: Getting Ahead graduate
Tawanda, middle, receives her graduation
certificate from volunteer Getting Ahead
facilitator Dick Stonich, left, and HOPE
Program Manager Jeffrey Fairley, right.

Left: Getting Ahead graduate Shatonda,
right, presents her Action Plan to her
classmates while Stonich looks on.

Thanksgiving Food Distribution

We provided ingredients
for a Thanksgiving meal
to 178 families in the community!
Distribution day began with anxious waiting,
but pretty soon there were
smiles and turkeys all around!

You can view
more event photos
on our archives page!

Top left: A client's child anxiously
awaits her new toys!

Bottom left: Students from Country
Day School help sort toys a few
days before the distribution.

Top right: A client makes her
selection from a variety of toys.

Bottom right: Despite the dreary
weather, parents and grandparents
alike were thrilled to leave with
overflowing shopping bags.

Christmas Place
Toy Distribution

On December 15, we provided new toys
to 328 children
from 122 families in the community!
We were lucky to have the assistance of many
great volunteers, including Country Day School
students and Payless Shoe Source employees.

Christmas Food Distribution

Left: Volunteers help clients fill up boxes
and buggies full of all they need to
prepare a Christmas meal for their family.
We provided meals for 145 families!

HOPE Volunteer Receives
Power of Nine Award

Right: HOPE Volunteer Dick Stonich, second from left,
receives the Power of Nine award from WAFB Channel 9
at a luncheon on January 28.

Pictured from left to right are WAFB anchor Donna Britt,
Stonich, HOPE Director of Operations
and Social Enterprise Janet Simmons
and HOPE Executive Director Renee Craft.